How to create a .la file?

[Lowell Gilbert]

Norberto Meijome <freebsd at meijome.net> writes:

> On 20 Apr 2006 09:44:22 -0400
> Lowell Gilbert <freebsd-questions-local at be-well.ilk.org> wrote:
> 
> > Norberto Meijome <freebsd at meijome.net> writes:
> > 
> > > trying to upgrade gimp from ports, the build process failed with:
> > > 
> > > 
> > > libtool: link: cannot find the library `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXcursor.la' or
> > > unhandled argument `/usr/X11R6/lib/libXcursor.la'
> > > 
> > > libXcursor.la is usually provided by x11/libXcursor, but this port conflicts
> > > with xorg-libraries.
> > > 
> > > xorg-libraries doesn't provide this file. how do I create it from the
> > > existing libXcursor.so|.a  ?
> > 
> > You shouldn't need to.  It shouldn't need it.
> > On my fairly stock -STABLE system with the latest xorg from the port, 
> > gimp links against libXcursor.so.1.
> > 
> > Perhaps you have some other ports needing upgrading?
> 
> ah, but there lies the problem, i think - libXcursor installs files
> already installed by org-libraries (and the extra .la file). the issue is that
> libXcursor depends on xproto and xextensions which break the build of a number
> of ports I use (firefox,etc).
> 
> I'm trying now by using pkgtools.conf to replace xproto and xextensions with
> xorglibraries.... if I knew how to create a .la file, then libXcursor could be
> replaced too by xorglibraries...
> 
> am I right in my understanding that libXcursor / xproto / libXau / xextensions
> and others are the XFree86 (and therefore older) equivalents of
> xorg-libraries?

No, the xorg-libraries port installs /usr/X11R6/lib/libXcursor.so.
No libtool library description file (.la) should be needed.

You seem to have been missing the point, so I'll boil it down:
You *do* need libXcursor.  
You do *not* need the libXcursor *port*, because xorg-libraries will
install the Xcursor library.  
You should *not* need libXcursor.la, because gimp should need it to
link against libXcursor.so.

Try removing the libtool ports, rebuilding xorg-libraries and anything
else in the dependency path from it to gimp, and gimp should rebuild
fine.  

You didn't mention houw you were trying to do your upgrade, or what
vintage your other ports were, so this is probably the most complete
advice we can give on the information you have provided.