[bug] Boost 1.89.0 always build Serialization module

[uilianries]

Greetings!

This bug was originally reported by @stevenwdv on the issue conan-io/conan-center-index#28801.

When building Boost 1.89.0 from source, Boost Serialization is always built, even when configured not to be built. The same is not true for Boost 1.88.0, it works as expected: It does not generate boost_serialization when disabled;

BTW, I see no changes from 1.88.0 to 1.89.0: boost-1.88.0...boost-1.89.0 So it seems related to a transitive module.

Environment

OS: Linux (Ubuntu 22.04)
Compiler: GCC 11
Arch: AMD64
Build Type: Release
B2 Options: --without-serialization --without-graph --without-wave link=static

Steps to Reproduce

wget https://archives.boost.io/release/1.89.0/source/boost_1_89_0.tar.bz2
tar jxf boost_1_89_0.tar.bz2
cd boost_1_89_0/
./bootstrap.sh
./b2 --without-serialization --without-graph --without-wave  link=static install --prefix=/tmp/install-boost
find /tmp/install-boost/lib -type f -name "*serialization*"
/tmp/install-boost/lib/libboost_serialization.a

Build Log

Full build log shows disabled serialization, but installs libboost_serialization.a.

boost-1.89.0-no-serialization.log

Regards.

[pdimov]

The issue is probably a transitive dependency

something compiled that is being built -> something header-only -> serialization

that wasn't visible to b2 before, because header-only libraries didn't have Jamfiles, but is now, because they do.

[pdimov]

Or it could be because Python depends on Graph? If you use --without-python, does it still build Serialization?

[pdimov]

Yes, I see libboost_graph.a being built in the log.

[uilianries]

@pdimov Hello!

Or it could be because Python depends on Graph? If you use --without-python, does it still build Serialization?

When using --without-python, the result is still the same: serialization library is built/installed.

Here is my build log using --without-python

boost-1.88.0-no-deps.log

[pdimov]

My next guess, then, is that Log depends on PropertyTree, which depends on Serialization.

https://pdimov.github.io/boostdep-report/boost-1.89.0/log.html#property_tree
https://pdimov.github.io/boostdep-report/boost-1.89.0/property_tree.html#serialization

Why is it important for you that Serialization not be built?

[uilianries]

@pdimov Doing a grep to find serialization on Boost 1.89.0 build files, I have the following result:

