undefined reference errors (absl::strings_internal::CatPieces and absl::ByChar::Find)

[lanctot]

Hi all,

Thanks for the great project! We are using it in OpenSpiel and this week, we encountered a few undefined reference errors (building via CMake both using clang++ and g++) cause by a commit between today and Monday March 8th, so we've had to fix our dependency to a March 6th commit.

Maybe we have to link to a new target, or we're using StrCat in a way that is no longer supported?

Here's the full error if it helps:

[ 43%] Building CXX object games/CMakeFiles/bridge_double_dummy_solver.dir/bridge/double_dummy_solver/src/File.cpp.o
/usr/bin/ld: ../CMakeFiles/open_spiel_core.dir/spiel.cc.o: in function `std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> > absl::StrCat<std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> >, char [7], std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> > >(absl::AlphaNum const&, absl::AlphaNum const&, absl::AlphaNum const&, absl::AlphaNum const&, absl::AlphaNum const&, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> > const&, char const (&) [7], std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> > const&)':
spiel.cc:(.text._ZN4absl6StrCatIJNSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIcSt11char_traitsIcESaIcEEEA7_cS6_EEES6_RKNS_8AlphaNumESA_SA_SA_SA_DpRKT_[_ZN4absl6StrCatIJNSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIcSt11char_traitsIcESaIcEEEA7_cS6_EEES6_RKNS_8AlphaNumESA_SA_SA_SA_DpRKT_]+0x151): undefined reference to `absl::strings_internal::CatPieces[abi:cxx11](std::initializer_list<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> > >)'
/usr/bin/ld: ../CMakeFiles/open_spiel_core.dir/spiel.cc.o: in function `std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> > absl::StrCat<char [2]>(absl::AlphaNum const&, absl::AlphaNum const&, absl::AlphaNum const&, absl::AlphaNum const&, absl::AlphaNum const&, char const (&) [2])':
spiel.cc:(.text._ZN4absl6StrCatIJA2_cEEENSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIcSt11char_traitsIcESaIcEEERKNS_8AlphaNumESA_SA_SA_SA_DpRKT_[_ZN4absl6StrCatIJA2_cEEENSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIcSt11char_traitsIcESaIcEEERKNS_8AlphaNumESA_SA_SA_SA_DpRKT_]+0xe3): undefined reference to `absl::strings_internal::CatPieces[abi:cxx11](std::initializer_list<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> > >)'
/usr/bin/ld: ../CMakeFiles/open_spiel_core.dir/spiel.cc.o: in function `absl::strings_internal::SplitIterator<absl::strings_internal::Splitter<absl::ByChar, absl::AllowEmpty> >::operator++()':
spiel.cc:(.text._ZN4absl16strings_internal13SplitIteratorINS0_8SplitterINS_6ByCharENS_10AllowEmptyEEEEppEv[_ZN4absl16strings_internal13SplitIteratorINS0_8SplitterINS_6ByCharENS_10AllowEmptyEEEEppEv]+0x79): undefined reference to `absl::ByChar::Find(std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> >, unsigned long) const'
[ 44%] Building CXX object games/CMakeFiles/games.dir/blotto.cc.o
clang: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)
make[2]: *** [examples/CMakeFiles/matrix_example.dir/build.make:153: examples/matrix_example] Error 1
make[1]: *** [CMakeFiles/Makefile2:5181: examples/CMakeFiles/matrix_example.dir/all] Error 2
make[1]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....

The file it is failing on is spiel.cc (edit: also blotto.cc) which use StrCat, StrJoin, and StrAppend.

[derekmauro]

Thanks for the report. I think I've found the problem. I think the setting of ABSL_CXX_STANDARD was accidentally removed in the last commit. Look out for a fix on Monday.

[lanctot]

Thanks for the quick response!

Confirmed on my end: if I add back what was removed from AbseilConfigureCopts.make in commit c695489 then it works.

