how software decays "In version 22.x, C++ protobuf added an explicit dependency on Abseil.". And to actually link in that dependency, you need to use Google Bazel's build system, because in their wisdom they split up Abseil into **186** sub libraries. If you are not using CMake or Bazel, good luck hand-importing the required Abseil libraries. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/75667971/how-do-i-properly-link-the-google-protocol-buffers-library-with-my-application-a