[Python][C++] PyArrow fails to build trying to find a system abseil when Arrow C++ was built with bundled abseil

[raulcd]

Describe the bug, including details regarding any error messages, version, and platform.

After the following PR was merged:

• GH-48926: [C++] Upgrade Abseil/Protobuf/GRPC/Google-Cloud-CPP bundled versions #48964

If I build Arrow C++ with bundled abseil, example of my build locally:

export ARROW_HOME=~/code/dist
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/code/dist/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$ARROW_HOME:$CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH
export CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL=7
cmake -S arrow/cpp -B arrow/cpp/build \
 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$ARROW_HOME \
 --preset ninja-debug-python-maximal
cmake --build arrow/cpp/build --target install

And then try to build PyArrow with the following:

export ARROW_HOME=~/code/dist
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/code/dist/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$ARROW_HOME:$CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH
export PYARROW_BUNDLE_CYTHON_CPP=1
export CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL=4

cd arrow/python
time python -m pip install -C cmake.build-type=Debug -C build.verbose=true --no-deps --no-build-isolation -vv --config-settings=build-dir=build -e .

It fails with:

$ time python -m pip install -C cmake.build-type=Debug -C build.verbose=true --no-deps --no-build-isolation -vv --config-settings=build-dir=build -e .
Using pip 25.2 from /home/raulcd/code/pyarrow-dev/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pip (python 3.13)
Non-user install because user site-packages disabled
Created temporary directory: /tmp/pip-build-tracker-srsdn7we
Initialized build tracking at /tmp/pip-build-tracker-srsdn7we
Created build tracker: /tmp/pip-build-tracker-srsdn7we
Entered build tracker: /tmp/pip-build-tracker-srsdn7we
Created temporary directory: /tmp/pip-install-8ctg2cdg
Created temporary directory: /tmp/pip-ephem-wheel-cache-kyr1sawn
Obtaining file:///home/raulcd/code/arrow/python
 Added file:///home/raulcd/code/arrow/python to build tracker '/tmp/pip-build-tracker-srsdn7we'
 Running command Checking if build backend supports build_editable
 Checking if build backend supports build_editable ... done
 Created temporary directory: /tmp/pip-modern-metadata-pxffjlmo
 Running command Preparing editable metadata (pyproject.toml)
 *** scikit-build-core 0.11.6 using CMake 4.2.3 (metadata_editable)
 Preparing editable metadata (pyproject.toml) ... done
 Source in /home/raulcd/code/arrow/python has version 24.0.0.dev309+gb95645d21.d20260415, which satisfies requirement pyarrow==24.0.0.dev309+gb95645d21.d20260415 from file:///home/raulcd/code/arrow/python
 Removed pyarrow==24.0.0.dev309+gb95645d21.d20260415 from file:///home/raulcd/code/arrow/python from build tracker '/tmp/pip-build-tracker-srsdn7we'
Created temporary directory: /tmp/pip-unpack-8ddqeqnt
Building wheels for collected packages: pyarrow
 Created temporary directory: /tmp/pip-wheel-2uujcf0x
 Destination directory: /tmp/pip-wheel-2uujcf0x
 Running command Building editable for pyarrow (pyproject.toml)
 *** scikit-build-core 0.11.6 using CMake 4.2.3 (editable)
 *** Configuring CMake...
 loading initial cache file build/CMakeInit.txt
 -- System processor: x86_64
 -- Arrow build warning level: PRODUCTION
 -- Build Type: Debug
 -- CMAKE_C_FLAGS: -Wall -fno-semantic-interposition -msse4.2 -fdiagnostics-color=always -fno-omit-frame-pointer -Wno-unused-variable -Wno-maybe-uninitialized
 -- CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS: -Wno-noexcept-type -Wno-self-move -Wall -fno-semantic-interposition -msse4.2 -fdiagnostics-color=always -fno-omit-frame-pointer -Wno-unused-variable -Wno-maybe-uninitialized
 -- Generator: Ninja
 -- Build output directory: /home/raulcd/code/arrow/python/build/debug
 -- Found NumPy version: 2.3.4
 -- NumPy include dir: /home/raulcd/code/pyarrow-dev/lib/python3.13/site-packages/numpy/_core/include
 -- Found Cython version: 3.2.4
 CMake Error at /home/raulcd/code/dist/lib/cmake/Arrow/FindabslAlt.cmake:31 (find_package):
 By not providing "Findabsl.cmake" in CMAKE_MODULE_PATH this project has
 asked CMake to find a package configuration file provided by "absl", but
 CMake did not find one.

