4 answers

I'm afraid you'll have to open command line your first day of Linux (don't worry, happened to me too). Applications -> Standard -> Terminal. Type lspci and press Enter. All connections via PCI or PCI express are listed here, including the video card. Read the list until you see something about ATI or nVidia or one of the Intel models.

then go to Wikipedia's graphics card comparison charts to find out the version of OpenGL your card supports.

remember that they only tell you what version the hardware supports. To be able to run OpenGL libraries, you also need a driver that supports them. Multiple video drivers for each generation chip for Linux. Ubuntu comes with open source versions, which aren't bad, but tend to be a step behind the proprietary drivers released by graphics card manufacturers (often called binary drivers or proprietary drivers). If it turns out that your hardware supports OpenGL 2.0 (which most do), you can try proprietary drivers. They are called nvidia-current for nvidia and fglrx for ATI. For Intel, only open source drivers exist.

example from my laptop:

Prompt>lspci | grep VGA 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02) 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Device 0df0 (rev a1) prompt>

and the corresponding excerpt from lshw:

*-pci:0 description: PCI bridge product: Core Processor PCI Express x16 Root Port vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1 bus info: :00:01.0 version: 02 width: 32 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pci pm msi pciexpress normal_decode bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=pcieport resources: irq:42 ioport:2000 (size=4096) memory:fb000000-fbffffff ioport:f0000000(size=167772160) *-display description: VGA compatible controller product: nVidia Corporation vendor: nVidia Corporation physical id: 0 bus info: :01:00.0 version: a1 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm msi pciexpress vga_controller bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=nouveau latency=0 resources: irq:16 memory:fb000000-fbffffff memory:f0000000-f7ffffff memory:f8000000-f9ffffff ioport:2000(size=128) * -display description: VGA compatible controller product: Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 2 bus info.

Just call glGetString(GL_VERSION) (once the context is initialized, of course), and flush the result (which is actually the same as glxinfo, I believe):

Printf("%s\n", glGetString(GL_VERSION));

Your program should automatically use the highest possible version of your hardware and driver support, which in your case appears to be 3.3. But to create a main profile context for OpenGL 3+ (the one where legacy functionality have been completely removed), you must take special measures. But since version 2.7 of GLFW there is a means to do this using the glfwOpenWindowHint function. But if you don't want to explicitly disable legacy features, you can simply use the context provided to you by GLFW's default context creation functions, which are said to support the highest possible version of your hardware and drivers.

But also keep in mind that to use OpenGL features above version 1.1 you need to obtain the appropriate function pointers or use a library that handles this for you, such as .

I started writing programs in C (on this moment) using GLFW and OpenGL. The question is, how do I know which version of OpenGL my program will use? My laptop says my graphics card has OpenGL 3.3. Entering "glxinfo | grep -i opengl" returns.

A package of files called OpenGL in most cases is required by users to correctly run certain games on a computer running an operating system. Windows systems 7. If this driver is missing or its version is outdated, the programs simply will not turn on, and a corresponding notification will be displayed on the screen asking you to install or update the software. In this article we will talk in as much detail as possible about loading new OpenGL libraries.

First of all, it’s worth understanding how the component in question is installed on a PC. All necessary files are installed along with the graphics adapter drivers. Therefore, you should first update the software of this component, and then move on to analyzing the alternative method.

When you have the most installed fresh driver there are no more updates to the video card, but a notification about the need to update OpenGL still appears, immediately go to the third method. If this option does not bring any results, it means that your hardware does not support the latest libraries. We recommend that you think about choosing a new video card.

Method 1: Update video card drivers in Windows 7

As mentioned above, OpenGL components are installed along with the graphics adapter files. Windows 7 has several methods for updating them. Each of them is suitable in different situations and requires the user to perform certain actions. Go to the article at the link below to get acquainted with all the methods in detail. Choose the one that suits you and follow the instructions provided. Once the process is complete, just restart your computer and check the functionality of games or other programs that required a new version of the library.

