test2-dynamic In this directory I use the same source code as test1-static, but I try to build a shared library instead. To build a shared library for libmodule1.la, first I add the -rpath variable. This makes libtool attempt to build shared libraries, but it gives this warning: libtool: link: warning: undefined symbols not allowed in i686-pc-cygwin shared libraries Then it proceeds to build only static libraries. So I add -no-undefined to the link of libmodule1.la. This makes it actually build a shared library. When it does the libtool install step, I see that these files were installed: -rwxr-xr-x 1 bryce unknown 668055 Oct 11 02:40 bin/cygmodule1-0.dll -rw-r--r-- 1 bryce unknown 664 Oct 11 02:40 lib/libmodule1.a -rw-r--r-- 1 bryce unknown 2946 Oct 11 02:40 lib/libmodule1.dll.a -rw-r--r-- 1 bryce unknown 728 Oct 11 02:40 lib/libmodule1.la File types are bin/cygmodule1-0.dll: MS Windows PE Intel 80386 console DLL lib/libmodule1.a: current ar archive lib/libmodule1.dll.a: current ar archive lib/libmodule1.la: ASCII English text But, trying to link with this shared library fails. libtool g++ -Wall -g -o uselib uselib.cc libmodule1.la g++ -Wall -g -o .libs/uselib uselib.cc .libs/libimp-cygmodule1-0.a -Wl,--rpath -Wl,/home/bryce/plugin-test/test2-dynamic/lib Warning: resolving _module_name by linking to __imp__module_name (auto-import) fu000001.o(.idata$3+0xc): undefined reference to `_libs_libimp_cygmodule1_0_a_iname' nmth000000.o(.idata$4+0x0): undefined reference to `_nm__module_name' collect2: ld returned 1 exit status make: *** [uselib] Error 1 Then I finally read about __declspec(dllexport) and __declspec(dllimport). When compiling the module I add __declspec(dllexport) on data and functions. When using the module, the prototypes for say __declspec(dllimport). Now it works!