How can I check if the libraries exist on my computer?

[Jonas25]

I try to make a small code example:
https://github.com/PointCloudLibrary/pcl/tree/master/doc/tutorials/content/sources/qt_visualizer

When I run cmake it does not complain, but when I run make I get this error message:

[ 33%] Generating moc_pclviewer.cxx
[ 33%] Generating ui_pclviewer.h
Scanning dependencies of target pcl_visualizer
[ 50%] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/pcl_visualizer.dir/main.cpp.o
[ 66%] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/pcl_visualizer.dir/pclviewer.cpp.o
[ 83%] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/pcl_visualizer.dir/moc_pclviewer.cxx.o
[100%] Linking CXX executable pcl_visualizer
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lvtkRendering
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lvtkGraphics
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lvtkHybrid
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lQVTK
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lvtkRendering
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lvtkGraphics
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lvtkHybrid
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lQVTK
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
make[2]: *** [CMakeFiles/pcl_visualizer.dir/build.make:410: pcl_visualizer] Error 1
make[1]: *** [CMakeFiles/Makefile2:68: CMakeFiles/pcl_visualizer.dir/all] Error 2
make: *** [Makefile:84: all] Error 2

Apparently it can't find the proper libraries to link against my code. I work on arch and I thought I installed vtk, the project that supplies those libraries.
How can I check if those libraries exist on my computer? Is there a way to see if for example the library "vtkRendering" is properly installed on my computer?

[ne555]

the -l flag look for libraries in a stndar list of directories, like /usr/lib
vtk installs its libraries in /usr/lib/vtk-5.10/ (can see that with pacman --query --list vtk) so in order for the linker to find them you need to specify that directory with the -L flag.

Then you'll also need to specify that directory when executing the program
see http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Program-Library-HOWTO/shared-libraries.html (3.5. Installing and Using a Shared Library)