# How to build program with glfw compiled locally?

**URL:** <https://discourse.glfw.org/t/how-to-build-program-with-glfw-compiled-locally/1109>\
**Category:** support\
**Created:** [April 24, 2018, 6:42am UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/how-to-build-program-with-glfw-compiled-locally/1109 "2018-04-24T06:42:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![longjj](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.glfw.org/longjj/32/174_2.png) [@longjj](https://discourse.glfw.org/u/longjj)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2018, 6:42am UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/how-to-build-program-with-glfw-compiled-locally/1109/1 "2018-04-24T06:42:26Z")

</div>

Recently I want to use Cmake to build a cross-platform OpenGL program with glfw supporting. I felt confused when I try to build it on Ubuntu 16.04 or Mac OS.

All I found in google suggested you to **compile and install glfw first manually and then link it properly**. However, I want to build the dependence locally and get the executable file easily using the follow command:

```auto
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make

```

My CMakeLists.txt is simple:

```auto
cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.2)

# Set file path
# SET(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/bin/)

project(MineCube CXX)

set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)

# OS config
if (WIN32)
    option(CMAKE_USE_WIN32_THREADS_INIT "using WIN32 threads" ON)
endif()
if(NOT WIN32)
    set(CMAKE_C_COMPILE_OBJECT g++)
    find_package(OpenGL REQUIRED)
endif()

# config glfw
set( GLFW_BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "GLFW lib only" )
set( GLFW_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "GLFW lib only" )
set( GLFW_BUILD_DOCS OFF CACHE BOOL "GLFW lib only" )
set( GLFW_BUILD_INSTALL OFF CACHE BOOL "GLFW lib only" )

add_subdirectory(3rd_party/glfw)
include_directories(3rd_party/glfw/include)
LIST(APPEND LIBS glfw ${GLFW_LIBRARIES})

# config glad
set(GLAD_SRC 3rd_party/glad/src/glad.c)
if (NOT WIN32)
    LIST(APPEND LIBS dl)
endif()
include_directories(3rd_party/glad/include)

# config glm
include_directories(3rd_party/glm)

# config imgui
include_directories(3rd_party/imgui)
include_directories(3rd_party/imgui/examples/opengl3_example)
aux_source_directory(3rd_party/imgui IMGUI_SRC)
set(IMGUI_IMPL_GLFW_GL3_SRC 3rd_party/imgui/examples/opengl3_example/imgui_impl_glfw_gl3.cpp)

# include our headers
include_directories(include)

# get MineCube src files
aux_source_directory(./src MINECUBE_SRC)

set(SOURCE_FILES ${MINECUBE_SRC} ${IMGUI_SRC} ${IMGUI_IMPL_GLFW_GL3_SRC} ${GLAD_SRC})

# Compile
add_executable(MineCube ${SOURCE_FILES})

# Link
target_link_libraries(MineCube ${LIBS})

```

It can work on Windows 10 (Visual Studio 2015). However, on Ubuntu, it can build files rightly while meet error when I use `make` command:

```auto
Scanning dependencies of target glfw
[3%] Building C object 3rd_party/glfw/src/CMakeFiles/glfw.dir/context.c.o
g++: fatal error: no input files
compilation terminated.
3rd_party/glfw/src/CMakeFiles/glfw.dir/build.make:62: recipe for target '3rd_party/glfw/src/CMakeFiles/glfw.dir/context.c.o' failed
make[2]: *** [3rd_party/glfw/src/CMakeFiles/glfw.dir/context.c.o] Error 1
CMakeFiles/Makefile2:173: recipe for target '3rd_party/glfw/src/CMakeFiles/glfw.dir/all' failed
make[1]: *** [3rd_party/glfw/src/CMakeFiles/glfw.dir/all] Error 2
Makefile:127: recipe for target 'all' failed
make: *** [all] Error 2

```

It seems like it can’t find `context.c.o`. Do I need to modify `CMakeLists.txt` in glfw’s directory? Or is there sth wrong in my `CMakeLists.txt`?  
Thx in advance.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dougbinks](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.glfw.org/dougbinks/32/39_2.png) [@dougbinks](https://discourse.glfw.org/u/dougbinks)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2018, 2:14pm UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/how-to-build-program-with-glfw-compiled-locally/1109/2 "2018-04-24T14:14:40Z")

</div>

Can you build GLFW with cmake directly on your Ubuntu system to check what that does?

You don’t need to modify the GLFW CMakeLists.txt source, I use it in a similar fashion to you, and this works on Ubuntu (see [https://github.com/dougbinks/enkiTSExamples/blob/master/CMakeLists.txt](https://github.com/dougbinks/enkiTSExamples/blob/master/CMakeLists.txt) ).

I’m not good enough with cmake to tell directly what your error here is, but if you start out with a simple example and work your way up you should find it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![longjj](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.glfw.org/longjj/32/174_2.png) [@longjj](https://discourse.glfw.org/u/longjj)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2018, 4:27pm UTC](https://discourse.glfw.org/t/how-to-build-program-with-glfw-compiled-locally/1109/3 "2018-04-24T16:27:03Z")

</div>

I am so appreciate for your help! I will try in the next few days.