PKG_CONFIG_PATH problems during "./configure"
 

Hi I'm installing gtkhtml-3.6.0 and in "./configure" I'm getting this error.

I know that these packages are installed.

I'm not too familiar with playing around with the different configure variables so I was wondering if someone might shed some light on this for me please.

Thanks!

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH

note that the last directory must be a pkgconfig directory ( for example, dont do this:

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/lib/:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH - this seems to be a common misconception).

google libtar and install, see if that helps

I had a similar problem geting K3B to compile - I had the library but configure would refuse to "find" it. I fixed it by

K3B will give a compile error that it cannot find libart_lgpl_2.a.

Fix by changing dir into:

/usr/lib

and doing

ln -s libart_lgpl_2.so.2.3.11 libart_lgpl_2.a

after making sure the libart RPM is installed.

Also edit /etc/ld.so.conf and add

/usr/lib

at the bottom and run /sbin/ldconfig.

I. e. I symlinked the filename it was looking for to the dynamic library file that I did find I had - maybe you can try this too?

wow, i am semi linux savi and you lost ME on that one, the thread started isnt too good at compiling, so im almost sure you lost them too...... hehehehehehe, but after further reading, i think he is right my man, best follow this and see what happens, it will either work, or crash the program again, what have you got to loose eh?

Nope, I just tried that. That didn't work either. Isn't there some way to use the PKG_CONFIG_PATH variable to get it to point to my libraries? For instance, my GTK 2.0 is in /usr/lib. There you'll find the folder "GTK 2.0".

pkg-config doesn't (technically) deal with libraries. there are other env. variables you can use to force the linker to pick up libraries, as well as compiler flags, but that is not your problem here.

First thing's first, what is the exact error? your error message below is only part of the error, the configure script will single out which pkg-config file it cannot find. The reason you cannot point to specific libraries is the configure script isn't looking for libraries, it's looking for the pkg-config files ( all your newer gnome libs use this system, as well as some other packages). This is why you need to adjust PKG_CONFIG_PATH accordingly.


Also, where are you installing these libraries to?

The package I'm trying to install is "gtkhtml-3.6.0". My complete configure output is as follows...
I've installed all libraries to the default locations.

here's your problem:

you are installing to the default location when the same ( but lower version) libraries already exist on your system. This is not good unless you are doing this intentionally and know exactly how to manipulate the environment to ignore one set of libraries and pick up another set ( your PATH will probably have to be altered also). Once you get all of this compiled, you are going to have a runtime problem with libraries.

check /usr/local/lib/pkgconfig for libgnomeprint-2.x.pc, if it's there ( it should be, unless that package is not installed):

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH

will force pkg-config to look in /usr/local/lib/pkgconfig before /usr/lib/pkgconfig and pick up the right lib to compile against. again, it will not work once you get it compiled unless you manually manipulate the runtime library linker.

What I like to do is setup a symbolic link that points to /usr/lib/pkconfig from /usr/local/lib/pkconfig. This is the lazy mans or womans way and it does work. If there is any *.pc files in /usr/local/lib/pkconfig, make sure you move them to /usr/lib/pkconfig before making the symbolic link or else you have to start from the beginning.

The packages may be installed but are they the correct version. It seems that you installed the old versions. Its best to remove the old packages to make sure you do not have any problems with the new packages.

It is required that you run ldconfig every time you installed a library. Also make sure all library directories is listed in /etc/ld.so.conf.