PCRE2-CONFIG(1) General Commands Manual PCRE2-CONFIG(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

pcre2-config - program to return PCRE2 configuration

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
pcre2-config [--prefix] [--exec-prefix] [--version]
             [--libs8] [--libs16] [--libs32] [--libs-posix]
             [--cflags] [--cflags-posix]
```

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

**pcre2-config** returns the configuration of the installed PCRE2 libraries and the options required to compile a program to use them. Some of the options apply only to the 8-bit, 16-bit, or 32-bit libraries, respectively, and are not available for libraries that have not been built. If an unavailable option is encountered, the "usage" information is output.

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

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

Writes the directory prefix used in the PCRE2 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 PCRE2 installation for architecture-dependent files (normally the same as **--prefix**) to the standard output.

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

Writes the version number of the installed PCRE2 libraries to the standard output.

[**--libs8**](#libs8)

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to link with the 8-bit PCRE2 library (**-lpcre2-8** on many systems).

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

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to link with the 16-bit PCRE2 library (**-lpcre2-16** on many systems).

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

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to link with the 32-bit PCRE2 library (**-lpcre2-32** on many systems).

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

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to link with PCRE2's POSIX API wrapper library (**-lpcre2-posix** **-lpcre2-8** on many systems).

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

Writes to the standard output the command line options required to compile files that use PCRE2 (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 PCRE2's POSIX API wrapper library (this may include some **-I** options, but is blank on many systems).

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**pcre2(3)**](/man/os/pcre2/pcre2.3)

# [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 PCRE2 man page.

# [REVISION](#REVISION)

```
Last updated: 22 February 2025
```

22 February 2025 PCRE2 10.49

---

Document: pcre2-config(1) from pcre2 10.49-r2 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/PCRE2Project/pcre2.git