MSVC: /release linker flag leaks into cl.exe command line in has_function() tests (regression in 1.11)

[StormBytePP]

Describe the bug

Starting with Meson 1.11, the linker-only flag /release is incorrectly passed to cl.exe (before /link) during has_function() / dependency checks when using MSVC + static libraries.

This causes the configure step to fail with:

cl : Command line error D8043 : unknown option '/release'

The same project configures and builds correctly with Meson 1.10.0.

To Reproduce

This comes from a check similar to:

check_pkg_config = [
  ...
  ['libvmaf', ['libvmaf.h'], ['vmaf_init'], {'version': '>= 2.0.0'}],
  ...
]

The failure happens during the subsequent has_function("vmaf_init") check with a static libvmaf dependency on Windows/MSVC.

Failing command generated by Meson 1.11.2:

cl -IC:/install/include -IC:/install/include/libvmaf ... /utf-8 /release /nologo ... /MD ... /release /nologo /Od /Oi- /std:c17 ... /link C:/install/lib/vmaf.lib C:/install/lib/pthreadVC3.lib

Note that /release appears twice before /link.

Expected behavior (worked in 1.10.0)

-----------
Command line: `cl -IC:/Test/install/include/libvmaf C:\Test\build\ffmpeg\meson-private\tmpb1uyfuq7\testfile.c /nologo /showIncludes /utf-8 /EP -DPTW32_CLEANUP_C -DPTW32_STATIC_LIB -DHAVE_BUILTIN_CLZ_COMPAT /nologo /showIncludes /utf-8 /EP /Od /Oi- /std:c17` -> 0
stderr:
testfile.c
-----------
Has header "libvmaf.h" with dependency libvmaf: YES 
Running compile:
Working directory:  C:\Test\build\ffmpeg\meson-private\tmp1otsiina
Code:
#include <libvmaf.h>

#include <limits.h>

        #if defined __stub_vmaf_init || defined __stub___vmaf_init
        fail fail fail this function is not going to work
        #endif
        
int main(void) {
            void *a = (void*) &vmaf_init;
            long long b = (long long) a;
            return (int) b;
        }
-----------
Command line: `cl -IC:/Test/install/include/libvmaf C:\Test\build\ffmpeg\meson-private\tmp1otsiina\testfile.c /FeC:\Test\build\ffmpeg\meson-private\tmp1otsiina\output.exe /nologo /showIncludes /utf-8 -DPTW32_CLEANUP_C -DPTW32_STATIC_LIB -DHAVE_BUILTIN_CLZ_COMPAT /MD /nologo /showIncludes /utf-8 /Od /Oi- /std:c17 kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib uuid.lib comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib -D_ISOC11_SOURCE -D_GNU_SOURCE -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE /options:strict -D_USE_MATH_DEFINES -D_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS -D_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_WARNINGS -D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0600 -DWIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN -wd4005 /link C:/Test/install/lib/libvmaf.a C:/Test/install/lib/libpthreadVC3.a` -> 0
stdout:
testfile.c
-----------
Checking for function "vmaf_init" with dependency libvmaf: YES 

Actual behavior

-----------
Command line: `cl -IC:/install/include -IC:/install/include/libvmaf D:\a\vmaf\vmaf\ffmpeg\build\meson-private\tmpp16awo_z\testfile.c /nologo /showIncludes /utf-8 /EP -DPTW32_CLEANUP_C -DPTW32_STATIC_LIB -DHAVE_BUILTIN_CLZ_COMPAT /nologo /showIncludes /utf-8 /EP /Od /Oi- /std:c17` -> 0
stderr:
testfile.c
-----------
Has header "libvmaf.h" with dependency libvmaf: YES 
Running compile:
Working directory:  D:\a\vmaf\vmaf\ffmpeg\build\meson-private\tmp7703h_go
Code:
#include <libvmaf.h>

#include <limits.h>

        #if defined __stub_vmaf_init || defined __stub___vmaf_init
        fail fail fail this function is not going to work
        #endif
        
int main(void) {
            void *a = (void*) &vmaf_init;
            long long b = (long long) a;
            return (int) b;
        }
-----------
Command line: `cl -IC:/install/include -IC:/install/include/libvmaf D:\a\vmaf\vmaf\ffmpeg\build\meson-private\tmp7703h_go\testfile.c /FeD:\a\vmaf\vmaf\ffmpeg\build\meson-private\tmp7703h_go\output.exe /nologo /showIncludes /utf-8 /release /nologo -DPTW32_CLEANUP_C -DPTW32_STATIC_LIB -DHAVE_BUILTIN_CLZ_COMPAT /MD /nologo /showIncludes /utf-8 /release /nologo /Od /Oi- /std:c17 kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib uuid.lib comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib -D_ISOC11_SOURCE -D_GNU_SOURCE -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE /options:strict -D_USE_MATH_DEFINES -D_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS -D_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_WARNINGS -D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0600 -DWIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN -wd4005 /link C:/install/lib/vmaf.lib C:/install/lib/pthreadVC3.lib` -> 2
stderr:
cl : Command line error D8043 : unknown option '/release'
cl : Command line error D8043 : unknown option '/release'
-----------
Checking for function "vmaf_init" with dependency libvmaf: NO 

System parameters

• Operating system: Windows (GitHub Actions windows-latest)
• Compiler: MSVC (cl)
• Meson version that fails: >=1.10.2
• Meson version that works: 1.10.0
• Ninja: latest
• The dependency is a static library (vmaf.lib) found via pkg-config

Additional context

This seems related to the MSVC linker flag handling changes introduced in 1.11 (especially the new -Db_lto / -Db_pgo support though they were not explicitelly used for this test).

Workaround: pin Meson to <1.11 (e.g. meson==1.10.0).

Happy to provide more logs or a minimal reproducer if needed.

[StormBytePP]

Just to add informacion: I've reproduced the issue in meson-1.10.2, I'll update header

[StormBytePP]

Hi! Just a gentle ping on this one – it's a regression that blocks MSVC + library dependency checks (has_function etc.).

The PR #16094 looks ready and has been open for a couple of weeks. Would any maintainer have a moment to take a look?

Thanks a lot for your work on Meson! 🙏