Subject: windows link problem with ".lib" files

From: Andreas Otto <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:38:02 +0100

Hi,

from time to time I use my automake/libtool project to build libraries 
on windows ...
this create al least problems ...

my actual problem is, I got a tcl distrubution from activestate 
providing a libraray:

C:/Tcl/lib/tcl8.6.lib

and using the libtool command:

  /bin/sh ../../libtool --tag=CC    --mode=link /usr/bin/ccache 
x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc -std=gnu99 -shared 
-I/home/dev1usr/Project/NHI1/theLink/tclmsgque/../libmsgque 
-IC:/Tcl/include  -DMQ_IGNORE_EXTERN  -g -Wall -Wcast-align -g -O2 
-shared -module -avoid-version -no-undefined*-LC:/Tcl/lib -ltcl86* -o 
tclmsgque.la -rpath /usr/local/lib/NHI1 tclmsgque_la-MqS_tcl.lo 
tclmsgque_la-misc_tcl.lo tclmsgque_la-msgque_tcl.lo 
tclmsgque_la-read_tcl.lo tclmsgque_la-send_tcl.lo 
tclmsgque_la-config_tcl.lo tclmsgque_la-service_tcl.lo 
tclmsgque_la-slave_tcl.lo tclmsgque_la-MqBufferS_tcl.lo 
tclmsgque_la-error_tcl.lo tclmsgque_la-link_tcl.lo 
tclmsgque_la-MqFactoryS_tcl.lo tclmsgque_la-MqDumpS_tcl.lo 
../libmsgque/libtmp.la

with "*-LC:/Tcl/lib -ltcl86*" I got the mystic libtool error message 
that the library is NOT found ...

using the "--debug" option give a hint ....

libtool does not serach for the "right" name ...

If I copy the file tcl86.lib to libtcl86.a in the same directory ....

=> everything works fine.

and now my question:

why does "libtool" on "windows" does NOT search for "*.lib" files

=> enduser would be happy to save debugging hours ;-)

Hint, I use the mingw cross compiler but this is NOT the problem.

mfg AO