Introduction

pkg-config (http://pkgconfig.freedesktop.org/wiki/) is a helper tool used when compiling applications and libraries. It helps you insert the correct compiler options on the command line based on installed software, instead of hard-coded values.

Usage

Using pkg-config it is as simple as:

   # compile:
   gcc -c -o main.o main.c `pkg-config --cflags PKGNAME`

   # link:
   gcc -o my_application main.o `pkg-config --libs PKGNAME`

   # compile + link in a single step:
   gcc -o my_application main.c `pkg-config --cflags --libs PKGNAME`
   

Where PKGNAME is your module, such as eina, eet, evas, ecore, ecore-x, eio and so on.

One can do some queries such as the module version, other variables:

   pkg-config --modversion PKGNAME
   pkg-config --variable=prefix PKGNAME
   

Troubleshooting

Make sure pkg-config command is in your $PATH, otherwise you'll end with:

   pkg-config: command not found
   

The PKGNAME it searched using pkg-config's build location, usually /usr/lib/pkgconfig. This can be overwritten with $PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR (usually for cross compile) or extended with $PKG_CONFIG_PATH. If you installed EFL to /opt/efl, then use:

   export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$PKG_CONFIG_PATH:/opt/efl/lib/pkgconfig"
   pkg-config --cflags --libs PKGNAME
   

Otherwise you'll end with:

   Package PKGNAME was not found in the pkg-config search path.
   Perhaps you should add the directory containing `PKGNAME.pc'
   to the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable
   No package 'PKGNAME' found