Install pkg-config files for libf3d and libf3d_c_api by AnikethTS · Pull Request #3451 · f3d-app/f3d

AnikethTS · 2026-08-21T11:02:15Z

Describe your changes

Adds .pc pkg-config files for libf3d (f3d) and libf3d_c_api (f3d_c_api), installed alongside the existing CMake config files.
Adds new cmake/f3d.pc.in and cmake/f3d_c_api.pc.in templates, rendered using configure_file(... @ONLY).
Wires the generated files into library/CMakeLists.txt and c/CMakeLists.txt as part of the existing sdk install component.
Adds HOMEPAGE_URL to the top-level project() call so PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL can be used for the .pc URL: field.
Adds Requires.private: f3d to f3d_c_api.pc, matching the private dependency between the two targets.
Uses hand-written .pc templates instead of cmake-pcfilegenerator due to its GPL-3.0 license and its generated library name (-llibf3d) not matching F3D's actual OUTPUT_NAME (-lf3d).
Tested the templates in a standalone CMake project and validated the generated files with pkg-config --validate and pkg-config --cflags --libs.
A full F3D build was not performed since VTK is not available locally.

Issue ticket number and link if any

Closes [#3432]

Checklist for finalizing the PR

I have performed a self-review of my code
I have added tests for new features and bugfixes
I have added documentation for new features
If it is a modifying the libf3d API, I have updated bindings
If it is a modifying the .github/workflows/versions.json, I have updated docker_timestamp

AI Disclosure

I have not used AI to generate any of the content of this pull request
I have used AI to generate code in this pull request:
- I have carefully read and understood the [AI policy](https://f3d.app/dev/AI_POLICY).
- I have carefully reviewed and completely understood every generated line.
- I disclose below which parts of the code were generated and with which AI model:

Used Claude (Anthropic, Claude Sonnet 5, via Claude Code) to help write cmake/f3d.pc.in and cmake/f3d_c_api.pc.in, the configure_file()/install() wiring in library/CMakeLists.txt and c/CMakeLists.txt, and the HOMEPAGE_URL line in the top-level CMakeLists.txt.

...

Continuous integration

Please write a comment to run CI, eg: \ci fast.

See here for more info.(https://f3d.app/dev/CONTRIBUTING#continuous-integration) for more info.

Closes f3d-app#3432

AnikethTS · 2026-08-21T11:05:55Z

\ci fast

AnikethTS · 2026-08-21T11:28:45Z

\ci extended

mwestphal · 2026-08-21T12:15:56Z

A full F3D build was not performed since VTK is not available locally.

So how did you test this locally ? Im a bit confused.

AnikethTS · 2026-08-21T12:35:04Z

A full F3D build was not performed since VTK is not available locally.

So how did you test this locally ? Im a bit confused.

I didn’t have VTK available locally, so I couldn’t build the full project. What I tested locally was rendering the .pc.in templates with configure_file() in a small standalone CMake project, then validating the generated files with pkg-config --validate, --cflags, and --libs. This confirmed the .pc files themselves. The actual install() wiring in library/CMakeLists.txt and c/CMakeLists.txt was then tested through \ci fast and \ci extended with a real VTK build, and both passed, providing the full end-to-end confirmation.

mwestphal · 2026-08-21T12:54:41Z

A full F3D build was not performed since VTK is not available locally.

So how did you test this locally ? Im a bit confused.

I didn’t have VTK available locally, so I couldn’t build the full project. What I tested locally was rendering the .pc.in templates with configure_file() in a small standalone CMake project, then validating the generated files with pkg-config --validate, --cflags, and --libs. This confirmed the .pc files themselves. The actual install() wiring in library/CMakeLists.txt and c/CMakeLists.txt was then tested through \ci fast and \ci extended with a real VTK build, and both passed, providing the full end-to-end confirmation.

Not acceptable, here is the guide to build VTK and F3D.
https://f3d.app/dev/GETTING_STARTED

We are not interested by "passing by contributors" by the way.

