pkg-config needs a way to print out its idea of what directories it will to search, much like the 'manpath' program. The idea is that you could do: PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/lib/pkgconfig:`pkg-config --configpath` export PKG_CONFIG_PATH and simply update the current list without having to try to guess what's been compiled into it. (I'm on OSX. I have two independent copies of pkg-config, one of which was installed by MacPorts, the other of which was installed by Mono. The default one is the one from MacPorts. I need it to recognize where the Mono framework and configs are, but it doesn't by default. This is currently causing distress with the OpenSimulator.org crowd.)
As I understand search pathc, that seems overkill (or mis-kill), since pkg-config prepends PKG_CONFIG_PATH to its hardcoded default list. That's unlike man, for which if MANPATH is set, it totally replaces the built-in default. You shell command would put the defaults into PKG_CONFIG_PATH, which would mean duplicates in the ultimate search list (once pkg-config does its prepend-to-default at runtime). Probably harmless, but also definitely useless. Maybe a different shell incantation would Do What You Need: PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/lib/pkgconfig${PKG_CONFIG_PATH:+:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH} export PKG_CONFIG_PATH
You already have the pc_path variable: pkg-config --variable pc_path pkg-config /usr/local/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/share/pkgconfig:/usr/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/share/pkgconfig In addition, as Daniel Macks points out, the _PATH setting will prepend to the default path, not overwrite it. If you want to overwrite it, use PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR. I'm closing this bug as invalid since this is already well enough served by the features we have.
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