bazelbuild / bazelbuild/bazel

linkstatic = True is silently ignored under --dynamic_mode=fully

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#30,696 3 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
P4 team-Rules-CPP type: bug
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Java
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Description

### Description of the bug

A per-target `linkstatic = True` on a `cc_binary` is silently ignored when the build is run with `--dynamic_mode=fully`. The target's `cc_library` deps are linked dynamically anyway, with no warning or error.

I'd expect a per-target attribute like `linkstatic` to override a command-line *default* rather than be overridden by it, and that is exactly the behavior under `--dynamic_mode=default`: there, `linkstatic = True` and `linkstatic = False` on otherwise identical binaries produce static and dynamic linkage respectively. Only under `fully` does the flag win over the explicit per-target request.

If overriding really is intended, it should at least not be silent, since it means `--dynamic_mode=fully` can change the linkage of targets that have deliberately opted out of it.

(`--dynamic_mode=off` has the mirror-image behavior: `linkstatic = False` is silently ignored. That direction is at least suggested by the flag name; `fully` overriding an explicit `True` is the surprising one.)

### Which category does this issue belong to?

C++ Rules

### What's the simplest, easiest way to reproduce this bug?

`MODULE.bazel`:

```python
module(name = "linkstatic_repro")
bazel_dep(name = "rules_cc", version = "0.2.17")
```

`lib.h`:
```c++
int f();
```

`lib.cc`:
```c++
#include "lib.h"
int f() { return 42; }
```

`main.cc`:
```c++
#include "lib.h"
int main() { return f() == 42 ? 0 : 1; }
```

`BUILD`:
```python
load("@rules_cc//cc:cc_binary.bzl", "cc_binary")
load("@rules_cc//cc:cc_library.bzl", "cc_library")

cc_library(name = "lib", srcs = ["lib.cc"], hdrs = ["lib.h"])

cc_binary(name = "static_bin", srcs = ["main.cc"], deps = [":lib"], linkstatic = True)
cc_binary(name = "dynamic_bin", srcs = ["main.cc"], deps = [":lib"], linkstatic = False)
```

Then check whether each binary ends up with a `NEEDED` entry for the dep's shared library:

```bash
for mode in default fully off; do
bazel build --dynamic_mode=$mode //:static_bin //:dynamic_bin >/dev/null 2>&1
echo "--dynamic_mode=$mode"
for t in static_bin dynamic_bin; do
readelf -d bazel-bin/$t | grep -q libliblib.so && r=dynamic || r=static
echo " $t -> $r"
done
done
```

### What operating system are you running Bazel on?

Ubuntu 24.04, Linux 6.8.0 x86_64, gcc 13.3.0

### What is the output of `bazel info release`?

`release 9.2.0`

### Have you found anything relevant by searching the web?

I didn't find an existing issue for this; #16479 and #21301 touch `linkstatic` but not its interaction with `--dynamic_mode`.

### Any other information, logs, or outputs that you want to share?

Output of the script above:

```
--dynamic_mode=default
static_bin (linkstatic=True ) -> static
dynamic_bin (linkstatic=False) -> dynamic
--dynamic_mode=fully
static_bin (linkstatic=True ) -> dynamic <-- linkstatic=True ignored
dynamic_bin (linkstatic=False) -> dynamic
--dynamic_mode=off
static_bin (linkstatic=True ) -> static
dynamic_bin (linkstatic=False) -> static <-- linkstatic=False ignored
```

The `fully` build produces no diagnostic mentioning `linkstatic`.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start with the MODULE.bazel and BUILD reproduction, then run the provided loop with readelf for default, fully, and off. Trace how the cc_binary linkstatic attribute is combined with --dynamic_mode; done means the precedence is intentional and documented by behavior, with no silent mismatch for an explicit per-target setting.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
build-system
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
65/100

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