while executing make of i3-gaps, undefined reference to `g_utf8_make_valid' error

Question

After following all instructions from Compiling and Installing page, I have successfully installed all the packages required. After performing ../configure --prefix=/usr --sysconfdir=/etc --disable-sanitizers, I get

build configured:

  i3 version:             4.15.0.1-323-gccb1947 (2018-09-28, branch "gaps-next")
  is release version:     no

  build manpages:         no
  build docs:             no
  enable debug flags:     yes
  code coverage:          no
  enabled sanitizers:     

To compile, run:

  cd /home/dharmin/i3-gaps/build && make -j8

Now, when I do make or make -j8, I get the following error

./libi3.a(libi3_a-string.o): In function `i3string_from_utf8_with_length':
/home/dharmin/i3-gaps/build/../../i3-gaps/libi3/string.c:59: undefined reference to `g_utf8_make_valid'
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status

On a quick google search, I found only one related reddit link. But that did not help solve the problem.

My current i3 version Binary i3 version: 4.11 (2015-09-30, branch "4.11") © 2009 Michael Stapelberg and contributors

Linux Distribution & Version: Ubuntu 16.04

Thank you in advance for helping :)

Answer 1

I made a Reddit post mentioning this question. I was having the exact same problem and was tinkering away.

My final solution was to download version 4.13*, which does not make a reference to g_utf8_make_valid. If you have all the dependencies installed, it should compile fine.

* You are running 4.11. Installing 4.13 or something newer, depending on how new the libraries you can get are, might work, but I would try to install 4.11 in your case.