Inline::C external library linking problem

whakka has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hi Monks,

I need to use libtiff and libgeotiff so I'm embeding C in a Perl program and gluing it together with Inline::C.

The C code compiles fine using gcc (version 4.1.2 20080704 (Red Hat 4.1.2-44)) and the normal -l flags (-ltiff -lgeotiff -lm) but I'm having trouble setting up the library linkages when configuring Inline::C.

While I'm not entirely sure what's going on, libtiff is located in /usr/lib while libgeotiff was installed by the sysadmin in /usr/local/lib (with header files in /usr/local/include). Everything works fine when I just use libtiff, but when I specify the LIB directive to use libgeotiff also I get the compiler error:

Had problems bootstrapping Inline module 'inline04b_pl_8926'

Can't load '.../_Inline/lib/auto/inline04b_pl_8926/inline04b_pl_8926.s
+o' for module inline04b_pl_8926: libgeotiff.so: cannot open shared ob
+ject file: No such file or directory at /usr/lib64/perl5/5.8.8/x86_64
+-linux-thread-multi/DynaLoader.pm line 230.
 at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/Inline.pm line 504
[download]

No amount of permutations of these options gives me any better results. The following code illustrates the problem pared down:

#!/usr/local/bin/perl
use warnings;
use strict;
my $img = shift || die "Usage: perl inline.pl [tiff]\n";
my $gtif = 0;
if ( ! $gtif ) {
    die "Couldn't use $img\n" unless use_tiff( $img );
    tiff_cleanup();
} else {
    die "Couldn't use $img\n" unless use_gtif( $img );
    gtif_cleanup();
}

#---------------------------------------------------------------------
+------------------------------

use Inline C => Config => 
             LIBS => '-lm -ltiff -L/usr/local/lib -lgeotiff',
#             LIBS => '-lm -ltiff', # Works with $gtif = 0
             INC => '-I/usr/local/include'
;

use Inline C => <<'END_OF_C_CODE';

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <tiff.h>
#include "geotiff.h"
#include "xtiffio.h"
#define DEBUG 1

TIFF *IMAGE;            // TIFF image handle
GTIF *GEO_IMAGE;        // GeoTIFF image handle

void check_image(TIFF *image) {
    // Check that it is of a type that we support - if not throw error
+s
    uint16 bps, spp;
    if ( (TIFFGetField(image, TIFFTAG_BITSPERSAMPLE, &bps) == 0) || (b
+ps != 8) )
        throw_error("Either undefined or unsupported number of bits pe
+r sample.\n");
    if ( (TIFFGetField(image, TIFFTAG_SAMPLESPERPIXEL, &spp) == 0) || 
+(spp != 1) )
        throw_error("Either undefined or unsupported number of samples
+ per pixel.\n");
    if ( TIFFIsTiled(image) == 0 )
        throw_error("Image must be tiled.\n");
}

int use_tiff( const char *image_file ) {
    if ( DEBUG == 1 )
        printf( "TIFF file: %s\n", image_file );
    
    // Open the TIFF image
    if ( (IMAGE = TIFFOpen(image_file, "r")) == NULL ) {
        throw_error("Could not open incoming image.\n");
    }
    check_image(IMAGE);
    return 1;
}

int use_gtif( const char *image_file ) {
    if ( DEBUG == 1 )
        printf( "GTIF file: %s\n", image_file );
    
    // Open the TIFF image
    if ( (IMAGE = XTIFFOpen(image_file, "r")) == NULL ) {
        throw_error("Could not open incoming image.\n");
    }    
    check_image(IMAGE);
    
    // Open the geotiff information handle on image
    if ( (GEO_IMAGE = GTIFNew(IMAGE)) == NULL )
        throw_error("Could not read geotiff data on image.\n");    
    return 1;
}

void tiff_cleanup() {
    TIFFClose(IMAGE);
}

void gtif_cleanup() {
    GTIFFree(GEO_IMAGE);
    XTIFFClose(IMAGE);
}

void throw_error(char * msg) {
    fprintf(stderr,msg);
    exit(42);
}

END_OF_C_CODE
[download]

Full output:

<-----------------------Information Section---------------------------
+-------->

Information about the processing of your Inline C code:

Your source code needs to be compiled. I'll use this build directory:
/.../_Inline/build/inline04b_pl_8926

and I'll install the executable as:
/.../_Inline/lib/auto/inline04b_pl_8926/inline04b_pl_8926.so

The following Inline C function(s) have been successfully bound to Per
+l:
        void gtif_cleanup()
        void test()
        void throw_error(char * msg)
        void tiff_cleanup()
        int use_gtif(const char * image_file)
        int use_tiff(const char * image_file)

<-----------------------End of Information Section--------------------
+-------->
Starting Build Preprocess Stage
Finished Build Preprocess Stage

