Why is CHOLMOD.pc missing from the libcholmod install on Windows

[bradbell]

CMake seems to interpret the Unix pkgconfig files properly on windows. I like to use the pkg-config files through cmake to search for packages independent of windows, mac, or unix.

[mmuetzel]

If you are using CMake, why aren't you using find_package? All SuiteSparse libraries are installed with their CMake config files independent in the OS.

[bradbell]

I think it is easier for packages to provide a package config file that a find_package file.
.I loop through all the packages I am using with the call to
https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/module/FindPkgConfig.html
to get the information for them in a uniform way.

[mmuetzel]

The pkg-config files are only meant for downstream projects that don't use CMake.
The "more complete" information for how to link to these libraries is only available in the CMake config files.
I'd guess that this is also the case for other projects apart from SuiteSparse.

Please, adjust your project build rules to use the CMake config files if they are available and use pkg-config files only as a fallback option.

[bradbell]

I would just like to point out that, when used through cmake, the windows pkg-config files seem to be able to use unix paths and so are very similar to the unix pkg-config files. At least that is what my testing has indicated.

[bradbell]

When I try to use FIND_PACKAGE(CHOLMOD) on my Fedora machine I get the following message:

CMake Error at /usr/lib64/cmake/SuiteSparse_config/SuiteSparse_configTargets.cmake:105 (message):
  The imported target "SuiteSparse::SuiteSparseConfig_static" references the
  file

     "/usr/lib64/libsuitesparseconfig.a"

  but this file does not exist.  Possible reasons include:

  * The file was deleted, renamed, or moved to another location.

  * An install or uninstall procedure did not complete successfully.

  * The installation package was faulty and contained

     "/usr/lib64/cmake/SuiteSparse_config/SuiteSparse_configTargets.cmake"

  but not all the files it references.

Call Stack (most recent call first):
  /usr/lib64/cmake/SuiteSparse_config/SuiteSparse_configConfig.cmake:91 (include)
  /usr/share/cmake/Modules/CMakeFindDependencyMacro.cmake:76 (find_package)
  /usr/lib64/cmake/CHOLMOD/CHOLMODConfig.cmake:135 (find_dependency)
  CMakeLists.txt:194 (FIND_PACKAGE)

Looking the the file
/usr/lib64/cmake//CHOLMOD/CHOLMODConfig.cmake
I see the text

# Finds the CHOLMOD include file and compiled library.
# The following targets are defined:
#   SuiteSparse::CHOLMOD           - for the shared library (if available)
#   SuiteSparse::CHOLMOD_static    - for the static library (if available)

So it seems to me that CHOLMOD is the proper name for the shared library ?

[mmuetzel]

I'm not sure if I understand what your question is.

The CHOLMOD library depends on the SuiteSparseConfig library. The error message states that it couldn't find the (static) SuiteSparseConfig library.
Does a file as given in the error message exist? (I.e., does "/usr/lib64/libsuitesparseconfig.a" exist for you?)
If it doesn't, why is it missing for you?

[bradbell]

I think that fedora only installs the shared library.

dismod_at>sudo dnf install suitesparse
[sudo] password for bradbell: 
Last metadata expiration check: 1:35:52 ago on Wed 26 Mar 2025 04:13:34 AM MST.
Package suitesparse-7.6.0-1.fc40.x86_64 is already installed.
Dependencies resolved.
Nothing to do.
Complete!

dismod_at.git>ls /usr/lib64 | grep -i suitesparse
libsuitesparseconfig64.so.7
libsuitesparseconfig64.so.7.6.0
libsuitesparseconfig.so
libsuitesparseconfig.so.7
libsuitesparseconfig.so.7.6.0

dismod_at.git>ls /usr/lib | grep -i suitesparse
dismod_at.git>

[mmuetzel]

I don't use Fedora. But many distributors split their packages into the "runtime parts" and the "development parts".
Maybe, that is also the case for Fedora.
Does it have a package that is named suitesparse-devel (or something like that)? Did you install that development package (if it exists)?

[bradbell]

Here is a link to the current fedora spec file for suitesparse (so you can see the cmake command it uses).
https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/suitesparse/blob/rawhide/f/suitesparse.spec

I am using fedora 40, here is a link to its spec file
https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/suitesparse/blob/f40/f/suitesparse.spec

[mmuetzel]

Thanks for those links.
It looks like they split the static libraries from the *-devel package for some reason. But the *-devel package cannot really be used as-is without those static libraries.
Try again after installing their suitesparse-static package.

That could be considered a packaging issue imho. Maybe, try and report that to the Fedora packager (I believe his handle is @opoplawski on GitHub) in a bug report.

[bradbell]

dismod_at.git>sudo dnf install suitesparse-devel
[sudo] password for bradbell: 
Last metadata expiration check: 1:56:57 ago on Wed 26 Mar 2025 04:13:34 AM MST.
Package suitesparse-devel-7.6.0-1.fc40.x86_64 is already installed.
Dependencies resolved.
Nothing to do.
Complete!

[bradbell]

OK that works.
But I do not use the static libraries on Fedora. Perhaps in the future, FIND_PACKAGE(CHOLMOD) could handle this case.

Thanks.

[mmuetzel]

If you don't use static libraries you (or the packager) should configure SuiteSparse with -DBUILD_STATIC_LIBS=OFF. In that case, the CMake config file should be matching that and not expect to find any static libraries.

[bradbell]

If you don't use static libraries you (or the packager) should configure SuiteSparse with -DBUILD_STATIC_LIBS=OFF. In that case, the CMake config file should be matching that and not expect to find any static libraries.

Thanks !!
I will post a bug on on the fedora packaging bugzilla site.

[bradbell]

Here is a link to the corresponding Fedora bug report
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2355055

[bradbell]

This bug has still not been fixed on fedora, so it would still be a help in CHOLMOD.pc was available on windows; see
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2365312

[mmuetzel]

Even if you don't want to link to the static libraries, the way Fedora packaged the SuiteSparse libraries requires that you install the suitesparse-static package when you build a dependency with CMake.
Can't you just do that?

[bradbell]

I use the system package manage to do all the installing of packages on fedora. That way it can keep track of what files are and are not in the corresponding system space.

My current work around is to use a version of find_cholmod which I wrote, and if it fails, use CHOLMOD.pc. The version I wrote is designed to find the files I need for the windows case (and some other special cases).

[opoplawski]

Regarding static libraries on Fedora, it would be very helpful if SuiteSparse had separate shared and static EXPORTs that could be loaded independently of each other. I'll submit a POC PR shortly.