I'm trying to add the Boost library to my project. I'm using CLion for C++, and CMake, while also having a requirement of using Conan.
I've tried both Conan with CLI and the Conan Plugin, but both fail for me when trying to add Boost.
Here is a repro of that I have:
from conan import ConanFile
from conan.tools.cmake import cmake_layout
class ExampleRecipe(ConanFile):
settings = "os", "compiler", "build_type", "arch"
generators = "CMakeDeps", "CMakeToolchain"
def requirements(self):
self.requires("boost/1.87.0")
def layout(self):
cmake_layout(self)
(important note that I don't have Python interpreter configured yet, IDK if it is related)
conan install . --output-folder=build --build=missing
This is the result:
======== Input profiles ========
Profile host:
[settings]
arch=x86_64
build_type=Release
compiler=msvc
compiler.cppstd=14
compiler.runtime=dynamic
compiler.runtime_type=Release
compiler.version=194
os=Windows
Profile build:
[settings]
arch=x86_64
build_type=Release
compiler=msvc
compiler.cppstd=14
compiler.runtime=dynamic
compiler.runtime_type=Release
compiler.version=194
os=Windows
======== Computing dependency graph ========
Graph root
conanfile.py: D:\src\ConanBoost\conanfile.py
Requirements
boost/1.87.0#0c087f18c4e6487235dd10480613cbb5 - Cache
bzip2/1.0.8#00b4a4658791c1f06914e087f0e792f5 - Cache
zlib/1.3.1#b8bc2603263cf7eccbd6e17e66b0ed76 - Cache
Build requirements
b2/5.3.2#7b5fabfe7088ae933fb3e78302343ea0 - Cache
Resolved version ranges
b2/[>=5.2 <6]: b2/5.3.2
zlib/[>=1.2.11 <2]: zlib/1.3.1
======== Computing necessary packages ========
Connecting to remote 'conancenter' anonymously
bzip2/1.0.8: Main binary package '885590b8d4960dd9be0d7cd4c17646ce20f8a9aa' missing
bzip2/1.0.8: Checking 1 compatible configurations
bzip2/1.0.8: Found compatible package '67bfcb7b4b78262b9d05495e479dcd92f747316b': compiler.version=193
zlib/1.3.1: Main binary package '0d6dd492a7d31822b2f2686ec67bbaef586416a3' missing
zlib/1.3.1: Checking 1 compatible configurations
zlib/1.3.1: Found compatible package '7bfde258ff4f62f75668d0896dbddedaa7480a0f': compiler.version=193
boost/1.87.0: Main binary package 'bbe666acc775075687a336c0614956d959da514b' missing
boost/1.87.0: Checking 7 compatible configurations
boost/1.87.0: Found compatible package '690d27cb1e8da3ebe38cd3de075871cff714299d': compiler.version=193
Requirements
boost/1.87.0#0c087f18c4e6487235dd10480613cbb5:690d27cb1e8da3ebe38cd3de075871cff714299d#4fd7afbcbe62cad0959f7646bee0f78e - Cache
bzip2/1.0.8#00b4a4658791c1f06914e087f0e792f5:67bfcb7b4b78262b9d05495e479dcd92f747316b#c04f63d499585a336129d85d111eed24 - Cache
zlib/1.3.1#b8bc2603263cf7eccbd6e17e66b0ed76:7bfde258ff4f62f75668d0896dbddedaa7480a0f#79ec8125ebd42591897da4cf270e6146 - Cache
Build requirements
Skipped binaries
b2/5.3.2
======== Installing packages ========
bzip2/1.0.8: Already installed! (1 of 3)
zlib/1.3.1: Already installed! (2 of 3)
boost/1.87.0: Already installed! (3 of 3)
boost/1.87.0: Disabled magic autolinking (smart and magic decisions)
WARN: deprecated: Usage of deprecated Conan 1.X features that will be removed in Conan 2.X:
WARN: deprecated: 'cpp_info.names' used in: bzip2/1.0.8, zlib/1.3.1, boost/1.87.0
WARN: deprecated: 'cpp_info.build_modules' used in: bzip2/1.0.8
WARN: deprecated: 'env_info' used in: bzip2/1.0.8, boost/1.87.0
WARN: deprecated: 'cpp_info.filenames' used in: boost/1.87.0
WARN: deprecated: 'user_info' used in: boost/1.87.0
======== Finalizing install (deploy, generators) ========
conanfile.py: Writing generators to D:\src\ConanBoost\build\build\generators
conanfile.py: Generator 'CMakeDeps' calling 'generate()'
conanfile.py: CMakeDeps necessary find_package() and targets for your CMakeLists.txt
find_package(Boost)
target_link_libraries(... boost::boost)
conanfile.py: Generator 'CMakeToolchain' calling 'generate()'
conanfile.py: CMakeToolchain generated: conan_toolchain.cmake
conanfile.py: CMakeToolchain: Preset 'conan-default' added to CMakePresets.json.