 Could not find a package configuration file provided by "absl" with any of
 the following names:

 abslConfig.cmake
 absl-config.cmake

 Add the installation prefix of "absl" to CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH or set
 "absl_DIR" to a directory containing one of the above files. If "absl"
 provides a separate development package or SDK, be sure it has been
 installed.
 Call Stack (most recent call first):
 /usr/share/cmake-4.2/Modules/CMakeFindDependencyMacro.cmake:93 (find_package)
 /usr/share/cmake-4.2/Modules/CMakeFindDependencyMacro.cmake:125 (__find_dependency_common)
 /home/raulcd/code/dist/lib/cmake/Arrow/ArrowConfig.cmake:101 (find_dependency)
 /home/raulcd/code/dist/lib/cmake/Arrow/ArrowConfig.cmake:124 (arrow_find_dependencies)
 CMakeLists.txt:294 (find_package)


 -- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

 *** CMake configuration failed
 error: subprocess-exited-with-error
 
 × Building editable for pyarrow (pyproject.toml) did not run successfully.
 │ exit code: 1
 ╰─> See above for output.
 
 note: This error originates from a subprocess, and is likely not a problem with pip.
 full command: /home/raulcd/code/pyarrow-dev/bin/python /home/raulcd/code/pyarrow-dev/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pip/_vendor/pyproject_hooks/_in_process/_in_process.py build_editable /tmp/tmpf_0c3_78
 cwd: /home/raulcd/code/arrow/python
 Building editable for pyarrow (pyproject.toml) ... error
 ERROR: Failed building editable for pyarrow
Failed to build pyarrow
error: failed-wheel-build-for-install

× Failed to build installable wheels for some pyproject.toml based projects
╰─> pyarrow
Exception information:
Traceback (most recent call last):
 File "/home/raulcd/code/pyarrow-dev/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pip/_internal/cli/base_command.py", line 107, in _run_wrapper
 status = _inner_run()
 File "/home/raulcd/code/pyarrow-dev/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pip/_internal/cli/base_command.py", line 98, in _inner_run
 return self.run(options, args)
 ~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 File "/home/raulcd/code/pyarrow-dev/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pip/_internal/cli/req_command.py", line 71, in wrapper
 return func(self, options, args)
 File "/home/raulcd/code/pyarrow-dev/lib/python3.13/site-packages/pip/_internal/commands/install.py", line 442, in run
 raise InstallWheelBuildError(build_failures)
pip._internal.exceptions.InstallWheelBuildError: <InstallWheelBuildError: failed-wheel-build-for-install>
Removed build tracker: '/tmp/pip-build-tracker-srsdn7we'

real	0m2.883s
user	0m4.272s
sys	0m0.567s

Basically when ARROW_BUILD_STATIC=ON, somehow absl is in ARROW_SYSTEM_DEPENDENCIES and fails to be found.

Component(s)

C++, Python

[raulcd]

As shared on the duplicated issue:

• [Python][C++] Verification jobs for Python fail building PyArrow #49934

This is also reproducible on the verification jobs:

• verify-rc-source-python-linux-almalinux-10-amd64
• verify-rc-source-python-linux-ubuntu-22.04-amd64
• verify-rc-source-python-linux-ubuntu-24.04-amd64

[kou]

Issue resolved by pull request 49936
#49936