Hello all, I have a c++ project in Visual Studio 6. I have a GL folder where I keep the glut32.lib and dll. I recently added freeglut.dll, .h _extx.h _ucal.h but could not find freeglut.lib to add to that folder for it to work.

Can someone tell point me in the right direction to download the missing lib file so I can copy paste it in the folder? I run a Win64bit OS in windows11.

I tried using the prepackage installer but they require visualstudio 9 or above.


Many thanks in advance.

Visual Studio 6.0 came out in... *checks notes*... 2004. Why are you using that?

There are other IDEs/compilers you can use, like more recent Community versions of Visual Studio, or FOSS alternatives like GCC (MinGW on Windows) and clang.

Do the directions in this link help at all?
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40070599/link-fatal-error-lnk1104-cannot-open-file-freeglut-lib

I tried using the prepackage installer

but could not find freeglut.lib

https://www.transmissionzero.co.uk/software/freeglut-devel/
Has downloads available for MSVC that have the freeglut.lib file. When you say "the prepackage installer", it's not clear what that is referring to.
There is also an "older freeglut packages" download link if you need that.

darkdave wrote:
I run a Win64bit OS in windows11.

I second Ganado's suggestion of getting a newer (and free) compiler, if your current setup can support it.

Visual Studio is a complete Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Edit, compile, run and debug in one package.

VS has free Community editions available, all you need to do to activate is supply a valid email address. Get a free live/hotmail account and you're golden.

VS 2019 was the last IDE that could run on a 32-bit platform, VS 2022 requires 64-bit.

Since you are running x64 Win11 get VS 2022.

If you get VS there's a 3rd party package manager that makes integrating libraries easy, vcpkg.

https://vcpkg.io/en/index.html

It can be used in non-VS setups as long as you use CMake.

One of the biggest advantages for using vcpkg with VS is it integrates 3rd party libraries so they are seen by VS as MS native libraries. The IDE automatically knows hows to find and link the libraries when properly integrated. Adding, removing and updating installed libraries is almost pain-free. A couple of console commands and vcpkg does all the hard work for you.

FYI, freeglut is one vcpkg available library, 3.2.2. While 3.2.2 isn't the most up-to-date version available, 3.4.0 would be, it isn't completely outdated. Both are from 2022.

https://freeglut.sourceforge.net/index.php#download

Again, if you can use it get either VS 2022 or VS 2019 in the Community Edition. Both are C++20 100% compliant, if that matters to you.

https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/
https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/older-downloads/

M'ok, VS 2019 Community now is available from the MS Store, the 2019 download above is for the Enterprise edition.

https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/visual-studio-community-2019/XP8CDJNZKFM06W

Do NOT consider downloading Visual Studio Code!

Ganado wrote:
Visual Studio 6.0 came out in... *checks notes*... 2004.

It's more antiquated than that. VS6 was released in June 1998.

I used VS6, and the C++ that was included was seriously non-compliant even by the nascent C++ standard at the time. C++98 wasn't a part of MSVC originally.

VS 6 Service Pack 6, the last official patch, was released in March 2004.

@darkdave, using VS 6 will likely have serious security repercussions for any app you create, if that compiler works now as it once did. Especially if your code has any WinAPI code. Win10/11 isn't Win9X/Me.

Upgrading VS6 code for VS 2022 will have other headaches as well. I've done that before more than a few times, upgrading/updating older projects with accompanying code, and sometimes it is less stressful to just start from scratch. (And quicker.)

VS 2022 can use the latest WinAPI SDK, and is still under active update.

C++ and the WinAPI have changed a lot since 1998 and 2004.

Hello all, upgrading to a newer platform is a time consuming bug fixing process. It's not as easy as you make it sound as you should know! When I am ready to invest the time to do that I can make another thread and even offer payment!

But right now I just want the friggin mouse wheel to work in OpenGL and I know it can be done with freeglut.

Can someone either offer paid work or tell me how to do it my self? I know I need a header file, a lib and a dll and throw them all into a folder within my project and I have to call the #include. But where do I get these files? I have been struggling to find them because the people who make freeglut dont make them available until you install the exe and the exe wont work on my computer because im running VS6.

Sorry for sounding gruff, I've been sick for the last week and the weather is getting hot so I can't breath and I can't sleep.

You have already told us that VS6 is the reason that you can't access openGLUT.

I'm sorry to say this, but upgrading to a new version of Visual Studio is the best option, it will not take as long as you seem to think. Using code refactoring you can make a single line of text do some massive heavy lifting. I just upgraded 12,000 lines of code in about an hour from SDL2 to SDL3 by using refactoring. The error messages that your compiler provides will also be very helpful. Most of the code from C/C++-98 is still usable today, so there may not be all that many errors to begin with.
Just try it before you get upset. You do not have to delete your old code/project. Multiple versions of VS can be installed on the same computer.

By continuing to use VS6 you are possibly reinforcing bad habits. Not to mention the number of security upgrades that it's missed. It's been 20 years, let VS6 rest in peace.

If I still haven't convinced you, then just install VS2022, build the freeGLUT library, and copy/link those lib files into your VS6 project. Maybe then uninstall VS2022 in spite because it disgusts you for some reason.

... Or you could install some other GUI library like SDL2 which also would provide mouse wheel events, and general window management while being compatible with openGL.

I installed VS 2012 but I dont know how to install freeglut, how do I run the setup? There is no exe in the .tgz file. How do I run the makefile?

Can I convince someone to just send me the libs, dlls, and .h files in your folder and email it to me?

I installed VS 2012

That version is not as ancient as VS6, but it is close. I doubt you will have any success in getting freeglut to work.

Why do you not install VS2022? You have sufficient computing power and OS to install. The Community Edition is FREE to use for individuals.

https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/community/

I dont know how to install freeglut

Install VS2022 and then look at downloading and using vcpkg so you can install without a lot of hassles freeglut as well as over 1,500 other 3rd party libraries that might be useful.

With vcpkg any supported library is just a couple of console commands away from use.

With vcpkg you can integrate the installed libraries so you don't need to manually manage library/header file locations.

With vcpkg integrated into VS2022 when you start typing a header #include for an installed library the IDE will treat that 3rd party library as if it were a native VS library. It displays possible headers and allows autocomplete.

https://vcpkg.io/en/getting-started.html

vcpkg requires having git installed. If you are serious about programming you should have git installed anyway. The git for Windows client I use has a Bash console and a GUI available.

https://git-scm.com/

As newbieg mentioned there are other graphics libraries available in vcpkg. SDL2 and SFML are two popular libraries that are available with vcpkg. There are others, including the Windows provided libraries.

Continue to use outdated tools, VS6 and VS2012, and people who offer to help you will eventually give up.

Can I convince someone to just send me the libs, dlls, and .h files in your folder and email it to me?

So you want to make installing and using a 3rd party library harder than it needs to be. I don't like development related headaches like you seem to enjoy.

Ciao.