# CMake with Boost and policy CMP0167
**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-with-boost-and-policy-cmp0167/13613
**Category:** Code
**Tags:** os:linux
**Created:** [February 21, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-with-boost-and-policy-cmp0167/13613 "2025-02-21T19:54:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@rwan](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/rwan)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-with-boost-and-policy-cmp0167/13613/1 "2025-02-21T19:54:16Z")
Hi all,
I have seen various posts across the Internet about getting CMake to work with Boost 1.70+ and it seems like everyone has an easier time than I am. I think I must be doing something wrong.
So, I am using CMake 3.30.3 and Boost 1.85.0 under Ubuntu 24.10. Boost is compiled from source and not installed as Ubuntu packages. BOOST\_ROOT has the value of `/usr/local/boost`, which is a symbolic link to `/usr/local/boost_1_85_0/`.
Removing various things I have tried, this is a minimum example, up to where I am stuck at:
```auto
if (POLICY CMP0167)
cmake_policy (SET CMP0167 NEW)
endif ()
set (Boost_VERBOSE ON)
set (Boost_DEBUG ON)
set (BOOST_MIN_VERSION 1.85.0)
set (BOOST_REQUIRED_COMPONENTS program_options)
find_package (Boost ${BOOST_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED COMPONENTS ${BOOST_COMPILED_LIBRARIES})
```
If I change the policy to `OLD`, then there aren’t any problems. When it is set to `NEW`, I get the following error:
> CMake Error at cmake/boost.cmake:66 (find\_package):
> By not providing “FindBoost.cmake” in CMAKE\_MODULE\_PATH this project has
> asked CMake to find a package configuration file provided by “Boost”, but
> CMake did not find one.
>
> Could not find a package configuration file provided by “Boost” (requested
> version 1.85.0) with any of the following names:
>
> ```
> BoostConfig.cmake
> boost-config.cmake
>
> ```
>
> Add the installation prefix of “Boost” to CMAKE\_PREFIX\_PATH or set
> “Boost\_DIR” to a directory containing one of the above files. If “Boost”
> provides a separate development package or SDK, be sure it has been
> installed.
My system doesn’t have a `boost-config.cmake`. But `BoostConfig.cmake` are in these locations:
```auto
$ locate BoostConfig.cmake
/usr/local/boost_1_85_0/tools/boost_install/BoostConfig.cmake
/usr/local/boost_1_85_0/tools/cmake/config/BoostConfig.cmake
```
I thought I should try setting `Boost_DIR` to what the error message is suggesting to me. So, if add `set (Boost_DIR "/usr/local/boost_1_85_0/tools/cmake/config/")`, then the error message becomes:
> CMake Error at cmake/boost.cmake:66 (find\_package):
> Could not find a configuration file for package “Boost” that is compatible
> with requested version “1.85.0”.
>
> The following configuration files were considered but not accepted:
>
> ```
> /usr/local/boost_1_85_0/tools/cmake/config/BoostConfig.cmake, version: unknown
>
> ```
I feel like I’m doing something wrong because:
1. Others having similar problems to me don’t seem to set `Boost_DIR`. Instead, setting `BOOST_ROOT` as an shell environment variable was sufficient.
2. Under the old way, I only had to set `BOOST_ROOT` and I thought the old way and the new way were interchangeable – i.e., without many changes to code.
The last error I received seems to indicate that it isn’t happy with the `BoostConfig.cmake`. I thought maybe there’s a problem with that file, but if there was, then others would have this problem. I also tried version 1.87.0 before this and it gave me the same problem. So, I’m fairly convinced it is my problem…
It is possible I installed Boost incorrectly, but if that were the case, then the OLD policy wouldn’t work.
Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you!
Ray
---
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-with-boost-and-policy-cmp0167/13613/2 "2025-02-22T17:58:02Z")
I can`t see any problems. How dit you build/install the boost libraries?
```bash
iMac:test clausklein$ cmake -S . -B build
-- Found Boost 1.87.0 at /usr/local/lib/cmake/Boost-1.87.0
-- Requested configuration: REQUIRED COMPONENTS program_options;filesystem
-- BoostConfig: find_package(boost_headers 1.87.0 EXACT CONFIG REQUIRED HINTS /usr/local/lib/cmake)
-- Found boost_headers 1.87.0 at /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_headers-1.87.0
-- BoostConfig: find_package(boost_program_options 1.87.0 EXACT CONFIG REQUIRED HINTS /usr/local/lib/cmake)
-- Found boost_program_options 1.87.0 at /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_program_options-1.87.0
-- Boost toolset is clang-darwin16 (AppleClang 16.0.0.16000026)
-- Scanning /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_program_options-1.87.0/libboost_program_options-variant*.cmake
-- Including /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_program_options-1.87.0/libboost_program_options-variant-shared.cmake
-- [x] libboost_program_options.dylib
-- Including /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_program_options-1.87.0/libboost_program_options-variant-static.cmake
-- [] libboost_program_options.a
-- Adding boost_program_options dependencies: headers
-- BoostConfig: find_package(boost_filesystem 1.87.0 EXACT CONFIG REQUIRED HINTS /usr/local/lib/cmake)
-- Found boost_filesystem 1.87.0 at /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_filesystem-1.87.0
-- Boost toolset is clang-darwin16 (AppleClang 16.0.0.16000026)
-- Scanning /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_filesystem-1.87.0/libboost_filesystem-variant*.cmake
-- Including /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_filesystem-1.87.0/libboost_filesystem-variant-shared.cmake
-- [x] libboost_filesystem.dylib
-- Including /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_filesystem-1.87.0/libboost_filesystem-variant-static.cmake
-- [] libboost_filesystem.a
-- Adding boost_filesystem dependencies: atomic;system;headers
