Libtool

Table of Contents

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Shared library support for GNU

This file documents GNU Libtool, a script that allows package developers to provide generic shared library support. This edition documents version 2.4.6.

See Reporting bugs, for information on how to report problems with GNU Libtool.

• Introduction  What the heck is libtool?
• Libtool paradigm  How libtool’s view of libraries is different.
• Using libtool  Example of using libtool to build libraries.
• Invoking libtool  Running the libtool script.
• Integrating libtool  Using libtool in your own packages.
• Other languages  Using libtool without a C compiler.
• Versioning  Using library interface versions.
• Library tips  Tips for library interface design.
• Inter-library dependencies  Libraries that depend on other libraries.
• Dlopened modules  dlopening libtool-created libraries.
• Using libltdl  Libtool’s portable dlopen wrapper library.
• Trace interface  Libtool’s trace interface.
• FAQ  Frequently Asked Questions
• Troubleshooting  When libtool doesn’t work as advertised.
• Maintaining  Information used by the libtool maintainer.
• GNU Free Documentation License  License for this manual.
• Combined Index  Full index. 


 — The Detailed Node Listing —

Introduction
• Motivation  Why does GNU need a libtool?
• Issues  The problems that need to be addressed.
• Other implementations  How other people have solved these issues.
• Postmortem  Learning from past difficulties. 

Using libtool
• Creating object files  Compiling object files for libraries.
• Linking libraries  Creating libraries from object files.
• Linking executables  Linking object files against libtool libraries.
• Debugging executables  Running GDB on libtool-generated programs.
• Installing libraries  Making libraries available to users.
• Installing executables  Making programs available to users.
• Static libraries  When shared libraries are not wanted. 

Linking executables
• Wrapper executables  Wrapper executables for some platforms. 

Invoking libtool
• Compile mode  Creating library object files.
• Link mode  Generating executables and libraries.
• Execute mode  Debugging libtool-generated programs.
• Install mode  Making libraries and executables public.
• Finish mode  Completing a library installation.
• Uninstall mode  Removing installed executables and libraries.
• Clean mode  Removing uninstalled executables and libraries. 

Integrating libtool with your package
• Autoconf macros  Autoconf macros exported by libtool.
• Makefile rules  Writing Makefile rules for libtool.
• Using Automake  Automatically supporting libtool.
• Configuring  Configuring libtool for a host system.
• Distributing  What files to distribute with your package.
• Static-only libraries  Sometimes shared libraries are just a pain. 

Configuring libtool
• LT_INIT  Configuring libtool in configure.ac.
• Configure notes  Platform-specific notes for configuration. 

Including libtool in your package
• Invoking libtoolize  libtoolize command line options.
• Autoconf and LTLIBOBJS  Autoconf automates LTLIBOBJS generation. 

Using libtool with other languages
• C++ libraries  Writing libraries for C++
• Tags  Tags 

Library interface versions
• Interfaces  What are library interfaces?
• Libtool versioning  Libtool’s versioning system.
• Updating version info  Changing version information before releases.
• Release numbers  Breaking binary compatibility for aesthetics. 

Tips for interface design
• C header files  How to write portable include files. 

Dlopened modules
• Building modules  Creating dlopenable objects and libraries.
• Dlpreopening  Dlopening that works on static platforms.
• Linking with dlopened modules  Using dlopenable modules in libraries.
• Finding the dlname  Choosing the right file to dlopen.
• Dlopen issues  Unresolved problems that need your attention. 

Using libltdl
• Libltdl interface  How to use libltdl in your programs.
• Modules for libltdl  Creating modules that can be dlopened.
• Thread Safety in libltdl  Registering callbacks for multi-thread safety.
• User defined module data  Associating data with loaded modules.
• Module loaders for libltdl  Creating user defined module loaders.
• Distributing libltdl  How to distribute libltdl with your package. 

Frequently Asked Questions about libtool
• Stripped link flags  Dropped flags when creating a library 

Troubleshooting
• Libtool test suite  Libtool’s self-tests.
• Reporting bugs  How to report problems with libtool. 

The libtool test suite
• Test descriptions  The contents of the old test suite.
• When tests fail  What to do when a test fails. 

Maintenance notes for libtool
• New ports  How to port libtool to new systems.
• Tested platforms  When libtool was last tested.
• Platform quirks  Information about different library systems.
• libtool script contents  Configuration information that libtool uses.
• Cheap tricks  Making libtool maintainership easier. 

Porting libtool to new systems
• Information sources  Where to find relevant documentation
• Porting inter-library dependencies  Implementation details explained 

Platform quirks
• References  Finding more information.
• Compilers  Creating object files from source files.
• Reloadable objects  Binding object files together.
• Multiple dependencies  Removing duplicate dependent libraries.
• Archivers  Programs that create static archives.
• Cross compiling  Issues that arise when cross compiling.
• File name conversion  Converting file names between platforms.
• Windows DLLs  Windows header defines. 

File name conversion
• File Name Conversion Failure  What happens when file name conversion fails
• Native MinGW File Name Conversion  MSYS file name conversion idiosyncrasies
• Cygwin/Windows File Name Conversion  Using cygpath to convert Cygwin file names
• Unix/Windows File Name Conversion  Using Wine to convert Unix paths
• LT_CYGPATH  Invoking cygpath from other environments
• Cygwin to MinGW Cross  Other notes concerning MinGW cross

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