Starting Build Parse Stage
Finished Build Parse Stage

Starting Build Glue 1 Stage
Finished Build Glue 1 Stage

Starting Build Glue 2 Stage
Finished Build Glue 2 Stage

Starting Build Glue 3 Stage
Finished Build Glue 3 Stage

Starting Build Compile Stage
  Starting "perl Makefile.PL" Stage
Writing Makefile for inline04b_pl_5b15
  Finished "perl Makefile.PL" Stage

  Starting "make" Stage
/usr/bin/perl /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.8/ExtUtils/xsubpp  -typemap /usr/lib/
+perl5/5.8.8/ExtUtils/typemap   inline04b_pl_5b15.xs > inline04b_pl_5b
+15.xsc && mv inline04b_pl_5b15.xsc inline04b_pl_5b15.c
gcc -c  -I... -I/usr/local/include -D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -fno-str
+ict-aliasing -pipe -Wdeclaration-after-statement -I/usr/local/include
+ -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -I/usr/include/gdbm -O2 -
+g -pipe -Wall -Wp,-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -fexceptions -fstack-protector 
+--param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -m64 -mtune=generic   -DVERSION=\"0.00\" -D
+XS_VERSION=\"0.00\" -fPIC "-I/usr/lib64/perl5/5.8.8/x86_64-linux-thre
+ad-multi/CORE"   inline04b_pl_5b15.c
Running Mkbootstrap for inline04b_pl_5b15 ()
chmod 644 inline04b_pl_5b15.bs
rm -f blib/arch/auto/inline04b_pl_5b15/inline04b_pl_5b15.so
gcc  -shared -O2 -g -pipe -Wall -Wp,-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -fexceptions -
+fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -m64 -mtune=generic inline
+04b_pl_5b15.o  -o blib/arch/auto/inline04b_pl_5b15/inline04b_pl_5b15.
+so   \
           -lm -ltiff -L/usr/local/lib -lgeotiff        \

chmod 755 blib/arch/auto/inline04b_pl_5b15/inline04b_pl_5b15.so
cp inline04b_pl_5b15.bs blib/arch/auto/inline04b_pl_5b15/inline04b_pl_
+5b15.bs
chmod 644 blib/arch/auto/inline04b_pl_5b15/inline04b_pl_5b15.bs
  Finished "make" Stage

  Starting "make install" Stage
Installing .../_Inline/lib/auto/inline04b_pl_5b15/inline04b_pl_5b15.so
Installing .../_Inline/lib/auto/inline04b_pl_5b15/inline04b_pl_5b15.bs
Files found in blib/arch: installing files in blib/lib into architectu
+re dependent library tree
Writing .../_Inline/lib/auto/inline04b_pl_5b15/.packlist
  Finished "make install" Stage

  Starting Cleaning Up Stage
  Finished Cleaning Up Stage

Finished Build Compile Stage

Had problems bootstrapping Inline module 'inline04b_pl_5b15'

Can't load '.../_Inline/lib/auto/inline04b_pl_5b15/inline04b_pl_5b15.s
+o' for module inline04b_pl_5b15: libgeotiff.so: cannot open shared ob
+ject file: No such file or directory at /usr/lib64/perl5/5.8.8/x86_64
+-linux-thread-multi/DynaLoader.pm line 230.
 at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/Inline.pm line 504


 at inline04b.pl line 53
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at inline04b.pl line 171.
[download]

I really appreciate any assistance, thanks.

Update: Thanks to all the very excellent and educational replies, especially almut whose prescient suggestion to replace -L/usr/local/lib -lgeotiff with MYEXTLIB => '/usr/local/lib/libgeotiff.a' did the trick for reasons explained.

