Software Collage: Installing the Boost Libraries 1.50 on Ubuntu 12.04 precise

Software Collage: Installing the Boost Libraries 1.50 on Ubuntu 12.04 precise

June 30, 2012

Installing the Boost Libraries 1.50 on Ubuntu 12.04 precise

The version 1.50 of the Boost Libraries has been released . Following are the instructions to install a private copy of the Boost Libraries, including ICU support, on Ubuntu 12.04 (precise).

Setup

I have chosen to download the source packages in ~/Software, and to install in ~/usr but you can also use any other directories.

Make the required directories.


mkdir ~/Software

mkdir ~/Software/Boost

mkdir ~/Software/ICU

mkdir ~/usr


Requirements

Check the required packages.


sudo apt-get install build-essential

sudo apt-get install g++

sudo apt-get install python-dev

sudo apt-get install libzip-dev

sudo apt-get install libbz2-dev



Download and install the ICU Libraries

We will install a private version of the ICU Libraries, I have chosen the ~/usr directory for the installation but can be any other.

Download and decompress the ICU Libraries source package.


cd ~/Software/ICU



wget http://download.icu-project.org/files/icu4c/49.1.2/icu4c-49_1_2-src.tgz



tar -xvf icu4c-49_1_2-src.tgz


Configure, build and install the ICU Libraries.


cd icu/source

./runConfigureICU Linux --prefix=${HOME}/usr --enable-static

make

make install


Download the Boost Libraries

Download and decompress the Boost Libraries source package.


cd ~/Software/Boost



wget -O boost_1_50_0.tar.bz2 http://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/1.50.0/boost_1_50_0.tar.bz2/download



tar -xvf boost_1_50_0.tar.bz2


Configure the Boost Libraries

Declare the ICU_PATH environment variable.


export ICU_PATH=${HOME}/usr


Configure the Boost Libraries build system.


cd boost_1_50_0

./bootstrap.sh


Edit the generated project-config.jam file.


gedit project-config.jam


Make the required changes to the project-config.jam file. I have highlighted the required changes, note that you have to substitute the directory /home/your-user-name with your real home directory path.


# Boost.Build Configuration

# Automatically generated by bootstrap.sh



import option ;

import feature ;



# Compiler configuration. This definition will be used unless

# you already have defined some toolsets in your user-config.jam

# file.

if ! gcc in [ feature.values <toolset> ]

{

using gcc ;

}



project : default-build <toolset> gcc ;



# Python configuration

using python : 2.7 : /usr ;



path-constant ICU_PATH : /home/your-user-name/usr ;



# List of --with-<library> and --without-<library>

# options. If left empty, all libraries will be built.

# Options specified on the command line completely

# override this variable.

libraries = /home/your-user-name/usr ;



# These settings are equivivalent to corresponding command-line

# options.

option.set prefix : /home/your-user-name/usr ;

option.set exec-prefix : /home/your-user-name/usr ;

option.set libdir : /home/your-user-name/usr/lib ;

option.set includedir : /home/your-user-name/usr/include ;



# Stop on first error

option.set keep-going : false ;





Save the file and exit the editor.

Build and install Boost Libraries

Build the Boost Libraries.


./b2


Alternatively you can build the Boost Libraries enabling the C++11 compiler support.


./b2 toolset=gcc cxxflags=-std=c++0x


The build process takes a while, once it is complete you can install the private version of the Boost Libraries.


./b2 install