Boost.Python Quickstart Linker Errors

Question

I'm just trying to follow the instructions here to get the Quickstart example working. I am on Windows 7 and trying to use MSVC. I have Python 2.7 installed.

What I have done:

Download boost_1_57_0.zip and extract to C:\boost_1_57_0.
From command prompt in C:\boost_1_57_0, run:
```
bootstrap
```
then:
```
.\b2
```
as per the instructions under 5.1 here. After this I have a message saying "The Boost C++ Libraries were successfully built!".
Add C:\boost_1_57_0 to my path. The instructions don't say to do this, but since they want me to invoke bjam, and that's where it lives, I assume I need to do this.
Modify C:\boost_1_57_0\libs\python\example\quickstart\boost-build.jam so that the path is boost-build ../../../../tools/build/src ; and not boost-build ../../../../tools/build/v2 ;. This is as per the instructions here since the original path is wrong and if you don't do this the bjam invocation fails.
CD into C:\boost_1_57_0\libs\python\example\quickstart and run:
```
bjam toolset=msvc --verbose-test test
```

The output I get is firstly:

...patience...
...patience...
...found 1926 targets...
...updating 55 targets...
common.mkdir bin
common.mkdir bin\test_ext.test
common.mkdir bin\test_ext.test\msvc-12.0
common.mkdir bin\test_ext.test\msvc-12.0\debug
common.mkdir bin\test_ext.test\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi
common.mkdir bin\msvc-12.0
common.mkdir bin\msvc-12.0\debug
common.mkdir bin\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi
compile-c-c++ bin\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi\extending.obj
extending.cpp
c:\python27\include\pymath.h(22) : warning C4273: 'round' : inconsistent dll linkage
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC\INCLUDE\math.h(516) : see previous definition of 'round'
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC\INCLUDE\xtgmath.h(190) : warning C4273: '_hypot' : inconsistent dll linkage

followed by a long list of other header file entries, each complaining about inconsistent dll linkage, and then at the end a bunch of errors, highlights of which include:

LINK : fatal error LNK1207: incompatible PDB format in 'C:\boost_1_57_0\libs\python\example\quickstart\bin\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi\extending.pdb'; delete and rebuild

...failed msvc.link.dll bin\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi\extending.pyd bin\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi\extending.pdb...
...removing bin\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi\extending.pdb

LINK : warning LNK4001: no object files specified; libraries used
LINK : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _mainCRTStartup
bin\test_embed.test\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi\test_embed.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 1 unresolved externals

...failed msvc.link bin\test_embed.test\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi\test_embed.exe bin\test_embed.test\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi\test_embed.pdb...
...removing bin\test_embed.test\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi\test_embed.pdb
...skipped <pbin\test_embed.test\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi>test_embed.run for lack of <pbin\test_embed.test\msvc-12.0\debug\threading-multi>test_embed.exe...
...failed updating 4 targets...

Any ideas?

Ralph · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-08 23:02:49Z

4

The problem is still present with 1.59. I've managed to get Boost.Build working again by editing the file:

D:\boost\boost_1_59_0\tools\build\src\tools\msvc.jam

I made two changes:

Change this (lines #1351-1355):

     generators.register [ new msvc-linking-generator msvc.link.dll :
         OBJ SEARCHED_LIB STATIC_LIB IMPORT_LIB : SHARED_LIB IMPORT_LIB :
         <toolset>msvc <suppress-import-lib>false ] ;
     generators.register [ new msvc-linking-generator msvc.link.dll :
         OBJ SEARCHED_LIB STATIC_LIB IMPORT_LIB : SHARED_LIB :
         <toolset>msvc <suppress-import-lib>true ] ;

to:

    generators.register [ new msvc-linking-generator msvc.link.dll :
        OBJ SEARCHED_LIB STATIC_LIB IMPORT_LIB : SHARED_LIB IMPORT_LIB :
        <toolset>msvc ] ;

Remove this line (#1472):

    toolset.flags msvc.link.dll LINKFLAGS <suppress-import-lib>true : /NOENTRY ;

I've tested this on Win7 with VS2012 and Python 2.7.

answered Nov 8, 2015 at 23:02

Ralph

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Pavel Machyniak Over a year ago

I can confirm that current boost 1.62 has the same issue. This fix is working (tested on Windows 10 with msvc-12 and python-3.4).

teeks99 · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-10 17:54:07Z

1

I also saw that incompatible PDB format issue, but only with 1.57, which (since the Boost.Python source is the same for 1.57 and 1.55 and I can get it working on 1.55) I'm guessing is somehow related to the changes in the boost::build path.

I've documented what I had to do to get it working with 1.55, maybe that will be some help.

answered Apr 10, 2015 at 17:54

teeks99

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2 Comments

lemondifficult Over a year ago

Thanks, sorry I had to leave this and haven't tried again for months, but now I've followed the instructions linked and it appears to work. For anyone else: it appears the easiest thing to do is use 1.55, since 1.56 and above have the pdb format problem. Also, I don't think I'd set up the user-config.jam as you suggest. BTW, you have a typo in the user-config.jam on your blog - you've mis-spelt 'python' here: "C:\\Pyhton27-32\\libs # link libs".

teeks99 Over a year ago

I've updated the gist, thanks for pointing out that error. Also 1.59 is out next week, I'm hoping this will be fixed then.

Arnout · Accepted Answer · 2018-12-10 14:02:25Z

Madness I tell you.

Anyway, I finally succeeded in building the quickstart example on boost_1_68_0. A quick guidethrough:

(On windows, visual studio 2017 and SDK installed, python 3.5 installed)
Download and extract it in like C:\boost_1_68_0
Run bootstrap.bat
Build the boost-python libraries:

C:\boost_1_68_0>.\b2 --with-python -j4

Go to C:\boost_1_68_0\libs\python\example, and fix the Jamroot to find your header files

    project
  : requirements
    <include>C:\\boost_1_68_0
    <library>boost_python

Fix the tools\build\src\tools\msvc.jam file in the way Ralph in this post commented
As described here , patch embedding.cpp and extending.cpp by adding "#define BOOST_PYTHON_STATIC_LIB" as the first line everywhere
Copy the built python-boost libs (from C:\boost_1_68_0\stage\lib) to the quickstart folder
Finally build it

C:\boost_1_68_0\libs\python\example\quickstart>..\..\..\..\b2.exe -j4

Again, this is -crazy- complex. All the other stuff builds just fine, but the python linkage is really broken. Anyway, in case anyone tries, hope this helps.

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