---
id: colcon-library-path
version: "0.2.1"
license: Apache License, Version 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# colcon-library-path — Extension for colcon adding an environment variable to find libraries.

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 196.2K/mo

## What it is and what it does

colcon-library-path is a plugin for the colcon build system that adds environment-variable configuration to help the build process locate shared libraries at runtime. It extends colcon-core, the foundation of the colcon build orchestration tool, by automating the setup of library search paths during builds.

The package is intended for developers working with colcon-based build workflows who need to manage shared library discovery across different platforms (POSIX, Windows, MacOS). It is a small, lightweight extension with minimal dependencies and low install friction, but it has not been actively maintained since its latest release on 2019-01-16, making its compatibility with modern colcon versions uncertain.

Use it for:

- Configure library search paths automatically in colcon builds targeting multiple operating systems.
- Ensure shared libraries are discoverable at runtime in cross-platform colcon-based projects.
- Extend colcon workflows to handle non-standard library installation directories.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Extends colcon to configure environment variables for locating shared libraries at runtime during builds.

Yes, if you are actively using colcon and need environment-variable control over library discovery paths. No, if your colcon version is recent and you have not encountered library-path issues—the dormant maintenance status suggests potential compatibility gaps. Verify compatibility with your colcon-core version before installing.

## Install

pip install colcon-library-path
uv add colcon-library-path
poetry add colcon-library-path

## Installing colcon-library-path

Before you install: Low install friction with a single pure-Python wheel dependency on colcon-core. Maintenance is dormant—no releases since 2019, though the repository remains active with a recent commit in January 2025.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache License, Version 2.0 (permissive), imposing no restrictions on commercial or private use.

Quickstart:

pip install colcon-library-path

from colcon_core.plugin_system import instantiate_extensions
# colcon-library-path extends colcon-core automatically when installed

Verify before relying:

- Whether this extension is still compatible with current colcon-core versions given the gap since last release.
- What specific library-path use cases this extension addresses that colcon-core does not handle natively.

## Package facts

- License: Apache License, Version 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 196.2K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

colcon library path environment, shared library runtime discovery, colcon build extension, library path configuration, colcon plugin environment variable, colcon-plugin, build-system

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/colcon-library-path) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/colcon-library-path/)