AnikethTS · 2026-08-21T18:20:06Z

A full F3D build was not performed since VTK is not available locally.

So how did you test this locally ? Im a bit confused.

I didn’t have VTK available locally, so I couldn’t build the full project. What I tested locally was rendering the .pc.in templates with configure_file() in a small standalone CMake project, then validating the generated files with pkg-config --validate, --cflags, and --libs. This confirmed the .pc files themselves. The actual install() wiring in library/CMakeLists.txt and c/CMakeLists.txt was then tested through \ci fast and \ci extended with a real VTK build, and both passed, providing the full end-to-end confirmation.

Not acceptable, here is the guide to build VTK and F3D. https://f3d.app/dev/GETTING_STARTED

We are not interested by "passing by contributors" by the way.

Fair enough — I’ll get a proper local build going. I don’t have VTK installed right now, so I’m setting that up first. The repo already has a vcpkg preset that builds VTK from the pinned manifest, so I’ll use that instead of relying on a potentially outdated system package.

Once it’s built, I’ll test the actual pkg-config output locally and report back with the results rather than just relying on CI.

c/CMakeLists.txt calls its own project(f3d_c_api), which resets the generic PROJECT_DESCRIPTION/PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL variables for that subdirectory scope. Use the name-qualified F3D_DESCRIPTION/F3D_HOMEPAGE_URL variables instead, which stay tied to the top-level F3D project regardless of nested project() calls.

AnikethTS · 2026-08-23T01:32:15Z

A full F3D build was not performed since VTK is not available locally.

So how did you test this locally ? Im a bit confused.

I didn’t have VTK available locally, so I couldn’t build the full project. What I tested locally was rendering the .pc.in templates with configure_file() in a small standalone CMake project, then validating the generated files with pkg-config --validate, --cflags, and --libs. This confirmed the .pc files themselves. The actual install() wiring in library/CMakeLists.txt and c/CMakeLists.txt was then tested through \ci fast and \ci extended with a real VTK build, and both passed, providing the full end-to-end confirmation.

Not acceptable, here is the guide to build VTK and F3D. https://f3d.app/dev/GETTING_STARTED

We are not interested by "passing by contributors" by the way.

I followed the guide and did a full local build rather than just relying on the earlier template test.

Built VTK v9.7.0 from source on Fedora 44, matching the version F3D’s Linux CI uses.
Built F3D with -DF3D_BINDINGS_C=ON, so both libf3d and libf3d_c_api were built.
Ran the actual install sequence used by CI: cmake --install ., followed by the sdk, mimetypes, configuration, and colormaps components.

This also caught a real issue that the CI and standalone template test didn't catch. c/CMakeLists.txt has its own project(f3d_c_api) call, which resets the generic PROJECT_DESCRIPTION and PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL variables. As a result, the generated f3d_c_api.pc had empty Description: and URL: fields.

I fixed this by using the name-qualified F3D_DESCRIPTION and F3D_HOMEPAGE_URL variables instead, which remain tied to the top-level project even with the nested project() call.

The fix is pushed in commit 43056b34.

Reviewer flagged the top-level project() HOMEPAGE_URL addition as unrelated scope creep for a pkg-config-only change. The URL is a static value, so hardcode it directly in both .pc.in templates instead of threading it through a new CMake project() argument.

mwestphal

Looks good!

Please add simple c and c++ examples in examples/libf3d in order to be able to test this easily.

Plain Makefile-based examples (no CMake) demonstrating how to build against libf3d/libf3d_c_api using the new .pc files, matching the check-engine example's minimal style. Not wired into the CMake example test suite since they intentionally use pkg-config instead of find_package(f3d), same as external-glfw/qt6/fltk being standalone. Built and run locally against a real VTK 9.7.0 + F3D build.

AnikethTS · 2026-08-23T08:16:13Z

Looks good!

