g++ static link error against Boost.Log

Question

I get link errors when statically linking against Boost.Log. The compiler version is g++ 4.8.1. Boost version is 1.55.0. I can do a dynamical link without problems (with a "-DBOOST_LOG_DYN_LINK" in make file) but when I do the static link, I get link errors. This problem won't happen on other boost libraries. I simplified my code to reproduce this issue easily:

#include <boost/log/trivial.hpp>
int main()
{
    BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(trace) << "test trace";
    return 0;
}

The build command that generates link errors:

g++ test.cpp -lboost_thread -lboost_log

However, if I specify the lib file explicitly, there will be no problems:

g++ test.cpp -lboost_thread /usr/local/lib/libboost_log.a

I also tried to add -L options and get the same erros:

g++ test.cpp -L/usr/local/lib -lboost_thread -lboost_log

Here's the error log:

test.cpp:(.text+0x29): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::logger::get()'
test.cpp:(.text+0x70): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::logger::get()'
/tmp/ccDUZ2gm.o: In function `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::record::reset()':
test.cpp:(.text._ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix6record5resetEv[_ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix6record5resetEv]+0x23): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::record_view::public_data::destroy(boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::record_view::public_data const*)'
/tmp/ccDUZ2gm.o: In function `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::record boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::basic_composite_logger<char, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::severity_logger_mt<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level>, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::multi_thread_model<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::light_rw_mutex>, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::features<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::severity<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level>, void, void, void, void, void, void, void, void, void> >::open_record<boost::parameter::aux::tagged_argument<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::keywords::tag::severity, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level const> >(boost::parameter::aux::tagged_argument<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::keywords::tag::severity, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level const> const&)':
test.cpp:(.text._ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix7sources22basic_composite_loggerIcNS2_18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEENS2_18multi_thread_modelINS1_3aux14light_rw_mutexEEENS2_8featuresINS2_8severityIS6_EEvvvvvvvvvEEE11open_recordINS_9parameter3aux15tagged_argumentINS1_8keywords3tag8severityEKS6_EEEENS1_6recordERKT_[_ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix7sources22basic_composite_loggerIcNS2_18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEENS2_18multi_thread_modelINS1_3aux14light_rw_mutexEEENS2_8featuresINS2_8severityIS6_EEvvvvvvvvvEEE11open_recordINS_9parameter3aux15tagged_argumentINS1_8keywords3tag8severityEKS6_EEEENS1_6recordERKT_]+0x2d): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::core::get_logging_enabled() const'
/tmp/ccDUZ2gm.o: In function `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::record_pump<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::severity_logger_mt<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level> >::~record_pump()':
test.cpp:(.text._ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix3aux11record_pumpINS1_7sources18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEEED2Ev[_ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix3aux11record_pumpINS1_7sources18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEEED5Ev]+0x3c): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::unhandled_exception_count()'
/tmp/ccDUZ2gm.o: In function `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::record_pump<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::severity_logger_mt<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level> >::record_pump(boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::severity_logger_mt<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level>&, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::record&)':
test.cpp:(.text._ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix3aux11record_pumpINS1_7sources18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEEEC2ERS8_RNS1_6recordE[_ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix3aux11record_pumpINS1_7sources18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEEEC5ERS8_RNS1_6recordE]+0x2f): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::stream_provider<char>::allocate_compound(boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::record&)'
test.cpp:(.text._ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix3aux11record_pumpINS1_7sources18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEEEC2ERS8_RNS1_6recordE[_ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix3aux11record_pumpINS1_7sources18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEEEC5ERS8_RNS1_6recordE]+0x3c): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::unhandled_exception_count()'
/tmp/ccDUZ2gm.o: In function `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::record_pump<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::severity_logger_mt<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level> >::auto_release::~auto_release()':
test.cpp:(.text._ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix3aux11record_pumpINS1_7sources18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEEE12auto_releaseD2Ev[_ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix3aux11record_pumpINS1_7sources18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEEE12auto_releaseD5Ev]+0x17): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::stream_provider<char>::release_compound(boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::stream_provider<char>::stream_compound*)'
/tmp/ccDUZ2gm.o: In function `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::aux::severity_level<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level>::set_value(boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level)':
test.cpp:(.text._ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix7sources3aux14severity_levelINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEE9set_valueES6_[_ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix7sources3aux14severity_levelINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEE9set_valueES6_]+0x10): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::aux::get_severity_level()'
/tmp/ccDUZ2gm.o: In function `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::record boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::basic_logger<char, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::severity_logger_mt<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level>, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::multi_thread_model<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::light_rw_mutex> >::open_record_unlocked<boost::parameter::aux::tagged_argument<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::keywords::tag::severity, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level const> >(boost::parameter::aux::tagged_argument<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::keywords::tag::severity, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level const> const&)':
test.cpp:(.text._ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix7sources12basic_loggerIcNS2_18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEENS2_18multi_thread_modelINS1_3aux14light_rw_mutexEEEE20open_record_unlockedINS_9parameter3aux15tagged_argumentINS1_8keywords3tag8severityEKS6_EEEENS1_6recordERKT_[_ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix7sources12basic_loggerIcNS2_18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEENS2_18multi_thread_modelINS1_3aux14light_rw_mutexEEEE20open_record_unlockedINS_9parameter3aux15tagged_argumentINS1_8keywords3tag8severityEKS6_EEEENS1_6recordERKT_]+0x3e): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::core::open_record(boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::attribute_set const&)'
/tmp/ccDUZ2gm.o: In function `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::basic_logger<char, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::severity_logger_mt<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::trivial::severity_level>, boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::sources::multi_thread_model<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::aux::light_rw_mutex> >::push_record_unlocked(boost::rv<boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::record>&)':
test.cpp:(.text._ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix7sources12basic_loggerIcNS2_18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEENS2_18multi_thread_modelINS1_3aux14light_rw_mutexEEEE20push_record_unlockedERNS_2rvINS1_6recordEEE[_ZN5boost3log12v2s_mt_posix7sources12basic_loggerIcNS2_18severity_logger_mtINS1_7trivial14severity_levelEEENS2_18multi_thread_modelINS1_3aux14light_rw_mutexEEEE20push_record_unlockedERNS_2rvINS1_6recordEEE]+0x47): undefined reference to `boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::core::push_record_move(boost::log::v2s_mt_posix::record&)'
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status

Answer 1

Have you ever seen this page :

http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_55_0/libs/log/doc/html/log/rationale/namespace_mangling.html

I suggest you to go to configuration page of boost log and make your project again with proper options.

Answer 2

I'm pretty sure that by this time you already have your answer, but just in case, you needed to add the BOOST_LOG_DYN_LINK definition.

g++ -DBOOST_LOG_DYN_LINK logging_test.cpp -lboost_log -lpthread

With that command it should be running now.