[Bug 1563861] [NEW] gdc: Fails to link any code using std.net.curl

[Matthias Klumpp]

Public bug reported:

Hi!

The GDC D compiler in Ubuntu is currently unable to link anything using
std.net.curl, likely due to an ordering issue in the linker command-
line, since Ubuntus libcurl is compiled with --as-needed

To reproduce, take the following simple program:

test.d
```
import std.stdio;
import std.net.curl;

void main(string[] args)
{
    auto data = get ("ubuntu.com");
    writeln (data);
}
```

And compile with `gdc -lcurl -otest test.d`

Linking will file with lots of messages like
```
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/5/libgphobos2.a(curl.o): In function `_D3std3net4curl4Curl18_sharedStaticCtor2FZv':
/build/gcc-5-hPAq_C/gcc-5-5.3.1/build/x86_64-linux-gnu/libphobos/src/../../../../src/libphobos/src/std/net/curl.d:3498: undefined reference to `curl_global_init'
```

A possible solution to this problem would be to link all D programs against libcurl, as has apparently been done in LDC: https://github.com/ldc-developers/ldc/pull/977
Maybe having GDC fix up the linker command line would also work.

Backporting the (massive) patch for Phobos for dynamically loading
libcurl would also be an option, but I guess it wouldn't be an easy
solution.

This being broken in Ubuntu means that Ubuntu can't compile several
important tools, like the dub D package manager, which compiles fine in
Debian ( https://packages.debian.org/source/stretch/dub ).

Since std.net is a part of the standard library, and it's kind of
expected from a standard library to function, I've set the priority of
this bug to "High".

Thanks in advance for the help! I am also thinking about reporting this
bug upstream, but since compiling in other distros (e.g. Debian) works,
I don't know how quickly one could expect people there to take care of
this issue.

** Affects: gcc-5 (Ubuntu)
     Importance: High
         Status: New

** Package changed: gcc-defaults (Ubuntu) => gcc-5 (Ubuntu)

** Summary changed:

- Fails to link any code using std.net.curl
+ gdc: Fails to link any code using std.net.curl

-- 
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1563861

Title:
  gdc: Fails to link any code using std.net.curl

Status in gcc-5 package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Hi!

  The GDC D compiler in Ubuntu is currently unable to link anything
  using std.net.curl, likely due to an ordering issue in the linker
  command-line, since Ubuntus libcurl is compiled with --as-needed

  To reproduce, take the following simple program:

  test.d
  ```
  import std.stdio;
  import std.net.curl;

  void main(string[] args)
  {
      auto data = get ("ubuntu.com");
      writeln (data);
  }
  ```

  And compile with `gdc -lcurl -otest test.d`

  Linking will file with lots of messages like
  ```
  /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-linux-gnu/5/libgphobos2.a(curl.o): In function `_D3std3net4curl4Curl18_sharedStaticCtor2FZv':
  /build/gcc-5-hPAq_C/gcc-5-5.3.1/build/x86_64-linux-gnu/libphobos/src/../../../../src/libphobos/src/std/net/curl.d:3498: undefined reference to `curl_global_init'
  ```

  A possible solution to this problem would be to link all D programs against libcurl, as has apparently been done in LDC: https://github.com/ldc-developers/ldc/pull/977
  Maybe having GDC fix up the linker command line would also work.

  Backporting the (massive) patch for Phobos for dynamically loading
  libcurl would also be an option, but I guess it wouldn't be an easy
  solution.

  This being broken in Ubuntu means that Ubuntu can't compile several
  important tools, like the dub D package manager, which compiles fine
  in Debian ( https://packages.debian.org/source/stretch/dub ).

  Since std.net is a part of the standard library, and it's kind of
  expected from a standard library to function, I've set the priority of
  this bug to "High".

  Thanks in advance for the help! I am also thinking about reporting
  this bug upstream, but since compiling in other distros (e.g. Debian)
  works, I don't know how quickly one could expect people there to take
  care of this issue.

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