How to compile boost_thread with “-pthread” instead of “-mthread”?

Question

I have an os and compile with no -mthread avaliable. Thow I have -pthread . How to compile boost_thread with -pthread instead of -mthread ?

My current compiler build log:

./b2 -j1 --with-thread link=static --prefix=./install-dir release threading=multi --builddir=./bu
ild-dir install

Component configuration:

    - chrono                   : not building
    - context                  : not building
    - date_time                : not building
    - exception                : not building
    - filesystem               : not building
    - graph                    : not building
    - graph_parallel           : not building
    - iostreams                : not building
    - locale                   : not building
    - math                     : not building
    - mpi                      : not building
    - program_options          : not building
    - python                   : not building
    - random                   : not building
    - regex                    : not building
    - serialization            : not building
    - signals                  : not building
    - system                   : not building
    - test                     : not building
    - thread                   : building
    - timer                    : not building
    - wave                     : not building

...patience...
...found 19764 targets...
...updating 16 targets...
gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/system/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/error_code.o
cc1plus: error: unrecognized command line option "-mthreads"

    "g++"  -ftemplate-depth-128 -O3 -finline-functions -Wno-inline -Wall -pedantic -mthreads  -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB=1 -DBOOST_SYSTEM_STATIC_LINK=1 -DNDEBUG  -I"." -c -o "bin.v2\libs\system\build\gcc-4.2.
1\release\link-static\threading-multi\error_code.o" "libs\system\src\error_code.cpp"

...failed gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/system/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/error_code.o...
...skipped <pbin.v2/libs/system/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>libboost_system.a(clean) for lack of <pbin.v2/libs/system/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>error_
code.o...
...skipped <pbin.v2/libs/system/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>libboost_system.a for lack of <pbin.v2/libs/system/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>error_code.o.
..
...skipped <pinstall-dir/lib>libboost_system.a for lack of <pbin.v2/libs/system/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>libboost_system.a...
gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/chrono.o
cc1plus: error: unrecognized command line option "-mthreads"

    "g++"  -ftemplate-depth-128 -O3 -finline-functions -Wno-inline -Wall -pedantic -mthreads -Wextra -Wno-long-long -pedantic -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB=1 -DBOOST_All_STATIC_LINK=1 -DBOOST_SYSTEM_NO_DEPRECATE
D -DBOOST_SYSTEM_STATIC_LINK=1 -DNDEBUG  -I"." -c -o "bin.v2\libs\chrono\build\gcc-4.2.1\release\link-static\threading-multi\chrono.o" "libs\chrono\src\chrono.cpp"

...failed gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/chrono.o...
gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/thread_clock.o
cc1plus: error: unrecognized command line option "-mthreads"

    "g++"  -ftemplate-depth-128 -O3 -finline-functions -Wno-inline -Wall -pedantic -mthreads -Wextra -Wno-long-long -pedantic -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB=1 -DBOOST_All_STATIC_LINK=1 -DBOOST_SYSTEM_NO_DEPRECATE
D -DBOOST_SYSTEM_STATIC_LINK=1 -DNDEBUG  -I"." -c -o "bin.v2\libs\chrono\build\gcc-4.2.1\release\link-static\threading-multi\thread_clock.o" "libs\chrono\src\thread_clock.cpp"

...failed gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/thread_clock.o...
gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/process_cpu_clocks.o
cc1plus: error: unrecognized command line option "-mthreads"

    "g++"  -ftemplate-depth-128 -O3 -finline-functions -Wno-inline -Wall -pedantic -mthreads -Wextra -Wno-long-long -pedantic -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB=1 -DBOOST_All_STATIC_LINK=1 -DBOOST_SYSTEM_NO_DEPRECATE
D -DBOOST_SYSTEM_STATIC_LINK=1 -DNDEBUG  -I"." -c -o "bin.v2\libs\chrono\build\gcc-4.2.1\release\link-static\threading-multi\process_cpu_clocks.o" "libs\chrono\src\process_cpu_clocks.cpp"

...failed gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/process_cpu_clocks.o...
...skipped <pbin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>libboost_chrono.a(clean) for lack of <pbin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>chrono
.o...
...skipped <pbin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>libboost_chrono.a for lack of <pbin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>chrono.o...
...skipped <pinstall-dir/lib>libboost_chrono.a for lack of <pbin.v2/libs/chrono/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>libboost_chrono.a...
gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/pthread/thread.o
cc1plus: error: unrecognized command line option "-mthreads"

