__imp link errors using g++ running under mingw

Question

I have a simple socket program that I'm trying to compile using g++ running in mingw (both the latest versions) on a Win8 system. I'm getting the common linker errors

undefined reference to `__imp_socket'
undefined reference to `__imp_gethostbyname'

I've tried adding -lws2_32 with no luck; i.e. it still can't find the references. Can someone suggest something else I might be missing?

Here's the full output:

G:\source\kak>g++ -o ./test_client -lws2_32 test_client.C
C:\Users\kenkahn\AppData\Local\Temp\ccDZTr9b.o:test_client.C:(.text+0x4f): undefined reference to `__imp_inet_addr'
C:\Users\kenkahn\AppData\Local\Temp\ccDZTr9b.o:test_client.C:(.text+0x6b): undefined reference to `__imp_socket'
C:\Users\kenkahn\AppData\Local\Temp\ccDZTr9b.o:test_client.C:(.text+0x8b): undefined reference to `__imp_connect'
d:/program files/mingw/mingw64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/4.8.1/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: C:\Users\kenkahn\AppData\Local\Temp\ccDZTr9b.o: bad reloc address 0xc in section `.xdata'
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status

Answer 1

Very interest experience.

I am facing the same issue Within Code::Blocks by default.

Not works by default

g++.exe -o bin\Release\ServerClient.exe obj\Release\main.o -s -lws2_32 -lWinmm C:\Projects\_Dep\enet\bin\Release\libenet.a -v > nejde 2>&1

It works from command line if I change order of the libs

g++.exe -o bin\Release\ServerClient.exe obj\Release\main.o -s C:\Projects\_Dep\enet\bin\Release\libenet.a -lws2_32 -lWinmm -v > jde 2>&1

Diff of these is:

 C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/collect2.exe -plugin C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/liblto_plugin.dll -plugin-opt=C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/lto-wrapper.exe -plugin-opt=-fresolution=C:\Users\tomas\AppData\Local\Temp\ccWeJOL1.res -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingw32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc_s -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmoldname -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingwex -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmsvcrt -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lkernel32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lpthread -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-ladvapi32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lshell32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-luser32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lkernel32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingw32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc_s -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmoldname -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingwex -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmsvcrt -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lkernel32 -m i386pep -Bdynamic -o bin\Release\ServerClient.exe -s C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../../../lib/crt2.o C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/crtbegin.o -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0 -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib/../lib -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../../../lib -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../.. obj\Release\main.o C:\Projects\_Dep\enet\bin\Release\libenet.a -lws2_32 -lWinmm -lstdc++ -lmingw32 -lgcc_s -lgcc -lmoldname -lmingwex -lmsvcrt -lkernel32 -lpthread -ladvapi32 -lshell32 -luser32 -lkernel32 -lmingw32 -lgcc_s -lgcc -lmoldname -lmingwex -lmsvcrt -lkernel32 C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../../../lib/default-manifest.o C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/crtend.o

vs

 C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/collect2.exe -plugin C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/liblto_plugin.dll -plugin-opt=C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/lto-wrapper.exe -plugin-opt=-fresolution=C:\Users\tomas\AppData\Local\Temp\ccLEHscT.res -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingw32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc_s -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmoldname -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingwex -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmsvcrt -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lkernel32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lpthread -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-ladvapi32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lshell32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-luser32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lkernel32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingw32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc_s -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmoldname -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingwex -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmsvcrt -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lkernel32 -m i386pep -Bdynamic -o bin\Release\ServerClient.exe -s C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../../../lib/crt2.o C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/crtbegin.o -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0 -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib/../lib -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../../../lib -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../../../x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib -LC:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../.. obj\Release\main.o -lws2_32 -lWinmm C:\Projects\_Dep\enet\bin\Release\libenet.a -lstdc++ -lmingw32 -lgcc_s -lgcc -lmoldname -lmingwex -lmsvcrt -lkernel32 -lpthread -ladvapi32 -lshell32 -luser32 -lkernel32 -lmingw32 -lgcc_s -lgcc -lmoldname -lmingwex -lmsvcrt -lkernel32 C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/../../../../lib/default-manifest.o C:/tools/msys64/ucrt64/bin/../lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/13.2.0/crtend.o

Detailed diff focus on attached picture.

Answer 2

Try putting the -lws2_32 after the test_client.C parameter. The linker of gcc (ld) is touchy about the order of linkable things, this is probably why it doesn't find your imported functions at link time.