GNUInstallDirs — CMake 3.31.6 Documentation

# GNUInstallDirs

Define GNU standard installation directories

Provides install directory variables as defined by the GNU Coding Standards.

## Result Variables

Inclusion of this module defines the following variables:

`CMAKE_INSTALL_<dir>`

> Destination for files of a given type. This value may be passed to the `DESTINATION` options of `install()` commands for the corresponding file type. It should be a path relative to the installation prefix so that it can be converted to an absolute path in a relocatable way.

> While absolute paths are allowed, they are not recommended as they do not work with the `cmake --install` command's `--prefix` option, or with the `cpack` installer generators. In particular, there is no need to make paths absolute by prepending `CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX`; this prefix is used by default if the DESTINATION is a relative path.

`CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_<dir>`

> The absolute path generated from the corresponding `CMAKE_INSTALL_<dir>` value. If the value is not already an absolute path, an absolute path is constructed typically by prepending the value of the `CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX` variable. However, there are some special cases as documented below.

> These variables shouldn't be used in `install()` commands as they do not work with the `cmake --install` command's `--prefix` option, or with the `cpack` installer generators.

where `<dir>` is one of:

`BINDIR`

  user executables (`bin`)

`SBINDIR`

  system admin executables (`sbin`)

`LIBEXECDIR`

  program executables (`libexec`)

`SYSCONFDIR`

  read-only single-machine data (`etc`)

`SHAREDSTATEDIR`

  modifiable architecture-independent data (`com`)

`LOCALSTATEDIR`

  modifiable single-machine data (`var`)

`RUNSTATEDIR`

  Added in version 3.9: run-time variable data (`LOCALSTATEDIR/run`)

`LIBDIR`

  object code libraries (`lib` or `lib64`)

  On Debian, this may be `lib/<multiarch-tuple>` when `CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX` is `/usr`.

`INCLUDEDIR`

  C header files (`include`)

`OLDINCLUDEDIR`

  C header files for non-gcc (`/usr/include`)

`DATAROOTDIR`

  read-only architecture-independent data root (`share`)

`DATADIR`

  read-only architecture-independent data (`DATAROOTDIR`)

`INFODIR`

  info documentation (`DATAROOTDIR/info`)

`LOCALEDIR`

  locale-dependent data (`DATAROOTDIR/locale`)

`MANDIR`

  man documentation (`DATAROOTDIR/man`)

`DOCDIR`

  documentation root (`DATAROOTDIR/doc/PROJECT_NAME`)

If the includer does not define a value the above-shown default will be used and the value will appear in the cache for editing by the user.

## Special Cases

Added in version 3.4.

The following values of `CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX` are special:

`/`

> For `<dir>` other than the `SYSCONFDIR`, `LOCALSTATEDIR` and `RUNSTATEDIR`, the value of `CMAKE_INSTALL_<dir>` is prefixed with `usr/` if it is not user-specified as an absolute path. For example, the `INCLUDEDIR` value `include` becomes `usr/include`. This is required by the GNU Coding Standards, which state:

> > When building the complete GNU system, the prefix will be empty and `/usr` will be a symbolic link to `/`.

`/usr`

> For `<dir>` equal to `SYSCONFDIR`, `LOCALSTATEDIR` or `RUNSTATEDIR`, the `CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_<dir>` is computed by prepending just `/` to the value of `CMAKE_INSTALL_<dir>` if it is not user-specified as an absolute path. For example, the `SYSCONFDIR` value `etc` becomes `/etc`. This is required by the GNU Coding Standards.

`/opt/...`

> For `<dir>` equal to `SYSCONFDIR`, `LOCALSTATEDIR` or `RUNSTATEDIR`, the `CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_<dir>` is computed by appending the prefix to the value of `CMAKE_INSTALL_<dir>` if it is not user-specified as an absolute path. For example, the `SYSCONFDIR` value `etc` becomes `/etc/opt/...`. This is defined by the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard.

> This behavior does not apply to paths under `/opt/homebrew/...`.

## Macros

GNUInstallDirs_get_absolute_install_dir

      GNUInstallDirs_get_absolute_install_dir(absvar var dirname)

  Added in version 3.7.

  Set the given variable `absvar` to the absolute path contained within the variable `var`. This is to allow the computation of an absolute path, accounting for all the special cases documented above. While this macro is used to compute the various `CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_<dir>` variables, it is exposed publicly to allow users who create additional path variables to also compute absolute paths where necessary, using the same logic. `dirname` is the directory name to get, e.g. `BINDIR`.

  Changed in version 3.20: Added the `<dirname>` parameter. Previous versions of CMake passed this value through the variable `${dir}`.