g++ cannot static link libmongcxx(r3.0.2) but dynamic link works

Question

I use the example code from mongodb site to show the problem here. OS: ArchLiux, c++ is a link to g++

[dean@dell_xps_13 ~]$ c++ --version c++ (GCC) 6.2.1 20160830 Copyright (C) 2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc. This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

code is in test.cc file

#include <iostream>

#include <bsoncxx/builder/stream/document.hpp>
#include <bsoncxx/json.hpp>

#include <mongocxx/client.hpp>
#include <mongocxx/instance.hpp>

int main(int, char**) {
  mongocxx::instance inst{};
  mongocxx::client conn{mongocxx::uri{}};

  bsoncxx::builder::stream::document document{};

  auto collection = conn["testdb"]["testcollection"];
  document << "hello" << "world";

  collection.insert_one(document.view());
  auto cursor = collection.find({});

  for (auto&& doc : cursor) {
    std::cout << bsoncxx::to_json(doc) << std::endl;
  }
}

First compile it to object file:

c++ -g -std=c++11 -I../include -I/usr/include/bsoncxx/v_noabi -I/usr/include/mongocxx/v_noabi -Wall -o test.o -c ./test.cc

Link it without -static works:

c++ test.o -o test -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -L/usr/lib -lpthread -lmongocxx -lbsoncxx -lboost_log -lboost_log_setup -lboost_system -lboost_thread -lboost_filesystem

This can run and print out some messages:

[dean@dell_xps_13 mongo-cxx-driver-r3.0.2]$ ./test
{
    "_id" : {
        "$oid" : "58218e821b489308ae4411d1"
    }, 
    "hello" : "world"
}

Now get error with -static option

c++ test.o -o test -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -static -L/usr/lib -lpthread -lmongocxx -lbsoncxx -lboost_log -lboost_log_setup -lboost_system -lboost_thread -lboost_filesystem

Many error messages show below:

/usr/lib/libmongocxx.a(client.cpp.o): In function mongocxx::v_noabi::client::client(mongocxx::v_noabi::uri const&, mongocxx::v_noabi::options::client const&)': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x28): undefined reference tomongoc_client_new_from_uri' /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x10c): undefined reference to mongoc_client_destroy' /usr/lib/libmongocxx.a(client.cpp.o): In function mongocxx::v_noabi::client::operator=(mongocxx::v_noabi::client&&)': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x190): undefined reference to mongoc_client_destroy' /usr/lib/libmongocxx.a(client.cpp.o): In function mongocxx::v_noabi::client::~client()': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x1c3): undefined reference to mongoc_client_destroy' /usr/lib/libmongocxx.a(client.cpp.o): In function mongocxx::v_noabi::client::read_concern(mongocxx::v_noabi::read_concern)': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x214): undefined reference to mongoc_client_set_read_concern' /usr/lib/libmongocxx.a(client.cpp.o): In function mongocxx::v_noabi::client::read_concern() const': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x243): undefined reference to mongoc_client_get_read_concern' /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x24b): undefined reference tomongoc_read_concern_copy' /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x27c): undefined reference to mongoc_read_concern_destroy' /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x2a3): undefined reference tomongoc_read_concern_destroy' /usr/lib/libmongocxx.a(client.cpp.o): In function mongocxx::v_noabi::client::read_preference(mongocxx::v_noabi::read_preference)': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x3a4): undefined reference tomongoc_client_set_read_prefs' /usr/lib/libmongocxx.a(client.cpp.o): In function mongocxx::v_noabi::client::read_preference() const': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x3c3): undefined reference tomongoc_client_get_read_prefs' /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x3cb): undefined reference to mongoc_read_prefs_copy' /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x3fc): undefined reference tomongoc_read_prefs_destroy' /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x423): undefined reference to mongoc_read_prefs_destroy' /usr/lib/libmongocxx.a(client.cpp.o): In function mongocxx::v_noabi::client::uri() const': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x463): undefined reference to mongoc_client_get_uri' /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x46b): undefined reference tomongoc_uri_copy' /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x49c): undefined reference to mongoc_uri_destroy' /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x4c3): undefined reference tomongoc_uri_destroy' /usr/lib/libmongocxx.a(client.cpp.o): In function mongocxx::v_noabi::client::write_concern(mongocxx::v_noabi::write_concern)': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/mongocxx/client.cpp:(.text+0x504): undefined reference tomongoc_client_set_write_concern' /usr/lib/libmongocxx.a(client.cpp.o): In function `mongocxx::v_noabi::client::write_concern() const':

....

/usr/lib/libbsoncxx.a(oid.cpp.o): In function bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid::to_string[abi:cxx11]() const': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/bsoncxx/oid.cpp:(.text+0x139): undefined reference tobson_oid_to_string' /usr/lib/libbsoncxx.a(oid.cpp.o): In function bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid::get_time_t() const': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/bsoncxx/oid.cpp:(.text+0x1ea): undefined reference tobson_oid_get_time_t' /usr/lib/libbsoncxx.a(oid.cpp.o): In function bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid_compare(bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid const&, bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid const&)': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/bsoncxx/oid.cpp:(.text+0x24f): undefined reference tobson_oid_compare' /usr/lib/libbsoncxx.a(oid.cpp.o): In function bsoncxx::v_noabi::operator<(bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid const&, bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid const&)': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/bsoncxx/oid.cpp:(.text+0x2af): undefined reference tobson_oid_compare' /usr/lib/libbsoncxx.a(oid.cpp.o): In function bsoncxx::v_noabi::operator>(bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid const&, bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid const&)': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/bsoncxx/oid.cpp:(.text+0x30f): undefined reference tobson_oid_compare' /usr/lib/libbsoncxx.a(oid.cpp.o): In function bsoncxx::v_noabi::operator<=(bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid const&, bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid const&)': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/bsoncxx/oid.cpp:(.text+0x36f): undefined reference tobson_oid_compare' /usr/lib/libbsoncxx.a(oid.cpp.o): In function bsoncxx::v_noabi::operator>=(bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid const&, bsoncxx::v_noabi::oid const&)': /home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/bsoncxx/oid.cpp:(.text+0x3cf): undefined reference tobson_oid_compare' /usr/lib/libbsoncxx.a(oid.cpp.o):/home/dean/work/github/mongo-cxx-driver/src/bsoncxx/oid.cpp:(.text+0x42f): more undefined references to `bson_oid_compare' follow collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status

Answer 1

The -static flag forces the linker to accept only static libraries and not any shared libraries. In other words it does not require a dependency on dynamic libraries at runtime in order to run. Most likely mongocxx has some dependencies. To achieve static linking requires that the archive (.a) versions of your libraries exist on the system.

The another possible issue is that the order of static libraries in the linker command line does matter, so that might also be an issue if there is a dependency on different static libs. The linker will process the libraries in order as they are in the command line, and from each static lib it will only pull those symbols that are required (with as much information as the linker has at that time)

Use nm . That will give you the symbol names.