Method 2: Updating components in the video card proprietary utility

Now the main producers graphics adapters are AMD and NVIDIA. Each has its own software that ensures correct operation of the operating system and allows you to update the software. Owners of NVIDIA video cards are advised to refer to the material at the following link to understand how to install the new version OpenGL drivers in GeForce Experience.

Owners of AMD cards need to read other articles, since in this case all actions are performed in the Catalyst Control Center or in Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition, depending on the type of software installed.

Method 3: DirectX Update

Not the most effective, but sometimes working method is to install new DirectX library components. Sometimes it contains suitable files that allow the necessary games or programs to function normally. First you need to find out which DirectX is already installed on your computer. To do this, read the instructions in the article below.

At the moment, the latest version for Windows 7 OS is DirectX 11. If you have an earlier library installed, we recommend updating it and checking the functionality of the software. Read more about this topic in another article.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated about updating OpenGL; the main issue is only support for the latest files of this component by your video card. We recommend testing all methods, since the effectiveness of each depends on different circumstances. Read the instructions and follow them, then you will definitely succeed.

Sometimes, to launch an application or game on Windows, you may need the name of the package of programs installed on the operating system.

And, therefore, answer the question of how to find out which one is installed.

Knowing the exact version of this package, initially used only for gaming purposes, but then used to support the playback of multimedia files and to perform other tasks, you can understand whether your PC has enough resources, or whether an update is required (of the program itself or computer elements).

What does the new version offer?

Substantial part software works only in the appropriate environment - with the necessary drivers and software packages.

For example, Adobe Photoshop requires OpenGL software installed, and almost all modern games will not run without .

Accurate knowledge of the multimedia package (as well as computer resources) allows you to avoid the following problems:

• Purchasing or downloading applications that are not supported by the system;
• Attempts to install earlier versions of DirectX.

For most applications that require special software such as DirectX, it is included. And during the installation process it is suggested to install it on your computer or update it.

But, if automatic updating does not occur, but the program does not start for some reason, you will need to find out the multimedia package to understand whether its incompatibility with the application is causing the problem.

A simple way to determine

Find out the latest version of DirectX installed system quite simple - in modern operating systems the package is already included with Windows. And you can determine the variety by the name of the system:

• One of the most common systems, Windows 7, has DirectX 10 built-in, which is suitable for most graphic applications, games and multimedia files;
• In the outdated Windows XP, version 9 of the package was installed by default, which often had to be updated to run more modern programs;
• Windows 8 included DirectX 11;
• Both the 11th and 12th versions of the program could be included with the latest, tenth Windows.

Definition using built-in tools

For precise definition DirectX version using the built-in diagnostic tool, requires:

1. Open the command execution menu by simultaneously pressing the Windows + “R” keys;
2. Enter the dxdiag command;
3. In the window that opens after executing the command, on the first tab, find information about the program, which is located at the bottom of the list.

Advice! Since the system only shows integer values, sometimes the DirectX 11 information shown may mean that the system actually has version 11.1 or 11.2 installed. However, in most cases such details are not important.

Another place to find out the DirectX version is the control panel of the video card, if it is installed.

For example, for NVidia products such information is displayed when viewing system information.

In addition, there are special utilities that also provide all the necessary information about the system, including the version. For example, previously called Everest.

Free versions of this utility can be found on the Internet and installed on your computer - in the future you will need it not only to determine which version of DirectX you have.

You can find similar features in other utilities.

What to do next?

So, information about which version of the software package is installed has been received. And now, in order for your program or game to run, you need to know its minimum requirements.

They can be found on the Internet on the manufacturer’s website or on forums, where information about games is often posted before they hit the shelves.

On the one hand, to run most programs it is enough to install the latest version, which probably supports all previous ones. Or at least DirectX 11.

But there are two problems here:

1. Outdated video cards do not support the 11th edition of the driver;
2. Some games require a specific version of the package to run.

In this case, you will have to install the DirectX specified in the requirements.

And, if the system by default installed a newer version, and due to this, in the system’s opinion, does not require updating (which can cause a software conflict and lead to startup failure), you should completely remove the package and install a new one that is compatible with your program.

