# Issues in configuring software with VTK Dependency - Fails in VTK cmake files
**URL:** https://discourse.vtk.org/t/issues-in-configuring-software-with-vtk-dependency-fails-in-vtk-cmake-files/11805
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [June 23, 2023, 7:14pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/issues-in-configuring-software-with-vtk-dependency-fails-in-vtk-cmake-files/11805 "2023-06-23T19:14:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@EnderWiggin14](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/EnderWiggin14)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2023, 7:14pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/issues-in-configuring-software-with-vtk-dependency-fails-in-vtk-cmake-files/11805/1 "2023-06-23T19:14:42Z")
I’ve been trying to configure and build ElmerFemGUI with VTK support, but it is failing when the VTK cmake files start looking for `libGLEW.so`. More specifically it actually has found the file, but it breaks in `vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake:23`.
The glew library is found at `/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGLEW.so`
```auto
CMake Error at /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake:23 (message):
The `PATH` argument is required.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/FindGLEW.cmake:19 (vtk_detect_library_type)
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/VTK-vtk-module-find-packages.cmake:256 (find_package)
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtk-config.cmake:150 (include)
ElmerGUI/CMakeLists.txt:106 (FIND_PACKAGE)
Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".
See also "/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeError.log".
```
I was able to track it down to some variable called `vdlt`. I tried performing tests to get it to print out the path, but I was getting blank messages. I was able to get the `GLEW_LIBRARY` variable to print the path in `FindGlew.cmake`. It seems to me that the path name is failing to be passed to `vtk_detect_library_type`, and I don’t know why. My attempts to debug this are among my first attempts to touch cmake, so I don’t really know what I’m doing.
How do I fix this?
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2023, 2:55pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/issues-in-configuring-software-with-vtk-dependency-fails-in-vtk-cmake-files/11805/2 "2023-06-25T14:55:18Z")
9.1 may have had bugs, but I don’t see any fixes since then either. The code shows `PATH` is being passed `"${GLEW_LIBRARY}"`; I suspect this variable is empty. What value does it have in you build?
Tools that may help:
- `cmake --debug-find` when configuring `ElmerGUI`
- `cmake --trace-expand` when configuring `ElmerGUI`
---
### Author:  [@EnderWiggin14](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/EnderWiggin14)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2023, 3:13pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/issues-in-configuring-software-with-vtk-dependency-fails-in-vtk-cmake-files/11805/3 "2023-06-26T15:13:48Z")
I inserted a printout of ARGC, ARGV, and ARGN.
The resulting output is below, and below that is the result of using the flags you suggested. It appears that `vtk_detect_library_type` is recognizing the existence of three arguments. It recognizes `PATH` as one of the arguments. VIM automatically gives it special font as if it is a recognized keyword or something similar. I also don’t know if keywords or reserved words are treated as arguments under normal conditions. Then there is the inclusion of
```auto
""
"PATH"
""
```
`cmake_parse_arguments`. I recognize that the idea is that “\_PATH” will be added to the base name of some variable to create a new variable name, but many of the examples I have found online have structured that process a bit differently and often include the use of `set()`.
```auto
ARGC 3
ARGV glew_library_type;PATH;/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGLEW.so
ARGN PATH;/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGLEW.so
CMake Error at /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake:25 (message):
The `PATH` argument is required.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/FindGLEW.cmake:19 (vtk_detect_library_type)
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/VTK-vtk-module-find-packages.cmake:256 (find_package)
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtk-config.cmake:150 (include)
ElmerGUI/CMakeLists.txt:106 (FIND_PACKAGE)
Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".
See also "/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeError.log".
```
Below is the output of `cmake --debug-find --trace-expand` starting at `cmake_parse_arguments`.
