How to create Qt executable for linux machines

Question

I have created a project using Qt 5.3. I want this project to be executable on other linux machines, so I took the executable file which is generated in the build folder of the project and executed it on the other linux machine. When I did that I got the following error:

./Project_name: error while loading shared libraries: libQt5Widgets.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

I developed the application using QT 5.3 but the linux machine where I am trying to execute it has libqt4 libraries. Is there any way for this file to be executable using the libqt4 libraries only.The following is my .pro file of the project:

#-------------------------------------------------
#
# Project created by QtCreator 2014-12-08T09:19:31
#
#-------------------------------------------------

QT       += core gui


greaterThan(QT_MAJOR_VERSION, 4): QT += widgets

TARGET = Project_name
TEMPLATE = app
QMAKE_CXXFLAGS += -std=c++11

SOURCES += main.cpp\
        mainwindow.cpp \


INCLUDEPATH += /usr/include/python2.7/ 





HEADERS  += mainwindow.h 





FORMS    += mainwindow.ui 

I checked online and found out that we need to make changes in the "greaterThan(QT_MAJOR_VERSION, 4): QT += widgets" so that it works for qt4 libraries. I did that but it did not work. So could you let me know what could be done so that the project which is built using libqt5 can also be executed on machines which have libqt4. Installing libqt5 libraries can be done but I am looking for a way other than that.

Answer 1

Is there any way for this file to be executable using the libqt4 libraries only

Not easily at least... Even if you created symlinks, Qt 4 and Qt 5 are not binary compatible.

If you want to make it self-contained:

• bundle the libraries statically.

• Use dynamic symbol loading and based on the version you find, you may need to program the code to act differently. But it may be a hell lot of work.