1.6.0rc1 regression: boost test fails (worked with 1.5.2)

Describe the bug As meson 1.6.0rc1 was released, I've injected this into openSUSE's GNOME:Next test repository (to get a good overview if any GNOME components would fail to build newly)

The GNOME builds are fine so far, but meson fails it's own test suite: https://build.opensuse.org/package/live_build_log/GNOME:Next/meson:test/openSUSE_Factory/x86_64

Fail log

[  376s] Checking potential boost root /home/abuild/rpmbuild/BUILD/meson-1.6.0rc1/test cases/frameworks/35 boost symlinks/boost
[  376s] Run-time dependency Boost found: NO (tried system)
[  376s] 
[  376s] test cases/frameworks/35 boost symlinks/meson.build:5:0: ERROR: Assert failed: expected to find a fake version of boost
[  376s] 
[  376s] 
[  376s]  
[  376s] 
[  376s] Traceback (most recent call last):
[  376s]   File "/usr/bin/meson", line 5, in <module>
[  376s]     sys.exit(main())
[  376s]              ^^^^^^
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/mesonmain.py", line 293, in main
[  376s]     return run(sys.argv[1:], launcher)
[  376s]            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/mesonmain.py", line 284, in run
[  376s]     return CommandLineParser().run(args)
[  376s]            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/mesonmain.py", line 195, in run
[  376s]     return errorhandler(e, command)
[  376s]            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/mesonmain.py", line 34, in errorhandler
[  376s]     raise e
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/mesonmain.py", line 193, in run
[  376s]     return options.run_func(options)
[  376s]            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/msetup.py", line 365, in run
[  376s]     app.generate()
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/msetup.py", line 188, in generate
[  376s]     return self._generate(env, capture, vslite_ctx)
[  376s]            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/msetup.py", line 227, in _generate
[  376s]     intr.run()
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py", line 3058, in run
[  376s]     super().run()
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/interpreterbase.py", line 169, in run
[  376s]     self.evaluate_codeblock(self.ast, start=1)
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/interpreterbase.py", line 195, in evaluate_codeblock
[  376s]     raise e
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/interpreterbase.py", line 187, in evaluate_codeblock
[  376s]     self.evaluate_statement(cur)
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/interpreterbase.py", line 201, in evaluate_statement
[  376s]     return self.function_call(cur)
[  376s]            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/interpreterbase.py", line 528, in function_call
[  376s]     res = func(node, func_args, kwargs)
[  376s]           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/decorators.py", line 237, in wrapper
[  376s]     return f(*nargs, **wrapped_kwargs)
[  376s]            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/interpreterbase/decorators.py", line 62, in wrapped
[  376s]     return f(*wrapped_args, **wrapped_kwargs)
[  376s]            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[  376s]   File "/usr/lib/python3.11/site-packages/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py", line 746, in func_assert
[  376s]     raise InterpreterException('Assert failed: ' + message)
[  376s] mesonbuild.interpreterbase.exceptions.InterpreterException: Assert failed: expected to find a fake version of boost

Expected behavior test suite passing

system parameters

Is this a cross build or just a plain native build (for the same computer)?: no
what operating system (e.g. MacOS Catalina, Windows 10, CentOS 8.0, Ubuntu 18.04, etc.): openSUSE Tumbleweed
what Python version are you using e.g. 3.8.0: Python 3.11.10
what meson --version: meson 1.6.0rc1
what ninja --version if it's a Ninja build: Ninja 1.12.1

mesonbuild / meson

1.6.0rc1 regression: boost test fails (worked with 1.5.2) #13763