PCRE-CONFIG(1) General Commands Manual PCRE-CONFIG(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

pcre-config - program to return PCRE configuration

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
pcre-config [--prefix] [--exec-prefix] [--version] [--libs]
            [--libs16] [--libs32] [--libs-cpp] [--libs-posix]
            [--cflags] [--cflags-posix]
```

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

**pcre-config** returns the configuration of the installed PCRE libraries and the options required to compile a program to use them. Some of the options apply only to the 8-bit, or 16-bit, or 32-bit libraries, respectively, and are not available if only one of those libraries has been built. If an unavailable option is encountered, the "usage" information is output.

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

[**--prefix**](#prefix)

Writes the directory prefix used in the PCRE installation for architecture independent files (*/usr* on many systems, */usr/local* on some systems) to the standard output.

[**--exec-prefix**](#exec_prefix)

Writes the directory prefix used in the PCRE installation for architecture dependent files (normally the same as **--prefix**) to the standard output.

[**--version**](#version)

Writes the version number of the installed PCRE libraries to the standard output.

[**--libs**](#libs)

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to link with the 8-bit PCRE library (**-lpcre** on many systems).

[**--libs16**](#libs16)

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to link with the 16-bit PCRE library (**-lpcre16** on many systems).

[**--libs32**](#libs32)

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to link with the 32-bit PCRE library (**-lpcre32** on many systems).

[**--libs-cpp**](#libs_cpp)

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to link with PCRE's C++ wrapper library (**-lpcrecpp** **-lpcre** on many systems).

[**--libs-posix**](#libs_posix)

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to link with PCRE's POSIX API wrapper library (**-lpcreposix** **-lpcre** on many systems).

[**--cflags**](#cflags)

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to compile files that use PCRE (this may include some **-I** options, but is blank on many systems).

[**--cflags-posix**](#cflags_posix)

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to compile files that use PCRE's POSIX API wrapper library (this may include some **-I** options, but is blank on many systems).

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**pcre(3)**](/man/os/pcre/pcre.3)

# [AUTHOR](#AUTHOR)

This manual page was originally written by Mark Baker for the Debian GNU/Linux system. It has been subsequently revised as a generic PCRE man page.

# [REVISION](#REVISION)

```
Last updated: 24 June 2012
```

01 January 2012 PCRE 8.30

---

Document: pcre-config(1) from pcre 8.45-r11 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/pcre/pcre/8.45/pcre-8.45.tar.bz2