Re: libpcap.so.0 or libpcap.a?

[Brian May <bam@debian.org>]

>>>>> "Tor" == Tor Slettnes <tor@slett.net> writes:

>>>>> "meepmeep" == meepmeep  <neophyte@when2click.com> writes:
    meepmeep> I'm trying to compile dsniff and when I try to configure
    meepmeep> it, it complains that it cannot find libcap.a.  I found
    meepmeep> a libpcap.so.0 somewhere else.  Is this the equivalent
    meepmeep> or does this specifically need libpcap.a?

    Tor> No.  ".a" files (archives) contain several object files (.o)
    Tor> for static linking.  Thus, these are named "static
    Tor> libraries".

    Tor> ".so" libraries are "shared objec" libraries, linked to at
    Tor> runtime.

Not strictly correct. I would hope that dsniff can also link to the
shared library as well (considering this is the task of the linker and
not the program).

libcap.a  - files are linked at link time and need no further adjustment.

libcap.so - symbolic link that is used in preference to libpcap.a at
link time, and tells the program to look for libpcap.so.0 (or whatever
major version) automatically at run-time.

(I could go into more details, but this is all that is required to
answer the question).

However, you obviously do not have either of this files, so linking
cannot occur unless you manually specify the full pathname of
libpcap.so.0 (not considered a good idea - especially since you
probably don't have any include files installed).

    Tor> In the last search box, enter "libpcap.a".

Or libpcap.so (but ignore matches for libpcap.so.*)
-- 
Brian May <bam@debian.org>