Comment on Inline::C external library linking problem Select or Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Inline::C external library linking problem by almut (Canon) on Apr 04, 2009 at 04:40 UTC
The compiler option `-L/usr/local/lib` does not automatically add the path to the list of runtime library search paths. It only makes the library be found at compile time. Unless `/usr/local/lib` is otherwise configured to be searched by the dynamic linker, the shared library won't be found at runtime (which seems to be the problem in your case). The runtime library search paths are normally set using the linker option `-rpath`, or the environment variable `LD_RUN_PATH` (at compile time). That's where MakeMaker comes in (or should). Normally, it would take care of setting the appropriate `LD_RUN_PATH` when it sees something like `LIBS => ['-L/usr/local/lib -lgeotiff']`. In the generated Makefile you should find definitions like `# See ExtUtils::Liblist for details # EXTRALIBS = -L/usr/local/lib -lgeotiff LDLOADLIBS = -L/usr/local/lib -lgeotiff BSLOADLIBS = LD_RUN_PATH = /usr/local/lib` [download] which would then prepend `LD_RUN_PATH="/usr/local/lib"` to the `gcc -shared ... -L/usr/local/lib -lgeotiff` command line. I'm not sure why this isn't happening in your case. In addition to adding `/usr/local/lib` to `LD_LIBRARY_PATH` (which is ugly, as it always needs extra fiddling at runtime), you could try the following workarounds: (1) specify the appropriate `-rpath` yourself. For this, you'd need to somehow get `-Wl,-rpath=/usr/local/lib` into the link command. This isn't quite as easy as you might think, because Inline::C's LDDLFLAGS option doesn't allow adding to it, so you'd need to re-specify all other options, which you typically wouldn't know, as they are being auto-configured... What does seem to work, though, is misusing the LD option, by setting `LD => 'gcc -Wl,-rpath=/usr/local/lib'` [download] (which did create the appropriate linker command line, for me) (2) In case you also have a static library `libgeotiff.a`, you could link against that one, in which case you wouldn't have any additional runtime dependencies (the static lib would need to have been compiled with `-fPIC`, though, because it will be linked with a shared lib). If you have both shared (`.so`) and static (`.a`) versions in `/usr/local/lib`, you'd need to move away the shared one, because `gcc` defaults to using the shared lib, if found. Alternatively, specify the full path to the `.a` file directly via MYEXTLIB (instead of `-L/usr/local/lib -lgeotiff`), i.e. `MYEXTLIB => '/usr/local/lib/libgeotiff.a'` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Inline::C external library linking problem by Anonymous Monk on Oct 20, 2010 at 06:38 UTC
Hi I am facing an error in Cygwin, when I run Perl scripts which talks to DLL files Laptop specification: HP Elite book Model � 8540W Intel i5 64 bit processor Win XP OS Software � Cygwin Additional modules � Inline & Parse Rec descent. My Perl installation in Cygwin is done properly, I am sure about that (I ran some simple �hello world� kind of scripts & that is working fine). I checked the installation of Inline & Parse Rec Descent it has installed it properly. I checked this using �make test� script, I get all the tests are passing in both Inline & Parse Rec descent. When I run Perl scripts which uses DLL files I get this error, Please see the error below. MY Perl scripts uses *.PM Perl modules which talks to DLL files of a particular hardware. As per the error below it couldn�t find some the files at run time or compiling stage, however, I checked it all the required files are present in the _Inline folder. I don�t understand why it couldn�t load it at run time or compile time�.! This is the error. Had problems bootstrapping Inline module 'Corelis_JTAG_6bd5' Can't load '/cygdrive/c/test/_Inline/lib/auto/Corelis_JTAG_6bd5/Corelis_JTAG_6bd 5.dll' for module Corelis_JTAG_6bd5: No such file or directory at /usr/lib/perl5 /5.8/cygwin/DynaLoader.pm line 230. at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8/Inline.pm line 500 at Corelis_JTAG.pm line 25 BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at Corelis_JTAG.pm line 25. Compilation failed in require at ./crm_bist.pl line 33. BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at ./crm_bist.pl line 33. Moreover, the same Cygwin installation, Inline version, Parse Rec descent is done the same way in other two IBM Desktops & one TOSHIBA laptop. There is literally no difference between the scripts & installation in other PC's. However, the new laptop I am trying is not going through & it throughs me the above error. But, in my IBM PC & Toshiba laptop works fine. The new laptop which is not working is HP Elite book 8540W with SATA SSD hard disk. This leaves me to suspect two things. 1. The OS (Win XP) version or installation problem!!!!!! (The Win XP in the desktop & laptop is about 5 years old version of Win XP - I don't know what would help there to you to debug this..) 2. The hard disk in IBM desktop is IDE & the one in Toshiba laptop is SATA2!!!!. The new laptop which is not working is HP Elite book 8540W with SATA SSD hard disk. Does hard disk matters for Cygwin at all.. Do you think the above two reasons would make anything to fail in Cygwin, what dependencies they have with respect to Cygwin. Please help. Shasi	[reply]
Re: Inline::C external library linking problem by syphilis (Archbishop) on Apr 04, 2009 at 00:49 UTC
Hi whakka , I think it's just that libgeotiff.so is not being found by default. Maybe the location of libgeotiff.so needs to be added to LD_LIBRARY_PATH (or something like that ... I'm a bit hazy on these nixy details :-). Cheers, Rob	[reply]
Re: Inline::C external library linking problem by ig (Vicar) on Apr 04, 2009 at 04:28 UTC
You can set LD_LIBRARY_PATH to confirm that adding /usr/local/lib to the library search path solves the problem but you may want to use other methods once you have completed your test. For reasons not to use LD_LIBRARY_PATH, you might read http://xahlee.org/UnixResource_dir/_/ldpath.html. For more information on the issue and alternatives to setting LD_LIBRARY_PATH you might also read http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Program-Library-HOWTO/shared-libraries.html and http://prefetch.net/articles/linkers.badldlibrary.html.	[reply]