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First! Boost.Build is fairly new as yet. Some features are missing or incomplete. Instructions for accomplishing basic tasks (this page) are rudimentary. But enough functionality is working well to make using Boost.Build worthwhile. The important bits-and-pieces are all there - what's left is some of the relatively minor glue to make the system smooth and easy to use. Secondary tasks like copying libraries to installation specific directories are weak. If there isn't a configuration file (see Tools) available for your favorite compiler, consider contributing one. Note that the underlying Boost.Jam build engine is mature software, and the original Jam build engine has been widely used for many years. The Boost specific extensions are well on their way to becoming stable, and have begun to attract interest and use outside of Boost. |
Introduction
Preliminaries
Building Boost Libraries
More on using the tools
Tools available
Boost.Jam executable
These instructions explain how to accomplish common tasks using Boost.Build, the Boost Build System. The build system uses Boost.Jam, an extension of the Perforce Jam portable make replacement.
For tasks not covered here, see the full build system documentation.
Note that many Boost libraries are implemented entirely within their headers, and so can be used without building object libraries. Libraries that do require building object libraries first include the Boost Python, Regular Expression, and Thread 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 -sBOOST_ROOT=. -sTOOLS="gcc metrowerks"
BOOST_ROOT
on the command-line,
you can instead set the BOOST_ROOT
environment variable (an
absolute path is recommended).
The build system's toolsets are designed to work in either of two ways:
TOOLS Name | Description |
borland |
Borland command line compiler tools |
como |
Comeau command line compiler tools |
gcc |
GNU GCC command line compiler tools |
gcc-stlport |
GNU GCC command line compiler tools, using the STLport library |
intel-win32 |
Intel command line compiler tools under Win32 using the Microsoft library |
intel-linux |
Intel command line compiler tools under Linux |
kcc |
KAI command line compiler tools |
metrowerks |
Metrowerks CodeWarrior command line compiler tools |
msvc |
Microsoft Visual C++ command line compiler tools |
msvc-stlport |
Microsoft Visual C++ command line compiler tools, using the STLport library |
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. If you write an additional toolset file, please submit it to Boost so others may benefit from your work.
Pre-built Boost.Jam executables are available for the following platforms:
RedHat Linux RPM packages are available:
The Boost.Jam source files are included in the Boost distribution, so you can build the Boost.Jam executable yourself:
Revised 28 November, 2001
© Copyright 2001 Beman Dawes