[lanctot]

Hi @derekmauro ,

Can you think of any reasons that similar errors would occur when building Tensorflow via bazel? (See google-deepmind/open_spiel#172 if you're curious.)

I know this one is on our end but it's a bit of a mystery to us, so thought you might have an idea or could point us in the right direction.

[derekmauro]

Sure, I responded on that issue.

[iDonghq]

[ 56%] Linking CXX executable cartographer_print_configuration
CMakeFiles/cartographer_print_configuration.dir/cartographer/common/print_configuration_main.cc.o: In function cartographer::common::PrintSubdictionaryById(cartographer::common::LuaParameterDictionary*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> > const&)': print_configuration_main.cc:(.text+0x244): undefined reference to absl::ByChar::Find(std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits >, unsigned long) const'
print_configuration_main.cc:(.text+0x65c): undefined reference to absl::ByChar::Find(std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> >, unsigned long) const' CMakeFiles/cartographer_print_configuration.dir/cartographer/common/print_configuration_main.cc.o: In function absl::strings_internal::Splitter<absl::ByChar, absl::SkipEmpty, std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits > >::ConvertToContainer<std::vector<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits >, std::allocator<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits > > >, std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits >, false>::operator()(absl::strings_internal::Splitter<absl::ByChar, absl::SkipEmpty, std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits > > const&) const':
print_configuration_main.cc:(.text.ZNK4absl16strings_internal8SplitterINS_6ByCharENS_9SkipEmptyESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEEE18ConvertToContainerISt6vectorIS7_SaIS7_EES7_Lb0EEclERKS8[ZNK4absl16strings_internal8SplitterINS_6ByCharENS_9SkipEmptyESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEEE18ConvertToContainerISt6vectorIS7_SaIS7_EES7_Lb0EEclERKS8]+0xc8): undefined reference to absl::ByChar::Find(std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> >, unsigned long) const' print_configuration_main.cc:(.text._ZNK4absl16strings_internal8SplitterINS_6ByCharENS_9SkipEmptyESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEEE18ConvertToContainerISt6vectorIS7_SaIS7_EES7_Lb0EEclERKS8_[_ZNK4absl16strings_internal8SplitterINS_6ByCharENS_9SkipEmptyESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEEE18ConvertToContainerISt6vectorIS7_SaIS7_EES7_Lb0EEclERKS8_]+0x194): undefined reference to absl::ByChar::Find(std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits >, unsigned long) const'
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
CMakeFiles/cartographer_print_configuration.dir/build.make:153: recipe for target 'cartographer_print_configuration' failed
make[2]: *** [cartographer_print_configuration] Error 1
CMakeFiles/Makefile2:421: recipe for target 'CMakeFiles/cartographer_print_configuration.dir/all' failed
make[1]: *** [CMakeFiles/cartographer_print_configuration.dir/all] Error 2
make[1]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
libcartographer.a(histogram.cc.o): In function cartographer::common::Histogram::ToString[abi:cxx11](int) const': histogram.cc:(.text+0x310): undefined reference to absl::strings_internal::CatPieces[abi:cxx11](std::initializer_list<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits > >)'
histogram.cc:(.text+0x778): undefined reference to `absl::strings_internal::AppendPieces(std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits, std::allocator >*, std::initializer_list<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits > >)'
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
CMakeFiles/cartographer_pbstream.dir/build.make:153: recipe for target 'cartographer_pbstream' failed
make[2]: *** [cartographer_pbstream] Error 1
CMakeFiles/Makefile2:395: recipe for target 'CMakeFiles/cartographer_pbstream.dir/all' failed

Help! I have met the same problem, even if I did it as "Confirmed on my end: if I add back what was removed from AbseilConfigureCopts.make in commit c695489 then it works."