-- Found boost_atomic 1.87.0 at /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_atomic-1.87.0
-- Boost toolset is clang-darwin16 (AppleClang 16.0.0.16000026)
-- Scanning /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_atomic-1.87.0/libboost_atomic-variant*.cmake
-- Including /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_atomic-1.87.0/libboost_atomic-variant-shared.cmake
-- [x] libboost_atomic.dylib
-- Including /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_atomic-1.87.0/libboost_atomic-variant-static.cmake
-- [] libboost_atomic.a
-- Adding boost_atomic dependencies: headers
-- Found boost_system 1.87.0 at /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_system-1.87.0
-- Boost toolset is clang-darwin16 (AppleClang 16.0.0.16000026)
-- Scanning /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_system-1.87.0/libboost_system-variant*.cmake
-- Including /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_system-1.87.0/libboost_system-variant-shared.cmake
-- [x] libboost_system.dylib
-- Including /usr/local/lib/cmake/boost_system-1.87.0/libboost_system-variant-static.cmake
-- [] libboost_system.a
-- Adding boost_system dependencies: headers
-- Configuring done (0.5s)
-- Generating done (0.0s)
-- Build files have been written to: /Users/clausklein/cmake/test/build
iMac:test clausklein$
```
---
### Author:  [@rwan](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/rwan)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2025, 11:03am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-with-boost-and-policy-cmp0167/13613/3 "2025-02-23T11:03:12Z")
Hi Claus,
Thanks for the follow-up! I built Boost using `b2`, which I think are still the main method of building it.
Did you build it with CMake using these instructions: `https://github.com/boostorg/cmake` (I just found it with Google)? Or something else?
It would be great if I could build and install it with CMake, so that I don’t have to mess with `b2`…
Thank you!
Ray
---
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2025, 12:55pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-with-boost-and-policy-cmp0167/13613/4 "2025-02-23T12:55:56Z")
It is not so easy as it should!
My boost is installed with `brew`.
Try this first [GitHub - ClausKlein/boost-cmake: Easy Boost integration in CMake projects](https://github.com/ClausKlein/boost-cmake?tab=readme-ov-file#readme)
See too the original make-build [cmake build docs](https://github.com/boostorg/cmake/tree/7f5336b3bf8067bb40da4e8b9940c133271e938a?tab=readme-ov-file#readme)
But to use is, do not clone the git repo, download `cmake archive` from [GitHub](https://github.com/boostorg/boost/releases/tag/boost-1.87.0)
---
### Author:  [@rwan](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/rwan)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-with-boost-and-policy-cmp0167/13613/5 "2025-02-25T18:29:41Z")
Hi @ClausKlein,
Thank you for your reply and the link to your repository! I’ve been playing with it (as well as other things), so sorry for the delay!
I almost got it working. And indeed, if it works, it is better than what I was struggling with before, so thank you!
I have this so far, which I’ve obviously copied and changed slightly from your GitHub example:
```auto
include (GNUInstallDirs)
set (FETCHCONTENT_SOURCE_DIR_BOOST /usr/local/boost_1_87_0/)
add_subdirectory (${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/boost-cmake)
set (CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/lib)
option (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build shared libraries" NO)
set (BOOST_INCLUDE_LIBRARIES program_options filesystem headers)
target_include_directories(
foo PUBLIC $
$)
target_link_libraries (foo Boost::filesystem)
target_link_libraries (foo Boost::program_options)
```
During the execution of `cmake`, it is complaining it doesn’t know about `Boost::filesystem` nor `Boost::program_options`.
I’ve tried other values, including `boost_filesystem`, `libboost_filesystem`, and just `filesystem`. `cmake` gets further, but then the problem occurs during linking.
I suppose previously, I “cheated” by just using the values provided by `find_package ()`:
```auto
link_directories (${Boost_LIBRARY_DIRS})
target_include_directories (foo PUBLIC "${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
target_link_libraries (foo ${Boost_LIBRARIES})
```
What should I be using or have I done something incorrectly? (Also, if I used your default code example and automatically download from [https://archive.boost.io/release](https://archive.boost.io/release) instead of fetching from a local directory, the result is the same.)
Thank you!
Ray
---
### Author:  [@ClausKlein](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ClausKlein)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2025, 9:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-with-boost-and-policy-cmp0167/13613/6 "2025-02-25T21:52:28Z")
see [boost-cmake/examples/CMakeLists.txt at refs/heads/feature/bump-to-boost-v1.87.0 · ClausKlein/boost-cmake · GitHub](https://github.com/ClausKlein/boost-cmake/blob/refs/heads/feature/bump-to-boost-v1.87.0/examples/CMakeLists.txt)
---
### Author:  [@rwan](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/rwan)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2025, 7:15pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/cmake-with-boost-and-policy-cmp0167/13613/7 "2025-03-01T19:15:05Z")
Hi @ClausKlein,
Sorry to disappear for a few days! While working on this, I realised I had serious problems with my many `CMakeLists.txt`. I had to fix up those problems as well.
Thank you for providing the link to that file in your repository. It took me some time to figure out what I was doing wrong, but I managed to get it all working.
Downloading and setting up Boost wasn’t an option that I thought was possible (I haven’t been following discussions around this in recent years). Thank you for showing this to me!
Ray