CMake: add WITH_LIBS_PRECOMPILED option (UNIX only)

This makes it convenient to build blender without referencing
pre-compiled libraries which don't always work on newer Linux systems.

Previously I had to rename ../lib while creating the CMakeCache.txt
to ensure my systems libraries would be used.

This change ensures LIBDIR is undefined when WITH_LIBS_PRECOMPILED is
disabled, so any accidental use warns with CMake's `--warn-unused-vars`
argument is given.

CMakeLists.txt

@@ -399,6 +399,26 @@ mark_as_advanced(WITH_SYSTEM_GLOG)
 # Freestyle
 option(WITH_FREESTYLE     "Enable Freestyle (advanced edges rendering)" ON)
 
+# Libraries.
+if(UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
+  # Optionally build without pre-compiled libraries.
+  # NOTE: this could be supported on all platforms however in practice UNIX is the only platform
+  # that has good support for detecting installed libraries.
+  option(WITH_LIBS_PRECOMPILED "\
+Detect and link against pre-compiled libraries (typically found under \"../lib/\"). \
+Disabling this option will use the system libraries although cached paths \
+that point to pre-compiled libraries will be left as-is."
+    ON
+  )
+  mark_as_advanced(WITH_LIBS_PRECOMPILED)
+
+  option(WITH_STATIC_LIBS "Try to link with static libraries, as much as possible, to make blender more portable across distributions" OFF)
+  if(WITH_STATIC_LIBS)
+    option(WITH_BOOST_ICU "Boost uses ICU library (required for linking with static Boost built with libicu)." OFF)
+    mark_as_advanced(WITH_BOOST_ICU)
+  endif()
+endif()
+
 # Misc
 if(WIN32 OR APPLE)
   option(WITH_INPUT_IME "Enable Input Method Editor (IME) for complex Asian character input" ON)
@@ -406,11 +426,6 @@ endif()
 option(WITH_INPUT_NDOF "Enable NDOF input devices (SpaceNavigator and friends)" ON)
 if(UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
   option(WITH_INSTALL_PORTABLE "Install redistributable runtime, otherwise install into CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX" ON)
-  option(WITH_STATIC_LIBS "Try to link with static libraries, as much as possible, to make blender more portable across distributions" OFF)
-  if(WITH_STATIC_LIBS)
-    option(WITH_BOOST_ICU "Boost uses ICU library (required for linking with static Boost built with libicu)." OFF)
-    mark_as_advanced(WITH_BOOST_ICU)
-  endif()
 endif()
 
 option(WITH_PYTHON_INSTALL       "Copy system python into the blender install folder" ON)

build_files/cmake/Modules/FindMoltenVK.cmake

@@ -19,9 +19,13 @@ ENDIF()
 
 SET(_moltenvk_SEARCH_DIRS
   ${MOLTENVK_ROOT_DIR}
-  ${LIBDIR}/vulkan/MoltenVK
 )
 
+# FIXME: These finder modules typically don't use LIBDIR,
+# this should be set by `./build_files/cmake/platform/` instead.
+IF(DEFINED LIBDIR)
+  SET(_moltenvk_SEARCH_DIRS ${_moltenvk_SEARCH_DIRS} ${LIBDIR}/vulkan/MoltenVK)
+ENDIF()
 
 FIND_PATH(MOLTENVK_INCLUDE_DIR
   NAMES

build_files/cmake/macros.cmake

@@ -1264,7 +1264,7 @@ endmacro()
 
 # Utility to gather and install precompiled shared libraries.
 macro(add_bundled_libraries library_dir)
-  if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+  if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
     set(_library_dir ${LIBDIR}/${library_dir})
     if(WIN32)
       file(GLOB _all_library_versions ${_library_dir}/*\.dll)

build_files/cmake/platform/platform_old_libs_update.cmake

@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
 # Copyright 2022 Blender Foundation. All rights reserved.
 
-# Auto update existing CMake caches for new libraries
+# Auto update existing CMake caches for new libraries.
+
+# Assert that `LIBDIR` is defined.
+if(NOT (DEFINED LIBDIR))
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Logical error, expected 'LIBDIR' to be defined!")
+endif()
 
 # Clear cached variables whose name matches `pattern`.
 function(unset_cache_variables pattern)

build_files/cmake/platform/platform_unix.cmake

@@ -4,38 +4,52 @@
 # Libraries configuration for any *nix system including Linux and Unix (excluding APPLE).
 
