Install Boost headers to specific directory (Windows)

Question

I've downloaded, extracted, and compiled the Boost libraries (including the separately compiled libraries). I've used their install procedure a couple times now but I can't seem to get it to do exactly what I want. Right now, when I install Boost after compiling it goes to

C:\Boost

This is fine. The compiled libs go to

C:\Boost\lib

which is also fine. The problem I have is with the installation of the precompiled headers. They got put at

C:\Boost\include\boost-1_54\boost

Is there a way to use the Boost build system and install tools to set the precompiled headers to be installed to just

C:\Boost\include

and not have the Boost version number be a part of that folder hierarchy?

I don't plan on using multiple versions of Boost at the same time so I don't have a use for actually having that version number. I realize I could move them manually after the install is complete, but I wanted to see first if I've overlooked or misunderstood something about Boost's build system.

Answer 1

--layout=system removes the versioned subdirectory from the include path (as @IgorR. pointed out).

"Removing that second boost in the path" is a bad idea. In a respectable OS (cough...), the include files for various libraries are supposed to co-exist in one common include directory, hence the boost subdirectory to avoid clashes. Boost headers are therefore habitually referred to as e.g. #include <boost/any.hpp>, i.e. including that boost/ subdirectory.

This is done both by third-party software using Boost, and by Boost itself. If you remove the second boost from the path, you would end up with C:\Boost\include\any.hpp, and any Boost-using software won't compile as not even Boost could find its own includes.