[ARROW-17347] [C++][Docs] Describe limitations and alternatives for handling dependencies via package managers

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Open
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Unresolved
• Fix Version/s: 11.0.0
• Component/s: C++, Documentation
• External issue URL: https://github.com/apache/arrow/issues/32621
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Kae Suarez
• Created: 08/Aug/22 20:44
• Updated: 11/Jan/23 11:50

Description

In this page: https://arrow.apache.org/docs/developers/cpp/building.html it is described how package managers can be used to get dependencies for Arrow. My specific experience is with Apple Silicon on macOS, so I can describe my experience there. A Brewfile is provided to assist getting necessary packages to build Arrow, but it does not include all relevant packages to build the most Arrow features possible on Mac (i.e., everything but CUDA). Diving further, I learned that Homebrew cannot provide all necessary dependencies for features such as GCS support, and had to turn to conda-forge. Upon doing so, I started having overlapping dependencies elsewhere, and eventually had to turn fully to conda.

It would be helpful to have the limitations laid out for what features can be built with what package managers, as well as adding conda as an alternative to Homebrew for macOS users, since that is necessary to build the fullest Arrow possible without building other libraries from source as well.