LInking error boost when using cgal and pcl - c++

Question

I am getting a boost linking error when using both PCL and cgal in a project (as well as a redefinition warning). PCL and cgal examples both run fine so the installation should be good.
My program to test looks like this:
#include <iostream>
#include <CGAL/Simple_cartesian.h>
#include <pcl/visualization/cloud_viewer.h>
int
main()
{
std::cout << "Test "<< std::endl;
return 0;
}
The error that I get is pasted below:
1>------ Build started: Project: PC_Svr2, Configuration: Debug x64 ------
1>cloud_viewer.cpp
1>Unknown compiler version - please run the configure tests and report the results
1>C:\Program Files\PCL 1.8.1\include\pcl-1.8\pcl/visualization/boost.h(51,1): warning C4005: 'BOOST_PARAMETER_MAX_ARITY': macro redefinition
1>C:\dev\CGAL-5.0.2\include\CGAL/config.h(115): message : see previous definition of 'BOOST_PARAMETER_MAX_ARITY'
1>cloud_viewer.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "__declspec(dllimport) class boost::system::error_category const & __cdecl boost::system::system_category(void)" (__imp_?system_category#system#boost##YAAEBVerror_category#12#XZ) referenced in function "void __cdecl boost::system::`dynamic initializer for 'native_ecat''(void)" (??__Enative_ecat#system#boost##YAXXZ)
1>cloud_viewer.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "__declspec(dllimport) class boost::system::error_category const & __cdecl boost::system::generic_category(void)" (__imp_?generic_category#system#boost##YAAEBVerror_category#12#XZ) referenced in function "public: __cdecl boost::thread_exception::thread_exception(int,char const *)" (??0thread_exception#boost##QEAA#HPEBD#Z)
1>C:\Users\PCL_Project\PC_svr2\build\Debug\PC_Svr2.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 2 unresolved externals
1>Done building project "PC_Svr2.vcxproj" -- FAILED.
========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 1 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========
When I exclude the PCL include the program runs fine, but when I exclude the cgal include i get a very similar error:
1>------ Build started: Project: PC_Svr2, Configuration: Debug x64 ------
1>cloud_viewer.cpp
1>Unknown compiler version - please run the configure tests and report the results
1>cloud_viewer.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "__declspec(dllimport) class boost::system::error_category const & __cdecl boost::system::system_category(void)" (__imp_?system_category#system#boost##YAAEBVerror_category#12#XZ) referenced in function "void __cdecl boost::system::`dynamic initializer for 'native_ecat''(void)" (??__Enative_ecat#system#boost##YAXXZ)
1>cloud_viewer.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "__declspec(dllimport) class boost::system::error_category const & __cdecl boost::system::generic_category(void)" (__imp_?generic_category#system#boost##YAAEBVerror_category#12#XZ) referenced in function "public: __cdecl boost::thread_exception::thread_exception(int,char const *)" (??0thread_exception#boost##QEAA#HPEBD#Z)
1>C:\Users\PCL_Project\PC_svr2\build\Debug\PC_Svr2.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 2 unresolved externals
1>Done building project "PC_Svr2.vcxproj" -- FAILED.
========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 1 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========
I am not sure but I suspect that it might have something to do with my CMakeLists.txt, which I will also paste below:
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.1...3.15)
project(PC_Svr2)
find_package(CGAL QUIET)
find_package(PCL 1.2 REQUIRED)
include_directories(${PCL_INCLUDE_DIRS})
link_directories(${PCL_LIBRARY_DIRS})
add_definitions(${PCL_DEFINITIONS})
add_executable (PC_Svr2 cloud_viewer.cpp)
target_link_libraries(PC_Svr2 CGAL::CGAL ${PCL_LIBRARIES})
Does anyone know what the problem might be?

Answer 1

I seem to have found the answer. It seems to have been a problem with boost and making the boost library static solved the problem. (I found this question about the same problem: C++ using two incompatible libraries together, what are the options?)
So to fix it check the Advanced option in the CMake GUI and then under CGAL check CGAL_Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS.

Answer 2

You are misisng boost in your CMakeLists.txt. Your test runs fine without PCL because CGAL's header does not need boost, and I guess PCL's does.
You need to add
find_package(Boost COMPONENTS system) and
target_link_libraries(PC_Svr2 CGAL::CGAL ${PCL_LIBRARIES} Boost::system).
It should be ok after that.
If not, check what components you need and change your configuration file accordingly.
Note that most of the time, a linking error means a problem with target_link_libraries(), either it is missing, or the values given to it are wrong.