Re: how to install dll in bindir too on windows?

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2026 19:25:30 +0200
> From: Patrice Dumas <pertu...@free.fr>
> 
> Hello,
> 
> Eli reported that texi2any in C cannot find the dll in windows and
> proposed to have the dll also installed in bindir:
> https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-texinfo/2026-02/msg00090.html
> 
> I am trying to implement that and I cannot find an easy way using
> automake or libtool.  Automake refuses to install libtool libraries in
> different directories.  So I tried a direct use of libtool, mimicking
> automake rules.  I tried:
> 
> install-data-hook:
>       $(MKDIR_P) "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)" || exit 1; \
>       $(LIBTOOL) $(AM_LIBTOOLFLAGS) $(LIBTOOLFLAGS) --mode=install $(INSTALL) 
> $(INSTALL_STRIP_FLAG) $(library_LTLIBRARIES) "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)";
> 
> (To be in a if HOST_IS_WINDOWS conditional).
> 
> and also
> install-data-hook:
>       $(MKDIR_P) "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)" || exit 1; \
>       for ltlibrary in $(library_LTLIBRARIES) ; do $(LIBTOOL) 
> $(AM_LIBTOOLFLAGS) $(LIBTOOLFLAGS) --mode=install $(INSTALL) $$ltlibrary 
> "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)"; done
> 
> I tried to test on GNU/Linux, but I get:
> 
> /usr/bin/mkdir -p "/home/dumas/tmp/t_inst/usr/local/bin" || exit 1; \
> /bin/bash ../libtool   --mode=install /usr/bin/install -c  libtexinfo.la 
> libtexinfoxs.la libtexinfo-convert.la libtexinfo-convertxs.la 
> libtexinfo-main.la "/home/dumas/tmp/t_inst/usr/local/bin";
> libtool: install: /usr/bin/install -c .libs/libtexinfo.so.1.0.0 
> /home/dumas/tmp/t_inst/usr/local/bin/libtexinfo.so.1.0.0
> ...
> libtool: install: /usr/bin/install -c .libs/libtexinfo.lai 
> /home/dumas/tmp/t_inst/usr/local/bin/libtexinfo.la
> libtool:   error: error: cannot install 'libtexinfoxs.la' to a directory not 
> ending in /usr/local/lib/texi2any/lib
> 
> or, with the for:
> /usr/bin/mkdir -p "/home/dumas/tmp/t_inst/usr/local/bin" || exit 1; \
> for ltlibrary in libtexinfo.la libtexinfoxs.la libtexinfo-convert.la 
> libtexinfo-convertxs.la libtexinfo-main.la ; do /bin/bash ../libtool   
> --mode=install /usr/bin/install -c $ltlibrary 
> "/home/dumas/tmp/t_inst/usr/local/bin"; done
> ...
> libtool: install: /usr/bin/install -c .libs/libtexinfo.lai 
> /home/dumas/tmp/t_inst/usr/local/bin/libtexinfo.la
> libtool: warning: remember to run 'libtool --finish 
> /usr/local/lib/texi2any/lib'
> libtool:   error: error: cannot install 'libtexinfoxs.la' to a directory not 
> ending in /usr/local/lib/texi2any/lib
> libtool:   error: error: cannot install 'libtexinfo-convert.la' to a 
> directory not ending in /usr/local/lib/texi2any/lib
> libtool:   error: error: cannot install 'libtexinfo-convertxs.la' to a 
> directory not ending in /usr/local/lib/texi2any/lib
> libtool:   error: error: cannot install 'libtexinfo-main.la' to a directory 
> not ending in /usr/local/lib/texi2any/lib
> 
> 
> It is somewhat strange that it works for the first library.
> 
> Searching on the internet, I found one similar issue, but for a unique
> installation. 
> 
> Anybody has an idea?  If not I'll ask on a libtool mailing list.

I hope Bruno can help.  Libtool definitely know how to install DLLs
correctly on Windows.