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OpenGL WSL Setup
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| # 🧩 WSL2 Build & Run Guide — OpenGL 4.5 (`tutorial-1`) | |
| ## 📌 Context | |
| You have a C++ OpenGL 4.5 project originally built for Windows + Visual Studio. | |
| This guide shows how to build and run it inside **WSL2 (Ubuntu)** using CMake. | |
| --- | |
| ## ✅ Prerequisites (Windows) | |
| * Windows 10 (19041+) or Windows 11 (recommended) | |
| * GPU with updated drivers: | |
| * NVIDIA (WSL2 driver ≥ 470.76) | |
| * AMD / Intel (latest WHQL) | |
| * ~2 GB free disk space | |
| --- | |
| ## 🐧 Step 1 — Install WSL2 | |
| ```powershell | |
| wsl --install | |
| # OR | |
| wsl --install -d Ubuntu-22.04 | |
| wsl --set-default-version 2 | |
| ``` | |
| Reboot → create Ubuntu username/password. | |
| Check: | |
| ```powershell | |
| wsl --list --verbose | |
| ``` | |
| --- | |
| ## 🖥️ Step 2 — Verify GUI / OpenGL | |
| Inside Ubuntu: | |
| ```bash | |
| echo $DISPLAY | |
| ``` | |
| * Windows 11 → works out of the box (WSLg) | |
| * Windows 10 → install X server (VcXsrv/X410) | |
| --- | |
| ## 🔧 Step 3 — Install Dependencies | |
| ```bash | |
| sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y | |
| sudo apt install -y \ | |
| build-essential cmake git ninja-build \ | |
| libx11-dev libxrandr-dev libxinerama-dev \ | |
| libxcursor-dev libxi-dev libxext-dev \ | |
| libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev \ | |
| mesa-utils | |
| ``` | |
| Check OpenGL: | |
| ```bash | |
| glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version" | |
| ``` | |
| --- | |
| ## 📂 Step 4 — Copy Project | |
| **Recommended:** | |
| ```bash | |
| cp -r /mnt/c/Users/parminder_local/Downloads/2026/tutorial-1 ~/tutorial-1 | |
| cd ~/tutorial-1 | |
| ``` | |
| --- | |
| ## 🔁 Step 5 — Init Submodules | |
| ```bash | |
| git submodule update --init --recursive | |
| ``` | |
| --- | |
| ## ⚙️ Step 6 — Configure (CMake) | |
| ```bash | |
| mkdir build && cd build | |
| cmake .. \ | |
| -G "Unix Makefiles" \ | |
| -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \ | |
| -DGLFW_BUILD_X11=ON \ | |
| -DGLFW_BUILD_WAYLAND=OFF | |
| ``` | |
| --- | |
| ## 🏗️ Step 7 — Build | |
| ```bash | |
| make -j$(nproc) | |
| ``` | |
| Output: | |
| ``` | |
| build/projects/tutorial-1/tutorial-1 | |
| ``` | |
| --- | |
| ## ▶️ Step 8 — Run | |
| ```bash | |
| cd ~/tutorial-1/build/projects/tutorial-1 | |
| ./tutorial-1 | |
| ``` | |
| Expected: | |
| * 800×600 window | |
| * Colored quad rendered | |
| * **U** → toggle animation | |
| * **ESC** → exit | |
| --- | |
| ## 🛠️ Troubleshooting | |
| | Issue | Fix | | |
| | ----------------- | ------------------------------ | | |
| | `DISPLAY not set` | Use WSLg or install X server | | |
| | OpenGL < 4.5 | Install GPU driver or use Mesa | | |
| | Missing glfw | Run submodule update | | |
| | `GL/glew.h` error | Install `libgl1-mesa-dev` | | |
| | `-lX11` error | Install `libx11-dev` | | |
| | Slow FPS | GPU not used (llvmpipe) | | |
| --- | |
| ## 📁 Key Files | |
| * `CMakeLists.txt` → build config | |
| * `glhelper.cpp` → OpenGL 4.5 check | |
| * `lib/glfw/` → window/input | |
| * `lib/glew/` → extension loader | |
| --- | |
| ## ✅ Verification Checklist | |
| * `glxinfo` shows OpenGL 4.5+ | |
| * CMake runs successfully | |
| * Build completes without errors | |
| * App launches and renders | |
| * Input keys work (U / ESC) |
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