# Compiling VTK without generating library symlinks
**URL:** https://discourse.vtk.org/t/compiling-vtk-without-generating-library-symlinks/3359
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [May 21, 2020, 12:14am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/compiling-vtk-without-generating-library-symlinks/3359 "2020-05-21T00:14:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BotellaA](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/BotellaA)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2020, 12:14am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/compiling-vtk-without-generating-library-symlinks/3359/1 "2020-05-21T00:14:35Z")
VTK generates a lot of symlinks (at least on linux) while compiling. Like this one:
```auto
libvtkWebCore-8.90.so -> libvtkWebCore-8.90.so.1
libvtkWebCore-8.90.so.1 -> libvtkWebCore-8.90.so.8.90.0
libvtkWebCore-8.90.so.8.90.0
```
My goal is to compile VTK, then archive it in a `zip` or `tar.gz` to reuse it in different places.
However, I loose the symlinks while extracting the archive…
Is there a way to prevent the symlink creation in the first place?
Thanks for your advises
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2020, 1:09am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/compiling-vtk-without-generating-library-symlinks/3359/2 "2020-05-21T01:09:55Z")
The one symlink might be able to be dropped, but the SONAME and the link name (plain `.so`) both need to exist in typical ELF usage patterns (the SOVERSION name is also typical). There are flags to `tar` (and probably `zip` too) to not dereference symlinks. Maybe those would be better in this situation?
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### Author:  [@BotellaA](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/BotellaA)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2020, 6:11am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/compiling-vtk-without-generating-library-symlinks/3359/3 "2020-05-21T06:11:44Z")
I agree with you but I am sure my users will forget to add the special flag to keep symlink at extract and then think the software is broken…
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### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2020, 12:04pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/compiling-vtk-without-generating-library-symlinks/3359/4 "2020-05-21T12:04:32Z")
All I can suggest is better documentation and instruction. I’d really rather not add hacks/hidden options to VTK’s build for such things which are not broken on VTK’s side, sorry. Somebody will find them and think they can use it not understanding what the use case for such things is and then I get another issue filed about it.
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### Author:  [@BotellaA](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/BotellaA)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2020, 12:37pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/compiling-vtk-without-generating-library-symlinks/3359/5 "2020-05-21T12:37:28Z")
I understand but I wanted to ask anyway, in case such hidden option already exist.