 # Detect precompiled library directory
-if(NOT DEFINED LIBDIR)
-  # Path to a locally compiled libraries.
-  set(LIBDIR_NAME ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME}_${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR})
-  string(TOLOWER ${LIBDIR_NAME} LIBDIR_NAME)
-  set(LIBDIR_NATIVE_ABI ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../lib/${LIBDIR_NAME})
 
-  # Path to precompiled libraries with known glibc 2.28 ABI.
+if(NOT WITH_LIBS_PRECOMPILED)
-  set(LIBDIR_GLIBC228_ABI ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../lib/linux_x86_64_glibc_228)
+  unset(LIBDIR)
+else()
+  if(NOT DEFINED LIBDIR)
+    # Path to a locally compiled libraries.
+    set(LIBDIR_NAME ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME}_${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR})
+    string(TOLOWER ${LIBDIR_NAME} LIBDIR_NAME)
+    set(LIBDIR_NATIVE_ABI ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../lib/${LIBDIR_NAME})
 
-  # Choose the best suitable libraries.
+    # Path to precompiled libraries with known glibc 2.28 ABI.
-  if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR_NATIVE_ABI})
+    set(LIBDIR_GLIBC228_ABI ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../lib/linux_x86_64_glibc_228)
-    set(LIBDIR ${LIBDIR_NATIVE_ABI})
+
-    set(WITH_LIBC_MALLOC_HOOK_WORKAROUND True)
+    # Choose the best suitable libraries.
-  elseif(EXISTS ${LIBDIR_GLIBC228_ABI})
+    if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR_NATIVE_ABI})
-    set(LIBDIR ${LIBDIR_GLIBC228_ABI})
+      set(LIBDIR ${LIBDIR_NATIVE_ABI})
-    if(WITH_MEM_JEMALLOC)
-      # jemalloc provides malloc hooks.
-      set(WITH_LIBC_MALLOC_HOOK_WORKAROUND False)
-    else()
       set(WITH_LIBC_MALLOC_HOOK_WORKAROUND True)
+    elseif(EXISTS ${LIBDIR_GLIBC228_ABI})
+      set(LIBDIR ${LIBDIR_GLIBC228_ABI})
+      if(WITH_MEM_JEMALLOC)
+        # jemalloc provides malloc hooks.
+        set(WITH_LIBC_MALLOC_HOOK_WORKAROUND False)
+      else()
+        set(WITH_LIBC_MALLOC_HOOK_WORKAROUND True)
+      endif()
     endif()
+
+    # Avoid namespace pollustion.
+    unset(LIBDIR_NATIVE_ABI)
+    unset(LIBDIR_GLIBC228_ABI)
   endif()
 
-  # Avoid namespace pollustion.
+  if(NOT (EXISTS ${LIBDIR}))
-  unset(LIBDIR_NATIVE_ABI)
+    message(STATUS
-  unset(LIBDIR_GLIBC228_ABI)
+      "Unable to find LIBDIR: ${LIBDIR}, system libraries may be used "
+      "(disable WITH_LIBS_PRECOMPILED to suppress this message)."
+    )
+    unset(LIBDIR)
+  endif()
 endif()
 
+
 # Support restoring this value once pre-compiled libraries have been handled.
 set(WITH_STATIC_LIBS_INIT ${WITH_STATIC_LIBS})
 
-if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
   message(STATUS "Using pre-compiled LIBDIR: ${LIBDIR}")
 
   file(GLOB LIB_SUBDIRS ${LIBDIR}/*)
@@ -85,7 +99,7 @@ endmacro()
 # These are libraries that may be precompiled. For this we disable searching in
 # the system directories so that we don't accidentally use them instead.
 
-if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
   without_system_libs_begin()
 endif()
 
@@ -114,7 +128,7 @@ endfunction()
 if(NOT WITH_SYSTEM_FREETYPE)
   # FreeType compiled with Brotli compression for woff2.
   find_package_wrapper(Freetype REQUIRED)
-  if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+  if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
     find_package_wrapper(Brotli REQUIRED)
 
     # NOTE: This is done on WIN32 & APPLE but fails on some Linux systems.
@@ -141,7 +155,7 @@ if(WITH_PYTHON)
   if(WITH_PYTHON_MODULE AND NOT WITH_INSTALL_PORTABLE)
     # Installing into `site-packages`, warn when installing into `./../lib/`
     # which script authors almost certainly don't want.
-    if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+    if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
       path_is_prefix(LIBDIR PYTHON_SITE_PACKAGES _is_prefix)
       if(_is_prefix)
         message(WARNING "
@@ -217,7 +231,7 @@ if(WITH_CODEC_SNDFILE)
 endif()
 
 if(WITH_CODEC_FFMPEG)
-  if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+  if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
     set(FFMPEG_ROOT_DIR ${LIBDIR}/ffmpeg)
     # Override FFMPEG components to also include static library dependencies
     # included with precompiled libraries, and to ensure correct link order.
@@ -232,7 +246,7 @@ if(WITH_CODEC_FFMPEG)
       vpx
       x264
       xvidcore)
-    if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR}/ffmpeg/lib/libaom.a)
+    if((DEFINED LIBDIR) AND (EXISTS ${LIBDIR}/ffmpeg/lib/libaom.a))
       list(APPEND FFMPEG_FIND_COMPONENTS aom)
     endif()
   elseif(FFMPEG)
@@ -469,7 +483,7 @@ if(WITH_OPENIMAGEDENOISE)
 endif()
 
 if(WITH_LLVM)
-  if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+  if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
     set(LLVM_STATIC ON)
   endif()
 
