Repository navigation
[core] Avoid linking against private Apple library with ACLiC - #23620
Merged
Merged
Conversation
`TSystem::CompileMacro`, aka `ACLiC`, can generate a shared library from a ROOT macro. While doing so, it links the target library against all loaded libraries at time of calling.
When running from Python e.g. via `ProcessLine(".L macro.C+")`, the loaded libraries include those dynamically loaded by the Python interpreter.
When run on a MacOS system, these may also include so-called "private" Apple libraries. These libraries cannot be linked against by third-party code: the linker will fail with an error saying "product being built is not an allowed client of it".
One such situation has surfaced in a bug report to the homebrew distribution of ROOT Homebrew/homebrew-core#272324 related to the `libffi` library, but the issue is actually generic.
Unfortunately, Apple does not provide an authoritative list of "private" libraries and there is no direct way to ask a library whether linking against it will produce a linker error or not.
Aside from manually checking the list of allowed clients of each of the loaded libraries before linking, manually vetoing known "private" libraries seems the next-best thing. This commit proposes to remove the `libffi` library from the list of libraries `ACLiC` will link against when run on MacOS.
pcanal
approved these changes
Oct 6, 2026
pcanal
left a comment
pcanal
left a comment
Member
There was a problem hiding this comment.
I think it is fine to merge as is (it is effective even-though the original still need to be improved to move the filtering alongside the other similar filtering)
This file contains hidden or bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
Sign up for free
to join this conversation on GitHub.
Already have an account?
Sign in to comment
Add this suggestion to a batch that can be applied as a single commit.This suggestion is invalid because no changes were made to the code.Suggestions cannot be applied while the pull request is closed.Suggestions cannot be applied while viewing a subset of changes.Only one suggestion per line can be applied in a batch.Add this suggestion to a batch that can be applied as a single commit.Applying suggestions on deleted lines is not supported.You must change the existing code in this line in order to create a valid suggestion.Outdated suggestions cannot be applied.This suggestion has been applied or marked resolved.Suggestions cannot be applied from pending reviews.Suggestions cannot be applied on multi-line comments.Suggestions cannot be applied while the pull request is queued to merge.Suggestion cannot be applied right now. Please check back later.
Partial BP of #22963