[wsp666]

[ 56%] Linking CXX executable cartographer_print_configuration CMakeFiles/cartographer_print_configuration.dir/cartographer/common/print_configuration_main.cc.o: In function cartographer::common::PrintSubdictionaryById(cartographer::common::LuaParameterDictionary*, std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> > const&)': print_configuration_main.cc:(.text+0x244): undefined reference to absl::ByChar::Find(std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits >, unsigned long) const' print_configuration_main.cc:(.text+0x65c): undefined reference to absl::ByChar::Find(std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> >, unsigned long) const' CMakeFiles/cartographer_print_configuration.dir/cartographer/common/print_configuration_main.cc.o: In function absl::strings_internal::Splitter<absl::ByChar, absl::SkipEmpty, std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits > >::ConvertToContainer<std::vector<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits >, std::allocator<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits > > >, std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits >, false>::operator()(absl::strings_internal::Splitter<absl::ByChar, absl::SkipEmpty, std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits > > const&) const': print_configuration_main.cc:(.text.ZNK4absl16strings_internal8SplitterINS_6ByCharENS_9SkipEmptyESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEEE18ConvertToContainerISt6vectorIS7_SaIS7_EES7_Lb0EEclERKS8[ZNK4absl16strings_internal8SplitterINS_6ByCharENS_9SkipEmptyESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEEE18ConvertToContainerISt6vectorIS7_SaIS7_EES7_Lb0EEclERKS8]+0xc8): undefined reference to absl::ByChar::Find(std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> >, unsigned long) const' print_configuration_main.cc:(.text._ZNK4absl16strings_internal8SplitterINS_6ByCharENS_9SkipEmptyESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEEE18ConvertToContainerISt6vectorIS7_SaIS7_EES7_Lb0EEclERKS8_[_ZNK4absl16strings_internal8SplitterINS_6ByCharENS_9SkipEmptyESt17basic_string_viewIcSt11char_traitsIcEEE18ConvertToContainerISt6vectorIS7_SaIS7_EES7_Lb0EEclERKS8_]+0x194): undefined reference to absl::ByChar::Find(std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits >, unsigned long) const' collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status CMakeFiles/cartographer_print_configuration.dir/build.make:153: recipe for target 'cartographer_print_configuration' failed make[2]: *** [cartographer_print_configuration] Error 1 CMakeFiles/Makefile2:421: recipe for target 'CMakeFiles/cartographer_print_configuration.dir/all' failed make[1]: *** [CMakeFiles/cartographer_print_configuration.dir/all] Error 2 make[1]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs.... libcartographer.a(histogram.cc.o): In function cartographer::common::Histogram::ToString[abi:cxx11](int) const': histogram.cc:(.text+0x310): undefined reference to absl::strings_internal::CatPieces[abi:cxx11](std::initializer_list<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits > >)' histogram.cc:(.text+0x778): undefined reference to `absl::strings_internal::AppendPieces(std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits, std::allocator >*, std::initializer_list<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits > >)' collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status CMakeFiles/cartographer_pbstream.dir/build.make:153: recipe for target 'cartographer_pbstream' failed make[2]: *** [cartographer_pbstream] Error 1 CMakeFiles/Makefile2:395: recipe for target 'CMakeFiles/cartographer_pbstream.dir/all' failed

Help! I have met the same problem, even if I did it as "Confirmed on my end: if I add back what was removed from AbseilConfigureCopts.make in commit c695489 then it works."

Help! I have met the same problem, Have you solve it?

[lanctot]

@iDonghq @wsp666

The version of abseil being referred to in this thread is more than 2 years old and the problem has been fixed long ago. Do you not have the option to use a newer version of abseil?

