I'm trying to cross-compile boost using mingw32, doing the following steps: echo "using gcc : : mingw32-g++ ;" >> user-config.jam bjam target-os=windows threading=multi threadapi=win32 link=static runtime-link=static --prefix=../../usr-mingw --includedir=../../usr-mingw/include --libdir=../../usr-mingw/lib install this goes down fine. but when I'm trying to link to one of the boost libraries, I get the following: mingw32-g++ -m32 -g -L../../usr-mingw/lib -o tests test_plane_position.o test_position_recorder.o test_position_player.o plane_position.o position_recorder.o position_player.o tests.o -llibboost_test_exec_monitor-mgw41-mt-s-1_38 -llibboost_unit_test_framework-mgw41-mt-s-1_38 ../../usr-mingw/lib/libboost_test_exec_monitor-mgw41-mt-s-1_38.lib: could not read symbols: Archive has no index; run ranlib to add one collect2: ld returned 1 exit status make: *** [tests] Error 1 where: $ file ../../usr-mingw/lib/libboost_unit_test_framework-mgw41-mt-s-1_38.lib ../../usr-mingw/lib/libboost_unit_test_framework-mgw41-mt-s-1_38.lib: current ar archive I did some search, and one suggestion was that the build process didn't use mingw32-ar for creating the libraries? if so, how could I make bjam use mingw32-ar instead of just ar? or is something else the issue? Akos (of course I could just run ranlib on these libs, but my expectation was that the boost build / install process would produce libraries that one could link to right away)