open GL

[cainen172]

does anyone know where to download openGL free for windows 7 64-bit. i have done some searching but i cant find one that works. help please????? thanx

[anonymous23323124]

There's not a specific "OpenGL" download. If your graphics card is OpenGL compatible (it probably is!), then you will already have opengl32.dll.

Then you just need gl.h and the other header files along with the import libraries (.a / .lib). If you are working with Visual Studio, download the Windows SDK. If you are using MinGW (e.g. with Code::Blocks), it already has these files, I think.

[cainen172]

im using visual studeo.... so like is there a certainversion of the windows sdk that i should download?

[anonymous23323124]

Whichever is the most recent version, I should imagine. You are on Windows 7, so the most recent one is the way to go.

[Computergeek01]

Pro tip, If you can't find something that is opensource\Copy Left, then it's probably here: http://sourceforge.net/search/?q=OpenGL

[helios]

OpenGL is not OSS.

[Computergeek01]

I said \Copy Left... But you're right and that's a very important thing to take note of. A major issue I have with OpenGL is that after I put all of my work into it I have no idea if I can even distribute it for free.

EDIT: By extension the same goes for SFML in case you didn't catch that...

[helios]

It's not copylefted, either. It's not even software, it's a specification for an API. The only OpenGL-related thing that's not completely proprietary is Mesa3D.

[Computergeek01]

I'll take your word for it. Otherwise I'd have to reread the License to keep up in this conversation.

[anonymous23323124]

The only OpenGL-related thing that's not completely proprietary is Mesa3D.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the actual OpenGL implementation is provided by the end user's graphics vendor, right? So even though it's proprietary, do you have to worry about that when developing.

As a developer, you're not distributing OpenGL implementations, just your code which contains stuff from OpenGL header files and import libraries. So the only license you'd be bound by is those of the provider of the headers and import libraries.

For GCC/MinGW therefore, I assume you can develop and distribute as you like.

Have I got this just about correct?

PS: For developing with OpenGL under MSVC, I assume you'd be bound by the terms of the Windows SDK license, though I don't know what they are...

PPS: As for using SFML => bound by OpenGL license, is that a problem? All the OpenGL stuff you need to distribute is already inside the SFML binaries, so it must be under zlib unless Laurent has made a mistake (unlikely ^^).

[helios]

I never said anything about not being able to distribute, though. I just said that OpenGL is not OSS or anything remotely similar.

Fun fact: most proprietary licences are less restrictive about how users link to their code than the GPL.

[anonymous23323124]

I never said anything about not being able to distribute

I know - I just wanted to clarify things for myself ;)

Yes, the GPL can be restrictive. I doubt many proprietary license beat zlib though!