    "g++"  -ftemplate-depth-128 -O3 -finline-functions -Wno-inline -Wall -pedantic -mthreads -Wextra -Wno-long-long -pedantic -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB=1 -DBOOST_CHRONO_STATIC_LINK=1 -DBOOST_SYSTEM_NO_DEPREC
ATED -DBOOST_SYSTEM_STATIC_LINK=1 -DBOOST_THREAD_BUILD_LIB=1 -DBOOST_THREAD_POSIX -DNDEBUG  -I"." -c -o "bin.v2\libs\thread\build\gcc-4.2.1\release\link-static\threading-multi\pthread\thread.o" "libs\
thread\src\pthread\thread.cpp"

...failed gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/pthread/thread.o...
gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/pthread/once.o
cc1plus: error: unrecognized command line option "-mthreads"

    "g++"  -ftemplate-depth-128 -O3 -finline-functions -Wno-inline -Wall -pedantic -mthreads -Wextra -Wno-long-long -pedantic -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB=1 -DBOOST_CHRONO_STATIC_LINK=1 -DBOOST_SYSTEM_NO_DEPREC
ATED -DBOOST_SYSTEM_STATIC_LINK=1 -DBOOST_THREAD_BUILD_LIB=1 -DBOOST_THREAD_POSIX -DNDEBUG  -I"." -c -o "bin.v2\libs\thread\build\gcc-4.2.1\release\link-static\threading-multi\pthread\once.o" "libs\th
read\src\pthread\once.cpp"

...failed gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/pthread/once.o...
gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/future.o
cc1plus: error: unrecognized command line option "-mthreads"

    "g++"  -ftemplate-depth-128 -O3 -finline-functions -Wno-inline -Wall -pedantic -mthreads -Wextra -Wno-long-long -pedantic -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB=1 -DBOOST_CHRONO_STATIC_LINK=1 -DBOOST_SYSTEM_NO_DEPREC
ATED -DBOOST_SYSTEM_STATIC_LINK=1 -DBOOST_THREAD_BUILD_LIB=1 -DBOOST_THREAD_POSIX -DNDEBUG  -I"." -c -o "bin.v2\libs\thread\build\gcc-4.2.1\release\link-static\threading-multi\future.o" "libs\thread\s
rc\future.cpp"

...failed gcc.compile.c++ bin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi/future.o...
...skipped <pbin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>libboost_thread.a(clean) for lack of <pbin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>pthrea
d/thread.o...
...skipped <pbin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>libboost_thread.a for lack of <pbin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>pthread/threa
d.o...
...skipped <pinstall-dir/lib>libboost_thread.a for lack of <pbin.v2/libs/thread/build/gcc-4.2.1/release/link-static/threading-multi>libboost_thread.a...
...failed updating 7 targets...
...skipped 9 targets...

Is it possible to somehow patch boost_thread to compile on my platform with my compiler so to make boost_thread thint that it shall be compiled with -pthread ?

Platform - old, hevily modified cigwin, gcc-4.2.1

Answer 1

You can try to patch tools/build/v2/tools/gcc.jam

1017 rule setup-threading ( targets * : sources * : properties * )
1018 {
1019     local threading = [ feature.get-values threading : $(properties) ] ;
1020     if $(threading) = multi
1021     {
1022         local target = [ feature.get-values target-os : $(properties) ] ;
1023         local option ;
1024         local libs ;
1025 
1026         switch $(target)
1027         {
1028             case windows : option = -mthreads ;
1029             case cygwin  : option = -mthreads ;
1030             case solaris : option = -pthreads ; libs = rt ;
1031             case beos    : # No threading options.
1032             case *bsd    : option = -pthread ;  # There is no -lrt on BSD.
1033             case sgi     : # gcc on IRIX does not support multi-threading.
1034             case darwin  : # No threading options.
1035             case *       : option = -pthread ; libs = rt ;
1036         }
1037 

If you give more information, I could try to help you.

Answer 2

You can pass flags to the compiler using the cxxflags arguments, see http://www.boost.org/build/doc/html/bbv2/reference/tools.html#bbv2.reference.tools.compiler.gcc Some that might help here are: cxxflags=-DPTHREADS cxxflags=-DBOOST_THREAD_POSIX cxxflags=-pthread cxxflags=-DTHREAD
You might have to experiment to get exactly the result you want, but I would start by rerunning your command as

./b2 -j1 --with-thread link=static cxxflags=-DPTHREADS cxxflags=-DBOOST_THREAD_POSIX cxxflags=-pthread cxxflags=-DTHREAD --prefix=./install-dir release threading=multi --builddir=./build-dir install