You can find and download them completely free of charge on the manufacturer’s website.

Thematic videos:

Hello friends. My last articles were focused on the topic of graphics and video adapters. I think that I will continue to explore this topic further. In previous articles we talked about DirectX and shaders, today we will plunge into the world of OpenGL. Let's find out what it is, where to download it and what it is needed for. The topic will be designed for those who are just interested in these and who are very interested in learning something new about computers. I won’t languish, I’ll start writing. Enjoy reading :)

What is OpenGL and what is it used with?

OpenGL is the graphics standard in the field computer graphics. At the moment it is one of the most popular graphics standards all over the world.

OpenGL stands for Open Graphics Library, which means that OpenGL is an open and mobile standard. Programs written using OpenGL can be transferred to almost any platform, while obtaining the same result, be it a graphics station or a supercomputer.

OpenGL frees the programmer from writing programs for specific hardware. If a device supports a function, then this function is performed in hardware; if not, then its implementation is carried out by a library program.

On one popular website you can find details of this standard:

It includes about 150 different commands with which the programmer can define various objects and render. In simpler terms, you define objects, set their location in three-dimensional space, define other parameters (rotation, scale, ...), set object properties (color, texture, material, ...), the position of the observer, and the OpenGL library will take care of display it all on the screen.

OpenGL implementations.

As you can understand from the above. That OpenGL is just some described specification for 3D graphics. To transform this specification into reality, you need to write (implement) code. The code is then packaged into a special library. And there are several such libraries, from different programmers.

The first of these libraries is called GLU. This library has already become a standard and comes with the main OpenGL library. The next library, also widely used, is GLUT. It is also a platform independent library. It not only implements additional functions OpenGL, but also provides functions for working with windows, keyboard and mouse. There is another library similar to GLUT, it is called GLAUX. This library was developed by Microsoft for operating system Windows. It is in many ways similar to the GLUT library, but is slightly behind it in its capabilities.

Alternative for OpenGL.

Although the OpenGL library is considered one of the best libraries, it is not alone in this industry. It has one direct competitor, which I talked about in one of the previous articles. And this competitor is considered to be Direct3D from the DirectX package, developed by Microsoft. Direct3D was created exclusively for gaming applications. There are many differences between them, the most obvious being that Direct3D is supported starting with cheap hardware, while OpenGL is not supported on all graphics cards.

Do I need to install OpenGL?

If you have already installed drivers on your video card, then no. Since the latest version of OpenGL is installed when you install the drivers from your graphics card.

to install new version OpenGL needs to update your graphics card drivers. Go to the website of the manufacturer of your video card: NVIDIA, AMD or others. Download the latest drivers for your card and install them.

For example, my video card Radeon 7850. I go to the website www.amd.com, find a page with my video card there, and look at the technical specifications.

As you can see, my video adapter is compatible with OpenGL 4.2. Now we select drivers.

Can OpenGL run on the same machine with Direct3D?

Yes. Both programs are included in Windows version, work for high speed and provide many features for gamers and video editors. Therefore, there is no reason to worry about them “living” together on your computer :)

How to enable OpenGL?

It is impossible to give unambiguous instructions on this question. In general, by default, support for this technology is prescribed by the game creator at the time the code is written. And the use of, say, DirectX or OpenGL, can be configured through a certain item in the game menu, or enabled by the game itself by default. Therefore, if the creator of the game does not release additional updates and instructions for installing, say, additional libraries, then there is no point in you thinking about this issue. Well, if some add-ons were released, say for the same Counter Strike 1.6, enthusiasts wrote a cheat (and cheating is bad!! atata), then for this installation you need download a small .dll file and drop it into the root directory of the game, and then select OpenGL in the game settings.

Due to this, the game begins to use the functions written inside this file.

Conclusion

So we went over another library for working with graphics. Let's say OpenGL is such a specific thing, which is mostly used in professional activities for 3D models. In games, by and large, there are enough Direct3D functions, and even more. Take the recently released version 12. But OpenGL also does not stand still and, with a certain period of time, releases new versions of the latest ones - version 4.5 dated August 11, 2014.