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(libtool.info)Using libtool

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Using libtool
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   It makes little sense to talk about using libtool in your own
packages until you have seen how it makes your life simpler.  The
examples in this chapter introduce the main features of libtool by
comparing the standard library building procedure to libtool's
operation on two different platforms:

`a23'
     An Ultrix 4.2 platform with only static libraries.

`burger'
     A NetBSD/i386 1.2 platform with shared libraries.

   You can follow these examples on your own platform, using the
preconfigured libtool script that was installed with libtool (Note:
Configuring).

   Source files for the following examples are taken from the `demo'
subdirectory of the libtool distribution.  Assume that we are building a
library, `libhello', out of the files `foo.c' and `hello.c'.

   Note that the `foo.c' source file uses the `cos' math library
function, which is usually found in the standalone math library, and not
the C library (Note: Trigonometric Functions.).
So, we need to add `-lm' to the end of the link line whenever we link
`foo.o' or `foo.lo' into an executable or a library (Note:
Inter-library dependencies).

   The same rule applies whenever you use functions that don't appear in
the standard C library... you need to add the appropriate `-lNAME' flag
to the end of the link line when you link against those objects.

   After we have built that library, we want to create a program by
linking `main.o' against `libhello'.

Creating object files

Compiling object files for libraries.

Linking libraries

Creating libraries from object files.

Linking executables

Linking object files against libtool libraries.

Debugging executables

Running GDB on libtool-generated programs.

Installing libraries

Making libraries available to users.

Installing executables

Making programs available to users.

Static libraries

When shared libraries are not wanted.