(cmake>=3.23) cmake --preset conan-default
(cmake<3.23) cmake <path> -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=generators\conan_toolchain.cmake -DCMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP0091=NEW
conanfile.py: CMakeToolchain generated: D:\src\ConanBoost\build\build\generators\CMakePresets.json
conanfile.py: CMakeToolchain generated: D:\src\ConanBoost\CMakeUserPresets.json
conanfile.py: Generating aggregated env files
conanfile.py: Generated aggregated env files: ['conanbuild.bat', 'conanrun.bat']
Install finished successfully
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.31)
project(ConanBoost)
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
message(STATUS "Boost_DIR: ${Boost_DIR}")
find_package(Boost)
add_executable(ConanBoost main.cpp)
And I finally build, sometimes it succeeds sometimes fails, but if I add REQUIRED then it always fails with the next error:
CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:7 (find_package):
By not providing "FindBoost.cmake" in CMAKE_MODULE_PATH this project has
asked CMake to find a package configuration file provided by "Boost", but
CMake did not find one.
Could not find a package configuration file provided by "Boost" with any of
the following names:
BoostConfig.cmake
boost-config.cmake
Add the installation prefix of "Boost" to CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH or set
"Boost_DIR" to a directory containing one of the above files. If "Boost"
provides a separate development package or SDK, be sure it has been
installed.
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
[Finished]
I'm new to C++, CMake and everything so I don't know all the internals...
I figured so far that due to a change in Boost we no longer have FindBoost.cmake generated but BoostConfig.cmake.
Changing the CMake with find_package(Boost REQUIRED CONFIG) yields a different but similar error:
[0/1] Re-running CMake...
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
FAILED: build.ninja
"C:\Program Files\JetBrains\CLion 2025.1.1\bin\cmake\win\x64\bin\cmake.exe" --regenerate-during-build -SD:\src\ConanBoost -BD:\src\ConanBoost\cmake-build-debug
CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:7 (find_package):
Could not find a package configuration file provided by "Boost" with any of
the following names:
BoostConfig.cmake
boost-config.cmake
Add the installation prefix of "Boost" to CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH or set
"Boost_DIR" to a directory containing one of the above files. If "Boost"
provides a separate development package or SDK, be sure it has been
installed.
ninja: error: rebuilding 'build.ninja': subcommand failed
Also at some point I noticed that there was a message indicated that Boost_DIR isn't set properly, and indeed if I add message(STATUS "Boost_DIR: ${Boost_DIR}") the result I see is this -- Boost_DIR: Boost_DIR-NOTFOUND
Would appreciate any help in making this work
Okay I've managed to make it work.
So, once we add conan and get the Boost libraries we get an issue where conan tries to always set the next variables:
CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM, CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET
Which will cause ninja to fail. Those two are added in the conan_toolchain.cmake and unfortunately, I don't know how to properly fix conan so it doesn't add them.
So for now the solution and workaround I've found is that each time I run conan install I have to go to the toolchain file, remove the next lines:
set(CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM "x64" CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
message(STATUS "Conan toolchain: CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET=v143")
set(CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET "v143" CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
Then go to `CMakeCache.txt` and remove the next lines:
CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM:STRING=x64
CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET:STRING=v143
After that ninja should fail, and the package can be downloaded currectly.
The final CmakeLists.txt looks like this:
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.31)
project(ConanBoost)
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/build/build/generators/conan_toolchain.cmake)
find_package(Boost REQUIRED)
add_executable(ConanBoost main.cpp)
target_include_directories(ConanBoost PRIVATE ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})
target_link_libraries(ConanBoost PRIVATE ${Boost_LIBRARIES})