How to fix CMake error Could not find a package configuration file provided by "boost_filesystem"

Problem:

When compiling your CMake-based C++

CMake Error at /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/Boost-1.71.0/BoostConfig.cmake:117 (find_package):
  Could not find a package configuration file provided by "boost_filesystem"
  (requested version 1.71.0) with any of the following names:

    boost_filesystemConfig.cmake
    boost_filesystem-config.cmake

  Add the installation prefix of "boost_filesystem" to CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH or
  set "boost_filesystem_DIR" to a directory containing one of the above
  files.  If "boost_filesystem" provides a separate development package or
  SDK, be sure it has been installed.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/Boost-1.71.0/BoostConfig.cmake:182 (boost_find_component)
  /usr/share/cmake-3.16/Modules/FindBoost.cmake:443 (find_package)
  CMakeLists.txt:58 (find_package)

Solution

The error message is trying to tell you that you don’t have the boost filesystem library installed (or CMake can’t find it).

On Ubuntu, for example, install it using

sudo apt -y install libboost-filesystem-dev

On Windows you can install it using the prebuilt boost binaries for Windows.