[wsp666]

Yes, when I try to install cartographyer, I should install abseil. I try to install it via official script:

set -o errexit
set -o verbose

git clone https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp.git
cd abseil-cpp
git checkout d902eb869bcfacc1bad14933ed9af4bed006d481
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -G Ninja \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
  -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON \
  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local/stow/absl \
  ..
ninja
sudo ninja install
cd /usr/local/stow
sudo stow absl

but I failed! so I commented git checkout d902eb869bcfacc1bad14933ed9af4bed006d481 to maintain the latest version absl. It had not worked out yet. As follows:

Linking CXX executable cartographer_pbstream
FAILED: cartographer_pbstream 
: && /usr/bin/c++  -O3 -DNDEBUG  -rdynamic CMakeFiles/cartographer_pbstream.dir/cartographer/io/pbstream_main.cc.o  -o cartographer_pbstream  libcartographer.a  /usr/local/lib/libceres.a  -lglog  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libspqr.so  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libcholmod.so  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libamd.so  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libcamd.so  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libccolamd.so  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libcolamd.so  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libsuitesparseconfig.so  -lrt  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libtbb.so.2  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libcxsparse.so  -llapack  -lblas  -llua5.2  -lm  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libboost_iostreams.so.1.71.0  -lglog  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgflags.so.2.2.2  -lcairo  -lprotobuf  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_leak_check.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_cord.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_cordz_info.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_cord_internal.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_cordz_functions.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_cordz_handle.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_hash.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_city.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_bad_variant_access.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_low_level_hash.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_raw_hash_set.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_bad_optional_access.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_hashtablez_sampler.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_exponential_biased.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_str_format_internal.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_synchronization.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_stacktrace.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_graphcycles_internal.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_symbolize.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_malloc_internal.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_debugging_internal.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_demangle_internal.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_time.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_strings.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_strings_internal.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_base.a  -lpthread  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_spinlock_wait.a  -lrt  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_throw_delegate.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_raw_logging_internal.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_log_severity.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_int128.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_civil_time.a  /usr/local/lib/libabsl_time_zone.a  -lpthread && :
/usr/bin/ld: libcartographer.a(histogram.cc.o): in function `cartographer::common::Histogram::ToString[abi:cxx11](int) const':
histogram.cc:(.text+0x43c): undefined reference to `absl::strings_internal::CatPieces[abi:cxx11](std::initializer_list<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> > >)'
/usr/bin/ld: histogram.cc:(.text+0x95a): undefined reference to `absl::strings_internal::AppendPieces(std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> >*, std::initializer_list<std::basic_string_view<char, std::char_traits<char> > >)'
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
[257/387] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/cartographer.mapping.internal.3d.scan_matching.fast_correla...d_test.dir/cartographer/mapping/internal/3d/scan_matching/fast_correlative_scan_matcher_3d_test.cc.o
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.
<== Failed to process package 'cartographer': 
  Command '['ninja', '-j16', '-l16']' returned non-zero exit status 1.

Reproduce this error by running:
==> cd /home/wsp/catkin_ws/build_isolated/cartographer && ninja -j16 -l16

Command failed, exiting.

@iDonghq @wsp666

The version of abseil being referred to in this thread is more than 2 years old and the problem has been fixed long ago. Do you not have the option to use a newer version of abseil?

[lanctot]

Hmm .. try setting the checkout command to the commit which fixed this problem which is (probably) only slightly newer? (you can find that commit number above, but I pasted it below):

set -o errexit
set -o verbose

git clone https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp.git
cd abseil-cpp
git checkout 7853a7586c492ce8905c9e49f8679dada6354f2c
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -G Ninja \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
  -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON \
  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local/stow/absl \
  ..
ninja
sudo ninja install
cd /usr/local/stow
sudo stow absl

[lanctot]

Also I think you should file a bug on ninja's github, and point them to this thread if you haven't already. It might be a known problem which has a fix or they could provide one.

[wsp666]

Also I think you should file a bug on ninja's github, and point them to this thread if you haven't already. It might be a known problem which has a fix or they could provide one.

Thanks for your advice. I tried to use the only slightly newer, but failed yet. Maybe the problem comes from ninja.

[liuming706]

The problem doesn't comes from ninja, I didn't use ninja but it also occer the same problem

[liuming706]

The problem doesn't comes from ninja, I didn't use ninja but it also occer the same problem

Amazing! When I checkout to c695489,then cmake ..,make ,sudo cmake install ,it works very good.