How are libraries as dependencies supposed to work?

[richard-hajek]

Question

I am trying to build a ruby native extension, but it's failing because it can't find libyaml headers. I created a minimal example:

What happens

> devbox init
> ls
devbox.json

> devbox add libyaml gcc
Info: Adding package "libyaml@latest" to devbox.json
Info: Adding package "gcc@latest" to devbox.json
Info: Installing the following packages to the nix store: gcc@latest

> echo '#include <yaml.h>\nvoid main(){}' >> main.c
> cat main.c 
#include <yaml.h>
void main(){}

> devbox shell
Info: Ensuring packages are installed.
✓ Computed the Devbox environment.
Starting a devbox shell...

> ls
main.c  devbox.json  devbox.lock

> gcc main.c 
main.c:1:10: fatal error: yaml.h: No such file or directory
    1 | #include <yaml.h>
      |          ^~~~~~~~
compilation terminated.

What I expect to happen

For it to work.

It works when I just do nix-shell -p gcc libyaml

[silverhadch]

Do devbox add libyaml.dev

Its because the -dev drv of the package isnt in the buildinputs unlike the regular nix-shell. Change the Report to that please.
devbox doesnt add -dev versions of packages into the buildInputs.

140 devbox init
141 devbox add libyaml
142 devbox add libyaml.dev
143 echo '#include <yaml.h>\nvoid main(){}' >> main.c
144 devbox shell
145 gcc main.c
146 ls
147 ./a.out

[richard-hajek]

Oh okay thanks!! My problem is resolved now, I didn't know devbox had this.

[silverhadch]

This is technically a bug but I will simply file the Issue then.

[richard-hajek]

What, is it a bug? I thought it was the expected behavior

[richard-hajek]

I read #2761 i understand now