```auto
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake(17): cmake_parse_arguments(PARSE_ARGV 1 vdlt PATH )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(85): foreach(arg_name vdlt )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(86): set(PARSE_ARGV_vdlt )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(89): foreach(option 1 )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(90): set(PARSE_ARGV_1 FALSE )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(93): set(PARSE_ARGV_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(95): set(insideValues FALSE )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(96): set(currentArgName )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(99): foreach(currentArg PATH; )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(100): list(FIND _optionNames PATH optionIndex )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(101): list(FIND _singleArgNames PATH singleArgIndex )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(102): list(FIND _multiArgNames PATH multiArgIndex )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(104): if(-1 EQUAL -1 AND -1 EQUAL -1 AND -1 EQUAL -1 )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(105): if(insideValues )
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake(112): else()
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(113): list(APPEND PARSE_ARGV_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS PATH )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(133): foreach(arg_name vdlt 1 )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(134): set(PARSE_ARGV_vdlt PARENT_SCOPE )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(134): set(PARSE_ARGV_1 FALSE PARENT_SCOPE )
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/CMakeParseArguments.cmake(136): set(PARSE_ARGV_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS PATH PARENT_SCOPE )
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake(21): message(ARGC 3 )
ARGC 3
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake(22): message(ARGV glew_library_type;PATH;/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGLEW.so )
ARGV glew_library_type;PATH;/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGLEW.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake(23): message(ARGN PATH;/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGLEW.so )
ARGN PATH;/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGLEW.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake(24): if(NOT DEFINED vdlt_PATH )
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake(25): message(FATAL_ERROR The `PATH` argument is required. )
CMake Error at /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtkDetectLibraryType.cmake:25 (message):
The `PATH` argument is required.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/FindGLEW.cmake:19 (vtk_detect_library_type)
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/VTK-vtk-module-find-packages.cmake:256 (find_package)
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtk-config.cmake:150 (include)
ElmerGUI/CMakeLists.txt:106 (FIND_PACKAGE)
CMake Debug Log at /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/VTK-vtk-module-find-packages.cmake:256 (find_package):
find_package considered the following paths for GLEW.cmake
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/patches/99/FindGLEW.cmake
The file was found at
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/FindGLEW.cmake
Call Stack (most recent call first):
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtk-config.cmake:150 (include)
ElmerGUI/CMakeLists.txt:106 (FIND_PACKAGE)
CMake Debug Log at ElmerGUI/CMakeLists.txt:106 (FIND_PACKAGE):
find_package considered the following paths for VTK.cmake
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/cmake/Modules/FindVTK.cmake
/usr/share/cmake-3.22/Modules/FindVTK.cmake
/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/ElmerGUI/cmake/Modules/FindVTK.cmake
/usr/share/cmake-3.22/Modules/FindVTK.cmake
The file was not found.
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/VTKConfig.cmake
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/vtk-9.1/vtk-config.cmake
CMake Debug Log at ElmerGUI/CMakeLists.txt:106 (FIND_PACKAGE):
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".
See also "/zfs_pool/Engineering/elmerfem/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeError.log".
```
---
### Author:  [@EnderWiggin14](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/EnderWiggin14)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/issues-in-configuring-software-with-vtk-dependency-fails-in-vtk-cmake-files/11805/4 "2023-06-26T17:15:00Z")
I have figured out what the
```auto
""
"PATH"
"""
```
means.
I still went and replaced it with
```auto
cmake_parse_arguments(PARSE_ARGV 1 vdlt
"${options}"
"${args}"
"${list_args}")
```
And the same output is obtained. `ARGN` still returns that `PATH` and the `` are not parsed.
---
### Author:  [@EnderWiggin14](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/EnderWiggin14)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2023, 6:08pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/issues-in-configuring-software-with-vtk-dependency-fails-in-vtk-cmake-files/11805/5 "2023-06-26T18:08:45Z")
I have found a hacky way to get around the problem. That method is directly access the `ARGN[1]` via
```auto
list(GET ARGN 1 ARGN1)
message("ARGN1 = ${ARGN1}")
set(vdlt_PATH ${ARGN1})
```
This obviously shouldn’t be necessary, but I can find no reason as to why `cmake_parse_arguments` does not parse the arguments properly in this situation. The arguments are clearly there, but they are not processing almost as if cmake itself has a bug (which I highly doubt).