*.a archive without symbols isn't usable, and in fact mdb_xx symbols were unresolved when another project was linked with liblmdb.a
A commit in branch main references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/ports/commit/?id=70f2348dba64651646fd99f5f87c751a6837f499 commit 70f2348dba64651646fd99f5f87c751a6837f499 Author: Xin LI <delphij@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2022-05-13 04:54:40 +0000 Commit: Xin LI <delphij@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2022-05-13 04:54:40 +0000 databases/lmdb: Fix static library installation. INSTALL_LIB will strip symbols, and should not be used for static libraries. PR: ports/263884 Reported by: yuri MFH: 2022Q2 databases/lmdb/Makefile | 1 + databases/lmdb/files/patch-Makefile | 27 ++++++++++++++++----------- 2 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
A commit in branch 2022Q2 references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/ports/commit/?id=39cd1b9f436a6c6d1f9476b42c97e51f94254641 commit 39cd1b9f436a6c6d1f9476b42c97e51f94254641 Author: Xin LI <delphij@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2022-05-13 04:54:40 +0000 Commit: Xin LI <delphij@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2022-05-13 04:56:44 +0000 databases/lmdb: Fix static library installation. INSTALL_LIB will strip symbols, and should not be used for static libraries. PR: ports/263884 Reported by: yuri MFH: 2022Q2 (cherry picked from commit 70f2348dba64651646fd99f5f87c751a6837f499) databases/lmdb/Makefile | 1 + databases/lmdb/files/patch-Makefile | 27 ++++++++++++++++----------- 2 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
Thanks for the report!