find . -type f -name "*jam*" -o -name "Jamfile.v2"  -exec grep 'serialization' {} +
./libs/flyweight/example/Jamfile.v2:exe serialization
./libs/flyweight/example/Jamfile.v2:    : serialization.cpp
./libs/flyweight/example/Jamfile.v2:      /boost/serialization//boost_serialization/<link>static
./libs/flyweight/test/Jamfile.v2:    [ run test_serialization.cpp      test_serialization_main.cpp
./libs/flyweight/test/Jamfile.v2:          /boost/serialization//boost_serialization/<link>static       ]
./libs/multi_index/example/Jamfile.v2:exe serialization
./libs/multi_index/example/Jamfile.v2:    : serialization.cpp
./libs/multi_index/example/Jamfile.v2:      /boost/serialization//boost_serialization
./libs/multi_index/test/Jamfile.v2:    [ run test_serialization.cpp    test_serialization1.cpp
./libs/multi_index/test/Jamfile.v2:          test_serialization2.cpp   test_serialization3.cpp
./libs/multi_index/test/Jamfile.v2:          test_serialization_main.cpp
./libs/multi_index/test/Jamfile.v2:          /boost/serialization//boost_serialization                ]
./libs/dynamic_bitset/test/Jamfile.v2:# due to https://github.com/boostorg/serialization/issues/108
./libs/dynamic_bitset/test/Jamfile.v2:  test-suite dynamic_bitset_serialization :
./libs/dynamic_bitset/test/Jamfile.v2:             <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_cpp_int_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : release <define>TEST1 <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static : test_cpp_int_serial_1 ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_cpp_int_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : release <define>TEST2 <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static : test_cpp_int_serial_2 ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_cpp_int_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : release <define>TEST3 <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static : test_cpp_int_serial_3 ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_cpp_int_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : release <define>TEST4 <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static : test_cpp_int_serial_4 ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_cpp_int_deserial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization /boost/filesystem//boost_filesystem : $(here)/serial_txts : : release <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static  ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_cpp_rat_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : release <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static  ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_adapt_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : release <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static  ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_cpp_dec_float_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : release <define>TEST1 <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static  : test_cpp_dec_float_serial_1 ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_cpp_dec_float_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : release <define>TEST2 <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static  : test_cpp_dec_float_serial_2 ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_float128_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization quadmath : : : release <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static  [ check-target-builds ../config//has_float128 : : <build>no ]  ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_cpp_bin_float_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : release <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static  <define>TEST1 : test_bin_dec_float_serial_1 ]
./libs/multiprecision/test/Jamfile.v2:      [ run test_cpp_bin_float_serial.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : release <define>TEST2 <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static  : test_bin_dec_float_serial_2 ]
./libs/date_time/test/Jamfile.v2:     ../../serialization/build//boost_serialization
./libs/date_time/test/Jamfile.v2:    ../../serialization/build//boost_serialization
./libs/date_time/test/Jamfile.v2:    ../../serialization/build//boost_serialization
./libs/date_time/test/Jamfile.v2:    ../../serialization/build//boost_serialization
./libs/date_time/test/Jamfile.v2:    ../../serialization/build//boost_serialization
./libs/date_time/test/Jamfile.v2:    ../../serialization/build//boost_serialization
./libs/date_time/test/Jamfile.v2:    ../../serialization/build//boost_serialization
./libs/date_time/test/Jamfile.v2:    ../../serialization/build//boost_serialization
./libs/wave/tool/build/Jamfile.v2:    /boost/serialization//boost_serialization
./libs/ptr_container/test/Jamfile.v2:run serialization.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : <undefined-sanitizer>norecover:<build>no ;
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:run unordered/serialization_tests.cpp
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:      <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization/<warnings>off
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:  serialization_tests
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:run unordered/serialization_tests.cpp
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:      <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization/<warnings>off
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:    : foa_serialization_tests ;
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:  foa_serialization_tests
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:run cfoa/serialization_tests.cpp
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:      <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization/<warnings>off
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:    : cfoa_serialization_tests ;
./libs/unordered/test/Jamfile.v2:  cfoa_serialization_tests
./libs/pool/test/Jamfile.v2:    [ run pool_msvc_compiler_bug_test.cpp : : : <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization <toolset>msvc:<cxxflags>-wd4512 ]
./libs/uuid/test/Jamfile.v2:run test_serialization.cpp
./libs/uuid/test/Jamfile.v2:  : : : <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization <undefined-sanitizer>norecover:<link>static -$(WERROR) ;
./libs/uuid/test/Jamfile.v2:# run test_wserialization.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization /boost/serialization//boost_wserialization ;
./libs/graph_parallel/test/Jamfile.v2:  [ mpi-test process_group_serialization : : : 2 ]
./libs/core/test/Jamfile.v2:local with-serialization =
./libs/core/test/Jamfile.v2:    <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization/<warnings>off
./libs/core/test/Jamfile.v2:run serialization_nvp_test.cpp : : : $(with-serialization) <undefined-sanitizer>norecover:<build>no ;
./libs/core/test/Jamfile.v2:run serialization_split_free_test.cpp : : : $(with-serialization) ;
./libs/core/test/Jamfile.v2:run serialization_split_member_test.cpp : : : $(with-serialization) ;
./libs/core/test/Jamfile.v2:run serialization_construct_data_test.cpp : : : $(with-serialization) ;
./libs/bimap/example/Jamfile.v2:    [ run     bimap_and_boost/serialization.cpp
./libs/bimap/example/Jamfile.v2:                    /boost/serialization//boost_serialization         ]
./libs/bimap/test/Jamfile.v2:    [ run test_bimap_serialization.cpp
./libs/bimap/test/Jamfile.v2:          /boost/serialization//boost_serialization                           ]
./libs/bimap/test/Jamfile.v2:    [ compile ../example/bimap_and_boost/serialization.cpp
./libs/bimap/test/Jamfile.v2:                    /boost/serialization//boost_serialization                 ]
./libs/msm/example/mpl_graph/Jamfile.v2:       <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization/<link>static
./libs/msm/test/Jamfile.v2:       <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization/<link>static
./libs/asio/doc/Jamfile.v2:  cpp11/porthopper cpp11/serialization cpp11/services cpp11/socks4 cpp11/spawn
./libs/asio/example/cpp11/serialization/Jamfile.v2:    <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization
./libs/bloom/example/Jamfile.v2:exe serialization
./libs/bloom/example/Jamfile.v2:  : serialization.cpp 
./libs/mpi/build/Jamfile.v2:    <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization
./libs/mpi/build/Jamfile.v2:    <library>/boost/serialization//boost_serialization
./libs/serialization/build/Jamfile.v2:# Boost serialization Library Build Jamfile
./libs/serialization/build/Jamfile.v2:#  See http://www.boost.org/libs/serialization for the library home page.
./libs/serialization/build/Jamfile.v2:project boost/serialization
./libs/serialization/build/Jamfile.v2:lib boost_serialization 
./libs/serialization/build/Jamfile.v2:lib boost_wserialization 
./libs/serialization/build/Jamfile.v2:    : $(WSOURCES).cpp boost_serialization 
./libs/serialization/build/Jamfile.v2:    # note: both serialization and wserialization are conditioned on the this
./libs/serialization/build/Jamfile.v2:boost-install boost_serialization boost_wserialization ;
./libs/serialization/performance/xml/Jamfile.v2:                   : <toolset>gcc:<linkflags>"-lrt -lboost_serialization" ;
./libs/serialization/performance/xml/Jamfile.v2:                   : <toolset>gcc:<linkflags>"-lrt -lboost_serialization" ;
./libs/serialization/performance/xml/Jamfile.v2:                   : <toolset>gcc:<linkflags>"-lrt -lboost_serialization" ;
./libs/serialization/performance/xml/Jamfile.v2:                   : <toolset>gcc:<linkflags>"-lrt -lboost_serialization" ;
./libs/serialization/performance/xml/Jamfile.v2:                   : <toolset>gcc:<linkflags>"-lrt -lboost_serialization" ;
./libs/serialization/performance/xml/Jamfile.v2:                   : <toolset>gcc:<linkflags>"-lrt -lboost_serialization" ;
./libs/serialization/performance/xml/Jamfile.v2:                   : <toolset>gcc:<linkflags>"-lrt -lboost_serialization" ;
./libs/serialization/performance/xml/Jamfile.v2:                   : <toolset>gcc:<linkflags>"-lrt -lboost_serialization" ;
./libs/serialization/performance/Jamfile.v2:# Boost serialization Library performance test Jamfile
./libs/serialization/performance/Jamfile.v2:project libs/serialization/performance
./libs/serialization/performance/Jamfile.v2:    : id serialization_performance
./libs/serialization/performance/Jamfile.v2:# import rules from the boost serialization test
./libs/serialization/example/Jamfile.v2:# Boost serialization Library Build Jamfile
./libs/serialization/example/Jamfile.v2:#  See http://www.boost.org/libs/serialization for the library home page.
./libs/serialization/example/Jamfile.v2:project libs/serialization/example
./libs/serialization/example/Jamfile.v2:    : id serialization_example
./libs/serialization/example/Jamfile.v2:    : requirements <library>../build//boost_serialization
./libs/serialization/test/Jamfile.v2:# Boost serialization Library test Jamfile
./libs/serialization/test/Jamfile.v2:project libs/serialization/test
./libs/serialization/test/Jamfile.v2:    : id serialization_test
./libs/serialization/test/Jamfile.v2:# import rules from the boost serialization test
./libs/serialization/test/Jamfile.v2:        ../build//boost_serialization
./libs/serialization/test/Jamfile.v2:        ../build//boost_serialization
./libs/serialization/test/Jamfile.v2:        ../build//boost_serialization
./libs/serialization/test/Jamfile.v2:test-suite "serialization" :
./libs/serialization/test/Jamfile.v2:    test-suite "serialization2" : 
./libs/graph/example/Jamfile.v2:# run kevin-bacon2.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : $(TEST_DIR)/kevin-bacon.dat ;
./libs/graph/test/Jamfile.v2:          ../../serialization/build//boost_serialization
./libs/math/example/Jamfile.v2:      #  because serialization library is built with MS extensions enabled (default).
./libs/math/example/Jamfile.v2:   #[ run nonfinite_num_facet_serialization.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization : : : <exception-handling>off:<build>no <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static  ]
./libs/math/example/Jamfile.v2:   #[ run nonfinite_serialization_archives.cpp /boost/serialization//boost_serialization  : : : <exception-handling>off:<build>no <toolset>gcc-mingw:<link>static  ]

