Linking library with gcc - ld: cannot find -larpack

Question

I am installing software on a server with no root privileges. I come across the following error during installation:

make[1]: *** [hgaprec] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/seq/.../SOFTWARE/hgaprec/src'
make: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
Making install in src
make[1]: Entering directory `/seq/.../SOFTWARE/hgaprec/src'
g++  -O3   -o hgaprec ratings.o main.o log.o hgaprec.o -larpack -llapack -
lblas -lgsl -lpthread -lgslcblas 
/.../software/free/Linux/redhat_6_x86_64/pkgs/gcc_5.2.0/bin/ld: cannot 
find -larpack
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
make[1]: *** [hgaprec] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/seq/.../SOFTWARE/hgaprec/src'
make: *** [install-recursive] Error 1

Since library arpack could not be found, I then installed it here /seq/.../SOFTWARE/hgaprec/ARPACK and found that the process generated a static file libarpack_LINUX.a. To link this static library to gcc the following command was used:

gcc -larpack -L/seq/.../SOFTWARE/hgaprec/ARPACK/libarpack_LINUX.a

However, I keep getting the same error while installation of the software that larpack was not found. Am I using the linking command wrong?

Answer 1

You either want gcc main.c /seq/../SOFTWARE/hgaprec/ARPACK/libarpack_LINUX.a (you don't need -l and -L if you're specifying the full path to static library), or as @Julian_Cienfuegos suggested gcc main.c -L/seq/../SOFTWARE/hgaprec/ARPACK/ -larpack_LINUX. This assumes you're only compiling a single file called main.c which contains your main() function, and outputs the a.out binary.

EDIT: Added explanation of main.c.

Answer 2

My issue got solved after including the ARPACK library path as part of LD flag in configure like so:

./configure --prefix=/seq/.../SOFTWARE/hgaprec LDFLAGS="-L/seq/.../SOFTWARE/hgaprec/ARPACK/"