Maybe CMake can still be used.

I just packaged abseil-cpp and added it to the inputs of tensorflow
1.15.2.
I get the following error though:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
starting phase `configure'
source directory: "/tmp/guix-build-tensorflow-1.15.0.drv-0/source/tensorflow/contrib/cmake" (relative from build: "../cmake")
build directory: "/tmp/guix-build-tensorflow-1.15.0.drv-0/source/tensorflow/contrib/build"
running 'cmake' with arguments ("../cmake" "-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release" "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/gnu/store/6bjfms9h8p1v42ai71wyvrh3bwxyzl1y-tensorflow-1.15.0" "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib" "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH=TRUE" "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH=/gnu/store/6bjfms9h8p1v42ai71wyvrh3bwxyzl1y-tensorflow-1.15.0/lib" "-DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE=ON" "-Dprotobuf_STATIC_LIBRARIES=/gnu/store/p77n8kpsl50qlrz5fk0mc9kvfkinh9dq-protobuf-3.6.1/lib/libprotobuf.so" "-DPROTOBUF_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE=/gnu/store/p77n8kpsl50qlrz5fk0mc9kvfkinh9dq-protobuf-3.6.1/bin/protoc" "-Dsnappy_STATIC_LIBRARIES=/gnu/store/3xrpbdhhb8nk9p9jqr19ljlyhxnxk18n-snappy-1.1.8/lib/libsnappy.so" "-Dsnappy_INCLUDE_DIR=/gnu/store/3xrpbdhhb8nk9p9jqr19ljlyhxnxk18n-snappy-1.1.8" "-Djsoncpp_STATIC_LIBRARIES=/gnu/store/3vacq5lrnri4g8a5498qxkgxv4z8jyv8-jsoncpp-1.7.3/lib/libjsoncpp.so" "-Djsoncpp_INCLUDE_DIR=/gnu/store/3vacq5lrnri4g8a5498qxkgxv4z8jyv8-jsoncpp-1.7.3" "-Dsqlite_STATIC_LIBRARIES=/gnu/store/i6l1579g80387rda658jy9cfqq82643d-sqlite-3.28.0/lib/libsqlite.a" "-DABSEIL_CPP_LIBRARIES=/gnu/store/j36v4bb2vzy02xfyxp6ryfm4aj0yiaxn-abseil-cpp-20200225/lib/" "-Dsystemlib_ALL=ON" "-Dtensorflow_ENABLE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON" "-Dtensorflow_BUILD_SHARED_LIB=ON" "-Dtensorflow_OPTIMIZE_FOR_NATIVE_ARCH=OFF" "-Dtensorflow_ENABLE_SSL_SUPPORT=OFF" "-Dtensorflow_BUILD_CONTRIB_KERNELS=OFF")
-- The C compiler identification is GNU 7.4.0
-- The CXX compiler identification is GNU 7.4.0
-- Check for working C compiler: /gnu/store/x3jx25cd3q363mr7nbgzrhrv1vza6cf7-gcc-7.4.0/bin/gcc
-- Check for working C compiler: /gnu/store/x3jx25cd3q363mr7nbgzrhrv1vza6cf7-gcc-7.4.0/bin/gcc -- works
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
-- Detecting C compile features
-- Detecting C compile features - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: /gnu/store/x3jx25cd3q363mr7nbgzrhrv1vza6cf7-gcc-7.4.0/bin/c++
-- Check for working CXX compiler: /gnu/store/x3jx25cd3q363mr7nbgzrhrv1vza6cf7-gcc-7.4.0/bin/c++ -- works
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
-- Looking for pthread.h
-- Looking for pthread.h - found
-- Performing Test CMAKE_HAVE_LIBC_PTHREAD
-- Performing Test CMAKE_HAVE_LIBC_PTHREAD - Failed
-- Looking for pthread_create in pthreads
-- Looking for pthread_create in pthreads - not found
-- Looking for pthread_create in pthread
-- Looking for pthread_create in pthread - found
-- Found Threads: TRUE  
-- Performing Test GCC_OPENMP_SUPPORT
-- Performing Test GCC_OPENMP_SUPPORT - Success
-- Found PkgConfig: /gnu/store/i1cqaixp79vd3qwnyj1ll10pq6skm2wk-pkg-config-0.29.2/bin/pkg-config (found version "0.29.2") 
-- Checking for one of the modules 'zlib'
CMake Error at modules/FindAbseilCpp.cmake:47 (message):
  

  abseil_cpp library "str_format_internal" not found in system path.

  Please provide locations using:
  -DABSEIL_CPP_LIBRARIES_DIR_HINTS:STRING="PATH"

Call Stack (most recent call first):
  external/abseil_cpp.cmake:17 (find_package)
  CMakeLists.txt:264 (include)


-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "/tmp/guix-build-tensorflow-1.15.0.drv-0/source/tensorflow/contrib/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".
See also "/tmp/guix-build-tensorflow-1.15.0.drv-0/source/tensorflow/contrib/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeError.log".
command "cmake" "../cmake" "-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release" "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/gnu/store/6bjfms9h8p1v42ai71wyvrh3bwxyzl1y-tensorflow-1.15.0" "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib" "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH=TRUE" "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH=/gnu/store/6bjfms9h8p1v42ai71wyvrh3bwxyzl1y-tensorflow-1.15.0/lib" "-DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE=ON" "-Dprotobuf_STATIC_LIBRARIES=/gnu/store/p77n8kpsl50qlrz5fk0mc9kvfkinh9dq-protobuf-3.6.1/lib/libprotobuf.so" "-DPROTOBUF_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE=/gnu/store/p77n8kpsl50qlrz5fk0mc9kvfkinh9dq-protobuf-3.6.1/bin/protoc" "-Dsnappy_STATIC_LIBRARIES=/gnu/store/3xrpbdhhb8nk9p9jqr19ljlyhxnxk18n-snappy-1.1.8/lib/libsnappy.so" "-Dsnappy_INCLUDE_DIR=/gnu/store/3xrpbdhhb8nk9p9jqr19ljlyhxnxk18n-snappy-1.1.8" "-Djsoncpp_STATIC_LIBRARIES=/gnu/store/3vacq5lrnri4g8a5498qxkgxv4z8jyv8-jsoncpp-1.7.3/lib/libjsoncpp.so" "-Djsoncpp_INCLUDE_DIR=/gnu/store/3vacq5lrnri4g8a5498qxkgxv4z8jyv8-jsoncpp-1.7.3" "-Dsqlite_STATIC_LIBRARIES=/gnu/store/i6l1579g80387rda658jy9cfqq82643d-sqlite-3.28.0/lib/libsqlite.a" "-DABSEIL_CPP_LIBRARIES=/gnu/store/j36v4bb2vzy02xfyxp6ryfm4aj0yiaxn-abseil-cpp-20200225/lib/" "-Dsystemlib_ALL=ON" "-Dtensorflow_ENABLE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON" "-Dtensorflow_BUILD_SHARED_LIB=ON" "-Dtensorflow_OPTIMIZE_FOR_NATIVE_ARCH=OFF" "-Dtensorflow_ENABLE_SSL_SUPPORT=OFF" "-Dtensorflow_BUILD_CONTRIB_KERNELS=OFF" failed with status 1
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Any clue?

-- 
Pierre Neidhardt
https://ambrevar.xyz/