[SOLVED] How to compile readline from source?

Issue

When I compile readline into my directory /mypath as instructed (./configure --prefix=/mypath; make; make install) I get the following unresolved symbols in it:

ldd -r /mypath/lib/libreadline.so.6.2
        linux-vdso.so.1 =>  (0x00007ffffb186000)
        libc.so.6 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x00007f450c62f000)
        /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (0x00007f450cc07000)
undefined symbol: UP    (/mypath/lib/libreadline.so.6.2)
undefined symbol: PC    (/mypath/lib/libreadline.so.6.2)
undefined symbol: BC    (/mypath/lib/libreadline.so.6.2)

When I read the readme-file of readline, this seems to be a feature and not a bug:

`--with-curses'
    This tells readline that it can find the termcap library functions
    (tgetent, et al.) in the curses library, rather than a separate
    termcap library.  Readline uses the termcap functions, but does not
    link with the termcap or curses library itself, allowing applications
    which link with readline the to choose an appropriate library.
    This option tells readline to link the example programs with the
    curses library rather than libtermcap.

I tried it of course with --with-curses but that did not change anything, which is not surprising because it seems to be a setting that only affects some testing programs in readline.

My distribution (debian) however has a readline without undefined symbols, so it is clearly possible to do.

How to create a readline library without unresolved symbols?

Edit:

I have compiled and installed ncurses into the same directory and I have also tried to configure readline with CFLAGS=" -Wl,-rpath=/mypath" and --enable-static, without success.

Solution

Those symbols are defined by libncurses, I think. You can probably confirm this like this:

env LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libncurses.so ldd -r /mypath/lib/libreadline.so.6.2

(I think ldd takes preloads into account when checking symbols, but it may not.)

The build script used by Arch Linux is here. It looks like the trick is to use:

make SHLIB_LIBS=/mypath/libncurses.so

There's also some other adjustments to the -rpath options in a build file, so you might need that also.

Answered By - ams