diff -ruN PDL-2.017.orig/IO/HDF/Makefile.PL PDL-2.017/IO/HDF/Makefile.PL
--- PDL-2.017.orig/IO/HDF/Makefile.PL	2016-09-23 12:43:47.000000000 +0200
+++ PDL-2.017/IO/HDF/Makefile.PL	2016-10-27 22:09:04.048315756 +0200
@@ -56,25 +56,25 @@
 
 # Look for the libs:
 foreach my $libdir ( @HDF_lib_locations ) {
-    if (-e "$libdir/libdfalt.a" && !$found_df) {
+    if (-e "$libdir/libdfalt.$Config{so}" && !$found_df) {
         $found_df = 1;
         $hdf_lib_path = $libdir;
                     $hdf_libs = '-lmfhdfalt -ldfalt';
-        print "Found libdfalt.a at $libdir/libdfalt.a\n";
+        print "Found libdfalt.$Config{so} at $libdir/libdfalt.$Config{so}\n";
     }
 
-    if (-e "$libdir/libdf.a" && !$found_df) {
+    if (-e "$libdir/libdf.$Config{so}" && !$found_df) {
         $found_df = 1;
         $hdf_lib_path = $libdir;
                     $hdf_libs = '-lmfhdf -ldf';
-        print "Found libdf.a at $libdir/libdf.a\n";
+        print "Found libdf.$Config{so} at $libdir/libdf.$Config{so}\n";
     }
 
-    if (-e "$libdir/libhdf.a" && !$found_df) {
+    if (-e "$libdir/libhdf.$Config{so}" && !$found_df) {
         $found_df = 1;
         $hdf_lib_path = $libdir;
         $hdf_libs = '-lmfhdf -lhdf -lxdr';
-        print "Found libhdf.a at $libdir/libhdf.a\n";
+        print "Found libhdf.$Config{so} at $libdir/libhdf.$Config{so}\n";
     }
 
     # Look for the szip library, which HDF >= 4.2r0 needs, but older versions don't!
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
 } # foreach $libdir...
 
 unless( defined( $hdf_lib_path ) ) {
-    $msg .= "Cannot find hdf library, libdf.a.\n"
+    $msg .= "Cannot find hdf library, libdf.$Config{so}.\n"
           . "Please add the correct library path to Makefile.PL or install HDF\n";
 }