How to install the latest Boost C++ Library on Linux (Ubuntu)

Usually, the Boost C++ Library installable from the Ubuntu Software Center or apt (Advanced Package Tool) is NOT the latest one.
If you want to use the latest version the Boost C++ Library, you can do so by installing the library on your home directory ($HOME).
The procedure is:

1. Download the latest source code from the Boost C++ website (http://www.boost.org/). more

1-1. Select Download.

1-2. Click Download in the CURRENT RELEASE section.

1-3. Click the file that ends with ‘tar.gz’.

1-4. Click ‘save’ to download the file.

1-5. Check the downloaded file.

2. Upload the downloaded file to the Linux (Ubuntu) server. more

3. tar xvzf [downloaded file] more

4. cd [created directory] more

5. ./bootstrap.sh --prefix=[path to the home directory] more

6. ./b2 install more

To check if the installation is correctly done, you can compile & run a test program from the Boost C++ library website. more

For example, a test program that uses Boost.Regex library is as follows:

#include <boost/regex.hpp>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

int main()
{
    std::string line;
    boost::regex pat( "^Subject: (Re: |Aw: )*(.*)" );

    while (std::cin)
    {
        std::getline(std::cin, line);
        boost::smatch matches;
        if (boost::regex_match(line, matches, pat))
            std::cout << matches[2] << std::endl;
    }
}

When compiling the test program with g++, be sure to set the header search path option (-I) and the library search path option (-L) to where the library is installed.
Because we installed the library to the home directory, we should use -I $HOME/include and –L $HOME/lib. more

For example, the test program above (that use Boost.Reges) should be compiled as follows:

-l boost-regex is for the library linking.

Finally, the environment variable LD_LIBRARY_PATH should be modified to include $HOME/lib, to dynamically link the shared objects. more

It’s a little annoying to export the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable again and again. You can resolve this by inserting the export command to the $HOME/.bashrc file.