如何在不同的Linux发行版上处理不同的头文件位置？

Question

In my code I use a header file which unfortunately has a different location under different Linux distributions.

In my case it is fitsio.h from cfitsio which is located here in OpenSUSE 12.1:

#include <cfitsio/fitsio.h>

and here in Arch Linux:

#include <fitsio.h>

I guess I can use some preprocessor directives to create a switch. I can use this to test if I am on Linux or Windows, etc. but I have no clue what I can use to test whether I am on Arch Linux or not.

Or is there another way/strategy to handle this case?

Answer 1

Keep the simpler include

#include <fitsio.h>

Then, under additional include directories, list paths to directories containing this header both for SUSE and for Arch:

/path/to/header/cfitsio
/path/to/header

Even if the former is nonexistent on Arch, it won't lead to any problems during compilation.

Answer 2

Some libraries come with a [libraryname]-config program that outputs the correct compiler flags to be using when compiling against that library on the current platform.

For example, libncurses ' ncursesw5-config --cflags --libs produces this on Arch :

-L/usr/lib -lncursesw

and this on Debian :

-I/usr/include/ncursesw
-lncursesw -ltinfo

Having #include <curses.h> in the C code is then sufficient, and will compile correctly in both distributions.