From my side, I have a list of libraries in Boost are not header-only by default:

- atomic
- charconv
- chrono
- cobalt
- container
- context
- contract
- coroutine
- date_time
- exception
- fiber
- filesystem
- graph
- graph_parallel
- iostreams
- json
- locale
- log
- math
- mpi
- nowide
- process
- program_options
- python
- random
- regex
- serialization
- stacktrace
- test
- thread
- timer
- type_erasure
- url
- wave

As you can see, only date_time and wave from the grep are built as a regular library, all other are header-only. I also see some findings from examples and tests, no sure if they are built by default and are triggering that behavior.

[uilianries]

Why is it important for you that Serialization not be built?

The importance resides on customer's side, when trying to obtain a minimal Boost package; As Boost covers several modules, but not all are really required when developing a project, so it's correct to assume having a smaller Boost flavor.

BTW, I had a similar problem a few weeks ago (boostorg/boost#1051), where a transitive dependency was resulting in the generation of some shared libraries when it was not supposed to.

[pdimov]

Your grep misses Jamfile (without the .v2) and build.jam.

[pdimov]

So, does Serialization still get built when you exclude Log as well?

[uilianries]

So, does Serialization still get built when you exclude Log as well?

@pdimov Good catch! Indeed it helps!

I can avoid generating/installing serialiazion, but I need --without-log and --without-wave to make it work. The --with-python does not change the result either. Building only with --without-log --without-log does not work either.

You can check my build result here:

boost-1.88.0-no-deps.log