.pc file installation location

[Jeff Squyres]

On Feb 18, 2010, at 11:59 AM, Jim Graf wrote:

> I've been following this discussion and I have some confusion in my head. The OP stated they wanted to put the .pc file in the 'usual' location. I am presuming usual means default pkg-config search path, which depends on where pkg-config itself is installed. 
> 
> I wish I could participate more fully, but all my apps/libs are used internally, and we find it expeditious to avoid root installs, so I tend towards mucking with PKG_CONFIG_PATH and then I don't have to depend on my own installation of the pkg-config app. It's a good solution to our very particular problem. I can't use the default location. :(

Mmm.  Excellent point.  To clarify: I was more asking, "Where do packages typically install their .pc files?" with the assumption that the location would be relative to my package's configure-specified installation directories.  I am loathe to install some .pc files in a directory that was not specified by my package's configure.  Hence, if my $libdir/pkgconfig happens to correspond to pkg-config's $libdir/pkgconfig, great.  If not, then the user will need to muck with PKG_CONFIG_PATH, just like you mentioned.

> I also wish there was an option for pkg-config to print out it's default search path. Then in configure.ac, one could make some decisions. 
> 
> strings `which pkg-config`|grep "/pkgconfig"
> 
> lacks a certain something...

Agreed; that would be nice.  Not necessarily for my package because, as mentioned above, I'm hesitant to install something outside of my configure-specified directories.  But from a sysadmin point of view, that would be nice.  Perhaps the directory could be AC_SUBST'ed into the pkg-config.1 man page...?  Just a suggestion.

-- 
Jeff Squyres
jsquyres at cisco.com

For corporate legal information go to:
http://www.cisco.com/web/about/doing_business/legal/cri/