1.2.InstallUnderLinux

Table of contents

• Overview
• Video
• Steps
  • 1.2.1. Find OpenSceneGraph repository
  • 1.2.2. Install git to get OpenSceneGraph
  • 1.2.3. Get latest OpenSceneGraph
  • 1.2.4. Create build directory
  • 1.2.5. Try to configure OpenSceneGraph with CMake
  • 1.2.6. Install CMake to configure OpenSceneGraph
  • 1.2.7. Try to configure OpenSceneGraph once again
  • 1.2.8. Observe configuration errors
  • 1.2.9. Install missing OpenGL libraries
  • 1.2.10. Configure OpenSceneGraph
  • 1.2.11. Observe found OpenGL library location
  • 1.2.12. Build OpenSceneGraph
  • 1.2.13. Install OpenSceneGraph
  • 1.2.14. Try to check 'box.osgt' with 'osgviewer'
  • 1.2.15. Locate OpenSceneGraph libraries
  • 1.2.16. Tell dynamic linker where to find OpenSceneGraph libraries
  • 1.2.17. Check 'box.osgt' with 'osgviewer'

Overview

This tutorial is part of OpenSceneGraph cross-platform guide.

In this tutorial we install OpenSceneGraph under Linux and take a look at the cube with osgviewer tool.

Note: this tutorial requires OpenSceneGraph model created in 1.1. Create a cube.

Video

YouTube | Download

Video depicts OpenSceneGraph installation under Xubuntu 16.04.

Steps

Note: steps below use frames from the video as screenshots. Watch the video to see all details.

1.2.1. Find OpenSceneGraph repository

Find OpenSceneGraph repository at the website.

1.2.2. Install git to get OpenSceneGraph

Since OpenSceneGraph is hosted at GitHub, we need to install git.

To install git on Debian based distributions, run the following command:

sudo apt install git

1.2.3. Get latest OpenSceneGraph

Get the latest copy of OpenSceneGraph with the following command:

git clone https://github.com/openscenegraph/OpenSceneGraph.git

1.2.4. Create build directory

OpenSceneGraph uses CMake build system, which supports out-of-source builds. We create a build directory to keep generated (built) content separate from the original source.

1.2.5. Try to configure OpenSceneGraph with CMake

Before we can build OpenSceneGraph, we need to configure the build.

However, CMake is not yet installed.

1.2.6. Install CMake to configure OpenSceneGraph

To install CMake on Debian based distributions, run the following command:

sudo apt install cmake

1.2.7. Try to configure OpenSceneGraph once again

Configure OpenSceneGraph build with the following commands:

cd /path/to/build/dir

cmake /path/to/source/dir

We use default configuration without specifying anything.

1.2.8. Observe configuration errors

As you see, configuration process could not resolve OPENGL_INCLUDE_DIR variable. This means CMake could not find OpenGL libraries.

1.2.9. Install missing OpenGL libraries

The easiest way to install OpenGL libraries is to install GLUT development package, which will bring OpenGL libraries in as a dependency.

To install GLUT development package on Debian based distributions, run the following command:

sudo apt install freeglut3-dev

1.2.10. Configure OpenSceneGraph

Configure OpenSceneGraph once again. There are no OpenGL errors anymore.

1.2.11. Observe found OpenGL library location

As you see, configuration process has successfully found OpenGL libraries.

1.2.12. Build OpenSceneGraph

We are finally ready to build OpenSceneGraph with the following command:

make -j10

We use -j10 to run 10 parallel jobs. This makes building faster.

1.2.13. Install OpenSceneGraph

Install OpenSceneGraph with the following command:

sudo make install

1.2.14. Try to check 'box.osgt' with 'osgviewer'

Try to take a look at the cube with osgviewer tool.

Turns out, it cannot find OpenSceneGraph libraries.

1.2.15. Locate OpenSceneGraph libraries

By default, OpenSceneGraph libraries are installed into /usr/local/lib64 on 64-bit Linux distributions. This location is not standard.

1.2.16. Tell dynamic linker where to find OpenSceneGraph libraries

Specify /usr/local/lib64 inside /etc/ld.so.conf to make sure dynamic linker is aware of the directory with OpenSceneGraph libraries.

Then refresh the linker cache with the following command:

sudo ldconfig

1.2.17. Check 'box.osgt' with 'osgviewer'

Finally, take a look at the cube with osgviewer tool:

osgviewer /path/to/box.osgt