I posted this in /flt/, but I got no straight answers due to faggots asking questions about what distro to use, memeposting and edgy archfags arguing over nonsense.
So, I wanted to play some games that require 3d rendering and because I installed Xorg and everything manually, I thought that maybe I had to install OpenGL manually (even on Windows, if I remember correctly, you have to manually install DirectX). So, i tried to check first if i had it and ran$ apropos opengl
and came up with nothing. I also checked the repos and found no package that might be it. I tried running some games anyway and they were working fine.
Do most most distros come with OpenGL preinstalled, or is it somehow included with Xorg? Or did my package manager automatically install it as a dependency to something and why can't I find it? Is it just some invisible library? Shouldn't there be documentation for it?
I'm interested in what it is exactly and how do I find it in my system. If it's a driver, what's it's name, is it running like some binary kernel module in the background, should I see it with htop? How do I know it's there (besides stuff dependent on it working, thus proving it's presence).
Btw, how is it on Windows, does OpenGL come preinstalled? I played some games that require 3d rendering on windows without installing DirectX, so there must be another rendering engine present, right?
>>53454809
you have to install the current driver and its a horrible process on linux
>>53454853
but games are running just fine
>>53454853
Also can you name this driver, please?
>>53454809
>>53454809
holy fuck i remember that one time when i was like 12 and wanted to update opengl in windows because Q3A showed some opengl bug on startup. Those were the times, i envy you OP.
Anyway you just need the drivers for gpu.
>>53454899
Did you read the OP, I don't have a problem, i just want to know how shit works.
>>53454880
this is an old guide but basically this
http://www.geeks3d.com/20120612/how-to-quickly-install-nvidia-r302-11-drivers-under-linux-mint-13/
>>53454921
>Do most most distros come with OpenGL preinstalled, or is it somehow included with Xorg?
From my understanding games are apps build on opengl and drivers provide opengl support for your hardware. so i told you that you just need the drivers and an opengl app.
Is this better?
>/flt/ ignored me
Because this is a non issue, and you cant RTFM
Windows dosent have opengl on it at all
>>53454963
That's cool, but I'm curious about the drivers that I have already installed somehow and what exactly is OpenGL, how do I find it in my system?
>>53454976
So, OpenGL is like a set of libraries?
>>53455025
BAAAAAITT
>>53455067
It may sound stupid, I should have put it in another way, but I'm seriously confused.
>>53455089
>install drivers
GONE
THAT'S
IT
>>53455103
You should read the OP.
>>53455053
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenGL
ok listen here you little faggot, either use google or try to have some comprehension. OpenGL is a set of libraries when you develop with it , to run a opengl program you just need drivers and fucking gpu. The "PC" "speaks" to the "gpu" in opengl, and "drivers" help the "gpu" "understand" it. You need opengl libraries when you develop shit not when you run it
>>53455149
You should fucking listen to people and do it already and fuck off
There is no mythic magical TURN ON OPENGL
Fucking install your drivers faggot
>>53455152
Rude, but answered my question.
Thank you, anonymous.
I guess I am a bit of a faggot for not doing more research.
>>53454809
>is it somehow included with Xorg?
It's provided with the graphics drivers you install. Whether that be mesa or nvidia or whatever.
>>53455152
But now I have another one.
Doesn't DirectX work the same way? Why do I need to install it on Windows then?
>>53455311
ask microsoft. Ask valve very steam game you install needs another directx/visualc++ install (and possibly a .NET). Ask why some languages need their libraries to execute a precompiled program. Maybe the drivers provide a set of libraries for opengl too? Try to figure it out.
>>53455311
Some parts of DirectX may be included in a Windows install, but its utility libraries (D3DX) are not.
Microsoft doesn't like to make stuff like this an official part of Windows for whatever reason so they have to be installed with applications, just like their C/C++ runtimes.
This would be a much smaller problem if Windows had sane package management, but it does not so the safest way to make sure a certain library is there is to just run its installer with every new game / application / whatever.
>>53455311
>>53455379
also ask why steam on linux have an ubuntu 12.04 chroot. Maybe there are some runtime libraries required for playing the game?
>>53454809
Or did my package manager automatically install it as a dependency to something and why can't I find it?
If you are using the open source implementation of opengl you're looking for the mesa packages, nvidia and amd has their own proprietary implementations
>Do most most distros come with OpenGL preinstalled
yes
> or is it somehow included with Xorg?
If you installed manually xorg the mesa packages probably was pulled as a dependency
Is it just some invisible library?
no
https://www.archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/mesa/files/
>Shouldn't there be documentation for it?
There's a lot.
http://www.mesa3d.org/
I'm interested in what it is exactly and how do I find it in my system.
Run:
glxinfo | grep -i opengl
pic related, the package that contains glxinfo varies depending on the distro
>is it running like some binary kernel module in the background
Use lsmod, the module depends on your hardware.
>Btw, how is it on Windows, does OpenGL come preinstalled?
Usually is bundled with the drivers for your card when you download them.
>so there must be another rendering engine present, right?
Depends on the library that the game uses, a big difference is that opengl can be implemented on other operative systems and directx locks you in windows.
>>53455688
Opengl is just an specification, is developed by khronos group but they doesn't provides any code, the performance and its efficiency depends on how good the implementation is done (mesa, amd, intel, invidia, etc). It's an open standard btw.
https://www.opengl.org/documentation/specs/
>>53455688
Wow, thank you for the reply
