c++boost.gif (8819 bytes)Building Boost Libraries

Read This First!

Boost.Build is currently in preliminary form.  Some features are missing or incomplete. Instructions for accomplishing basic tasks (this page) are rudimentary.  But enough functionality is working well to make providing Boost.Build worthwhile.  The important bits-and-pieces are all there - what is left to do is some of the relatively minor glue to make the system smooth and easy to use.

Don't expect building a full Boost object library for any random compiler to work yet.  If there isn't a jam configuration file for your favorite compiler, consider contributing one. Secondary tasks like copying libraries to installation specific directories are also weak.

Do expect building object libraries for some of the individual Boost libraries like Python and Regex Libraries to show lots of signs of life.

Note that the underlying Jam build engine is mature software, and has been widely used for many years.  The FTJam and Boost specific extensions are well on their way to being stable, and have begun to attract interest and use outside of Boost.

Introduction

These instructions explain how to accomplish common tasks using Boost.Build, the Boost Build System.

For tasks not covered here, see the full build system documentation.

Preliminaries

Building Boost Libraries

Using your operating system's command line interpreter, execute the following steps.  The sample commands given will work for both UNIX and Windows.

chdir my_boost

jam -ftools/build/allyourbase.jam -sTOOLS="gcc metrowerks"

Tools

TOOLS Name Description
borland Borland command line compiler tools
gcc GNU GCC command line compiler tools
gcc-stlport GNU GCC command line compiler tools, using the STLport library
kcc KAI command line compiler tools
metrowerks Metrowerks CodeWarrior command line compiler tools
msvc Microsoft Visual C++ command line compiler tools
vacpp IBM Visual Age C++ command line compiler tools

Unless otherwise specified, the library is assumed to be the one shipped with the compiler.

Additional tools can be supplied by adding an appropriate xxxx-tools.jam file to the tools/build subdirectory, where xxxx is the name of the tool being added..


Revised 19 August, 2001

Written by Beman Dawes