Please add simple c and c++ examples in examples/libf3d in order to be able to test this easily.

Added both examples/libf3d/c/pkgconfig/ and examples/libf3d/cpp/pkgconfig/ with simple Makefiles, no CMake, keeping them in the same minimal style as check-engine.

I also built and ran both examples locally against a real VTK 9.7.0 + F3D build to make sure they actually work.

One small thing I ran into: VTK doesn't provide a .pc file, so f3d.pc can't list VTK under Requires. If VTK isn't installed somewhere standard, you need -Wl,-rpath-link,/path/to/vtk/lib when linking and LD_LIBRARY_PATH at runtime. I left a note about this in both Makefiles.

Pushed as 8943380a.

mwestphal

Nice examples, next please add a step in linux generic ci that configure and build both examples

mwestphal · 2026-08-23T18:25:01Z

One small thing I ran into: VTK doesn't provide a .pc file, so f3d.pc can't list VTK under Requires. If VTK isn't installed somewhere standard, you need -Wl,-rpath-link,/path/to/vtk/lib when linking and LD_LIBRARY_PATH at runtime. I left a note about this in both Makefiles.

Yes, expected

Adds a step after the existing example tests that discovers the installed f3d.pc/f3d_c_api.pc and VTK's lib directory, then builds and runs both pkg-config examples with the sdk component's .pc files, mirroring what a real downstream user would do.

mwestphal

some questions

Reviewer pointed out find is unnecessary since the install and dependency paths are already known/used elsewhere in this file.

AnikethTS · 2026-08-23T19:57:53Z

some questions

Hope that answers your questions above.

mwestphal

lgtm, ill run CI

mwestphal · 2026-08-23T20:33:15Z

nevermind, CI is failing already:

https://github.com/f3d-app/f3d/actions/runs/32662549287/job/97250874383?pr=3451

…docs .pc files baked in the literal (possibly relative) CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX string, which broke when read from a different working directory than the build dir - exactly what happened in CI (-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=../install). Resolve it to an absolute path before substitution instead. Also confirmed LD_LIBRARY_PATH alone (exported before both building and running) is enough for a non-standard VTK install, since ld also consults it at link time for transitive symbols - drops the separate -Wl,-rpath-link LDFLAGS from both example Makefiles and the CI step.

AnikethTS · 2026-08-23T20:48:34Z

nevermind, CI is failing already:

https://github.com/f3d-app/f3d/actions/runs/32662549287/job/97250874383?pr=3451

Fixed the root cause: the .pc files were getting the literal relative CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX (../install) baked into them. That worked during cmake --install, but broke when pkg-config read the files from a different working directory. I’ve changed it to resolve the install path to an absolute path before generating the .pc files.

Also followed your LD_LIBRARY_PATH suggestion further. Confirmed that exporting it once before both make and running the examples is enough, since the linker also uses it when resolving transitive dependencies. So I removed the separate -Wl,-rpath-link flags from both Makefiles and the CI step.

Verified everything locally with a full rebuild using the same relative install prefix as CI, then ran both pkg-config examples end-to-end successfully.

Pushed in 803c819.

mwestphal · 2026-08-24T07:23:07Z

\ci full

mwestphal

A question

AnikethTS · 2026-08-24T13:29:10Z

Hope that answers your questions above.

Hope that answers your questions above.

mwestphal · 2026-08-24T13:35:58Z

@Meakk wanna take a look ?

Install pkg-config files for libf3d and libf3d_c_api

3639f0c

Closes f3d-app#3432

mwestphal added the ci:fast label Aug 21, 2026

mwestphal added the ci:extended label Aug 21, 2026

AnikethTS marked this pull request as ready for review August 21, 2026 11:50

AnikethTS requested a review from a team as a code owner August 21, 2026 11:50

mwestphal reviewed Aug 21, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread CMakeLists.txt Outdated

mwestphal self-requested a review August 23, 2026 06:22