Static library libpcsclite.a

Ludovic Rousseau

2024-12-24 15:20

With pcsc-lite 2.3.1 (New version of pcsc-lite: 2.3.1) a static library libpcsclite.a is also generated by default.

Using the static library libpcsclite.a instead of the dynamic one libpcsclite.so.1 has pros and cons.

Pros

The application binary does not depend on an external library. It is then easier to use on a minimal system that works on "any" x86_64 GNU/Linux distribution.

This request comes from a user of Alpine Linux. See github issue #216.

Cons

The mechanism to log pcsc-lite calls can't be used (PCSC API spy using LIBPCSCLITE_DELEGATE). It will also not be possible to use the mechanism to redirect calls for RDP (How to use LIBPCSCLITE_DELEGATE?).

If the library libpcsclite.a uses a protocol version that is different from the protocol version used by the installed pcscd server then client/server communication will fail. It will not "run everywhere". (See Accessing smart cards from inside a flatpak sandbox).

Conclusion

The Debian package does NOT provide the static version of the library because of the cons listed above.

But it may make sens for Alpine Linux or another specialized distribution to provide a static version of the library.