cpack cannot find libraries, target doesn't exist in this directory

Question

``` EDIT =================== ``` The apr-1 is the apache portable runtime, which I downloaded and compiled myself to create the shared library (so its not made by cmake). I need to link against this library after I run CPack on the target system. My development project directory: ``` read_config/bin /libs /include /src /build ``` For my CMakeLists.txt, everything installs ok, but now I have a linking problem, as it cannot find the new location of the library. I have removed the `LINK_DIRECTORIES(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/libs)` as I don't need this now, as I am using the `FIND_LIBRARY`. And added the following: ``` # Find the library in the libs folder FIND_LIBRARY(APR_LIBS NAMES "apr-1" PATHS ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/libs) # Print out the path to see if its correct MESSAGE(${APR_LIBS}) # Link the library with the executable TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(cfg ${APR_LIBS}) # Install the libs folder INSTALL(DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/libs/ DESTINATION libs) # Install the executable in the bin fold…

Accepted Answer

The error seems to be a result of calling `install` in a different CMakeLists.txt to that in which `apr-1` is defined via `add_library`.

I guess you're doing `add_library(apr-1 ...)` in your root CMakeLists.txt, which means that's where you need to call `install(TARGETS apr-1 ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib)`.

Note that the error message "...does not exist in this directory." is not referring to actual directories in the filesystem sense, but rather the notional directories which come about via `add_subdirectory` commands.

Edit

In light of your comments, it seems that the issue is that `apr-1` is not an actual CMake target, but rather just a library.

In this case, the `install` command cannot be the `TARGETS` version, it would have to be `install(FILES...)` or `install(DIRECTORY...)`. This would probably mean you'd have to locate the library using e.g. `find_library` in order to get a full path.

Further Edit

This further problem is as a result of not setting the correct RPATH flags. You need to add the following lines to your src/CMakeLists.txt before the `ADD_EXECUTABLE` call:

```
SET(CMAKE_SKIP_BUILD_RPATH FALSE)
SET(CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH FALSE) 
SET(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/libs")
SET(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH TRUE)
LIST(FIND CMAKE_PLATFORM_IMPLICIT_LINK_DIRECTORIES "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/libs" isSystemDir)
IF("${isSystemDir}" STREQUAL "-1")
   SET(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/libs")
ENDIF("${isSystemDir}" STREQUAL "-1")
```

For a full explanation on these CMake variables, see the CMake Wiki on RPATH handling

cpack cannot find libraries, target doesn't exist in this directory

Solution

Problem