Enhancement: Extend CI workflow to test library detection with manually compiled dependencies

Background

This issue is a follow-up to #3404, where we identified that the ModSecurity configure script fails to detect YAJL, LMDB, and PCRE2 libraries when they are installed in lib64 directories or other non-standard paths.

While the library detection fix has been submitted via PR, @airween suggested an important enhancement to extend the CI workflow to better test these scenarios.

Current CI Limitations

The current CI workflow primarily tests library detection using OS package managers, which typically install libraries in standard system paths. However, many users compile libraries manually and install them in custom locations, particularly:

• /usr/local/[library]/lib64/ directories
• Custom prefix paths
• Container environments with non-standard library layouts

Proposed Enhancement

Add new CI jobs that test the configure script's library detection capabilities with manually compiled dependencies, specifically:

1. Manual Library Compilation Testing

• Compile YAJL, LMDB, and PCRE2 from source
• Install them in various custom paths (lib64, custom prefixes)
• Verify configure script correctly detects these libraries

2. Multi-Distribution Testing

Test across various Linux distributions that commonly use lib64:

• Alma Linux 9, 10
• CentOS Stream 9, 10
• Oracle Linux 9, 10
• Rocky Linux 9, 10
• Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04
• Debian 12, 13
• OpenSUSE
• Fedora

3. Container Environment Testing

• Test in containerized environments where libraries are often manually compiled
• Verify compatibility with different base images

Benefits

1. Improved Reliability: Catch library detection issues before they reach users
2. Better Coverage: Test real-world scenarios where users compile dependencies manually
3. Cross-Platform Validation: Ensure compatibility across diverse Linux distributions
4. Regression Prevention: Prevent future breakage of library detection logic

Implementation Approach

1. Create new GitHub Actions workflow jobs
2. Add matrix builds for different distributions and library installation methods
3. Implement automated testing scripts for manual library compilation
4. Add validation steps to ensure configure script works correctly

Related Issues

• #3404 - Original lib64 detection issue
• #3318 - Similar PCRE2 detection problems

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Note: This enhancement would significantly improve the project's build system reliability and help prevent similar issues in the future. I'm ready to contribute to implementing these CI improvements.

Start by reviewing the current GitHub Actions workflow and the configure script, then use issues #3404 and #3318 to understand the library-detection cases. Add jobs covering manually compiled YAJL, LMDB, and PCRE2 across the listed distributions and installation paths; done means the configure script detects each dependency successfully in those scenarios.