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I am using Ubuntu Linux I have made a custom static library Mylib.a, I can include it to only those c files which are in the same directory as the static library.

I want to make it a general library so that I can include the library file to any c file I want irrespective of its location

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  • gcc will search in specific folders, see documentation for more details (you may start with LIBRARY_PATH environment variable and also compile with -v to see where it search). Alternatively you may give full path (anywhere it is) on gcc command line. Commented Nov 24, 2015 at 11:15
  • How do you include this library? You have to include the header and link the library. Commented Nov 24, 2015 at 11:33

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To use a static library you have to include the header in the .c files that use the library and then link the library. If the name of the library is libstatic.a then:

gcc -o yourprog yourprog.c -lstatic

If the library is not in the same directory use the -L option to specify the path:

gcc -o yourprog yourprog.c -L/path-to-lib -lstatic

(see also this post: How to link to a static library in C?)

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You can copy that .a file (or better .so file) to a standard location such as /usr/lib.

If you compile from the command line, you also need to specify the library name (even if it's already in /usr/lib), the same way when you specify standard library like -lpthread.

You can also specify the library path and library name in makefile

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I did copy it to /usr/lib but it still gives me compilation error
Is it link error or compilation error? Did you remember to copy the .h file to /usr/include as well?
I did not copy the .h file
It works! I still have to mention the library name when I run the object file gcc -o ex ex.o -l_mylib Is there a way to add this library permanently to a MakeFile
Is there a way to create a custom lib that can be called without the -l<namelib> ? (like -lpthread)
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As Adriano wrote, you can include a library even if it is not in the same directory as your c file. However, you have to specify where to look for for the libraries you use.

see here: https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Directory-Options.html

Hope I helped,

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