How to install Boost with specified compiler (say GCC)

Question

I would like to install boost with specified compilers, such as the gcc-4.9.1 that I have installed in <gcc_49_root>. The current OS is Mac OS X 10.9.4, but I would like this installation process to work on other OS. The documentation of boost is quite opaque about this scenario. What I have tried is as following:

$ ./bootstrap.sh
-n Building Boost.Build engine with toolset darwin...
tools/build/src/engine/bin.macosxx86_64/b2
-n Detecting Python version...
2.7
-n Detecting Python root...
/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7
-n Unicode/ICU support for Boost.Regex?...
not found.
Generating Boost.Build configuration in project-config.jam...

Insert using gcc : 4.9.1 : <gcc_49_root>/bin/g++-4.9 : ; into project-config.jam.

$ ./b2 --prefix=<...> toolset=gcc-4.9.1 install

But encountered the errors:

Jamfile</Users/dongli/Shares/works/packman/test/packages/Boost/boost_1_56_0/libs/context/build>.gas64 bin.v2/libs/context/build/gcc-4.9.1/release/address-model-64/architecture-x86/threading-multi/asm/make_x86_64_sysv_macho_gas.o
FATAL:/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/../libexec/as/x86_64/as: I don't understand '-' flag!
clang: error: no input files

    cpp -x assembler-with-cpp "libs/context/src/asm/make_x86_64_sysv_macho_gas.S" | as --64 -o "bin.v2/libs/context/build/gcc-4.9.1/release/address-model-64/architecture-x86/threading-multi/asm/make_x86_64_sysv_macho_gas.o"

...failed Jamfile</Users/dongli/Shares/works/packman/test/packages/Boost/boost_1_56_0/libs/context/build>.gas64 bin.v2/libs/context/build/gcc-4.9.1/release/address-model-64/architecture-x86/threading-multi/asm/make_x86_64_sysv_macho_gas.o...

gcc.link.dll bin.v2/libs/atomic/build/gcc-4.9.1/release/threading-multi/libboost_atomic.dylib
ld: unknown option: -h
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status

    "/usr/local/opt/gcc/bin/g++-4.9"    -o "bin.v2/libs/atomic/build/gcc-4.9.1/release/threading-multi/libboost_atomic.dylib" -Wl,-h -Wl,libboost_atomic.dylib -shared -Wl,--start-group "bin.v2/libs/atomic/build/gcc-4.9.1/release/threading-multi/lockpool.o"  -Wl,-Bstatic  -Wl,-Bdynamic  -Wl,--end-group

...failed gcc.link.dll bin.v2/libs/atomic/build/gcc-4.9.1/release/threading-multi/libboost_atomic.dylib...

What should I do with these errors? Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Apple's linker ld(ld64) is different from other UNIX/GNU linkers and does not support some options, such as -h(soname), --start-group, --end-group, etc,. Those errors you got("unknown option") were the results of trying to pass non-supported flags to Apple's ld when you specify the gcc toolset.

The way I hacked mine was to first include "darwin" in the project config file:

using gcc : 4.9.1 : <gcc_49_root>/bin/g++-4.9 : <linker-type>darwin ;

Next removing the non-supported flags from {BOOST_DIR}/tools/build/src/tools/gcc.jam, from the long command in the "actions link.dll bind LIBRARIES" block:

remove/comment out this portion:
... $(HAVE_SONAME)-Wl,$(SONAME_OPTION)$(SPACE)-Wl,$(<[-1]:D=) ...

Afterwards the Boost libraries built without errors and worked fine in other gcc4.9 compiled codes.

$ ./bootstrap.sh --with-toolset=gcc 
$ ./b2 --toolset=gcc-4.9.1

---

UPDATE (May 2015): I recently did a new built of gcc 5.1.0 and Boost 1.58.0 on Yosemite (10.10.1). Same fix worked for me.

Answer 2

I am using Mac Yosemite and this worked for me.

Open "tools/build/example/user-config.jam" and change

# Configure gcc (default version).
# using gcc ;

# Configure specific gcc version, giving alternative name to use.

using darwin : 5 : g++-5 ;

Then open "tools/build/src/tools/darwin.jam" then delete below line (this step may not be required. just try both way);

"$(CONFIG_COMMAND)" -dynamiclib -Wl,-single_module -install_name "$(<:B)$(<:S)" -L"$(LINKPATH)" -o "$(<)" "$(>)" "$(LIBRARIES)" -l$(FINDLIBS-SA) -l$(FINDLIBS-ST) $(FRAMEWORK_PATH) -framework$(_)$(FRAMEWORK:D=:S=) $(OPTIONS) $(USER_OPTIONS)

As last step, compile and install

$ ./bootstrap.sh --with-libraries=all --with-toolset=darwin --prefix=/usr/local/boost_for_gcc
$ ./b2
$ ./b2 install

Now you can compile your code like below

$ g++ -o main main.cpp -L/usr/local/boost_for_gcc/lib -I/usr/local/boost_for_gcc/include -lboost_regex

Reference: http://qiita.com/misho/items/0c0b3ca25bb8f62aa681