@@ -483,7 +497,7 @@ if(WITH_LLVM)
     endif()
 
     # Symbol conflicts with same UTF library used by OpenCollada
-    if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+    if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
       if(WITH_OPENCOLLADA AND (${LLVM_VERSION} VERSION_LESS "4.0.0"))
         list(REMOVE_ITEM OPENCOLLADA_LIBRARIES ${OPENCOLLADA_UTF_LIBRARY})
       endif()
@@ -539,7 +553,7 @@ if(WITH_CYCLES AND WITH_CYCLES_PATH_GUIDING)
   endif()
 endif()
 
-if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
   without_system_libs_end()
 endif()
 
@@ -583,7 +597,7 @@ add_definitions(-D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -D_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE
 #
 # Keep last, so indirectly linked libraries don't override our own pre-compiled libs.
 
-if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
   # Clear the prefix path as it causes the `LIBDIR` to override system locations.
   unset(CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH)
 
@@ -639,7 +653,7 @@ if(WITH_GHOST_WAYLAND)
   # When dynamically linked WAYLAND is used and `${LIBDIR}/wayland` is present,
   # there is no need to search for the libraries as they are not needed for building.
   # Only the headers are needed which can reference the known paths.
-  if(EXISTS "${LIBDIR}/wayland" AND WITH_GHOST_WAYLAND_DYNLOAD)
+  if((DEFINED LIBDIR) AND (EXISTS "${LIBDIR}/wayland" AND WITH_GHOST_WAYLAND_DYNLOAD))
     set(_use_system_wayland OFF)
   else()
     set(_use_system_wayland ON)
@@ -703,7 +717,7 @@ if(WITH_GHOST_WAYLAND)
       add_definitions(-DWITH_GHOST_WAYLAND_LIBDECOR)
     endif()
 
-    if(EXISTS "${LIBDIR}/wayland/bin/wayland-scanner")
+    if((DEFINED LIBDIR) AND (EXISTS "${LIBDIR}/wayland/bin/wayland-scanner"))
       set(WAYLAND_SCANNER "${LIBDIR}/wayland/bin/wayland-scanner")
     else()
       pkg_get_variable(WAYLAND_SCANNER wayland-scanner wayland_scanner)

source/creator/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -605,7 +605,10 @@ if(UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
       )
     endif()
 
-    if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR}/mesa)
+    # NOTE: there is a bug in CMake 3.25.1 where `LIBDIR` is reported as undefined.
+    if(NOT DEFINED LIBDIR)
+      # Pass.
+    elseif(EXISTS ${LIBDIR}/mesa)
       install(DIRECTORY ${LIBDIR}/mesa/lib/ DESTINATION "lib/mesa/")
 
       install(
@@ -665,7 +668,7 @@ if(UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
       DESTINATION ${TARGETDIR_VER}/python/bin
     )
 
-    if(EXISTS ${LIBDIR})
+    if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
       # Precompiled libraries, copy over complete lib directory.
       install_dir(
         ${PYTHON_LIBPATH}
@@ -1499,7 +1502,7 @@ endif()
 
 # Always install USD shared library and datafiles regardless if Blender
 # itself uses them, the bundled Python module still needs it.
-if(LIBDIR AND TARGETDIR_LIB)
+if((DEFINED LIBDIR) AND TARGETDIR_LIB)
   # On windows the usd library sits in ./blender.shared copy the files
   # relative to the location of the USD dll, if the dll does not exist
   # assume we are linking against the static 3.5 lib.
@@ -1556,7 +1559,7 @@ endif()
 
 # Always install MaterialX files regardless if Blender itself uses them, the
 # bundled Python module still needs it.
-if(WITH_MATERIALX AND LIBDIR AND TARGETDIR_LIB)
+if((DEFINED LIBDIR) AND TARGETDIR_LIB AND WITH_MATERIALX )
   install(
     DIRECTORY ${LIBDIR}/materialx/libraries
     DESTINATION "${TARGETDIR_LIB}/materialx"

tests/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ endif()
 set(TEST_PYTHON_EXE_EXTRA_ARGS "")
 
 # Check if this a Blender managed Python installation, if so, don't add `*.pyc` files.
-if(LIBDIR)
+if(DEFINED LIBDIR)
   path_is_prefix(LIBDIR TEST_PYTHON_EXE _is_prefix)
   if(_is_prefix)
     # Keep the Python in Blender's SVN LIBDIR pristine, to avoid conflicts on updating.