GUI and API on Linux

[Tom Backton]

So far I have been writing computer programs for Windows using WinAPI. But I'd like to write portable code for my programs. And I know nothing about Linux's equivalent to WinAPI except the names "X Window System" and "window manager". So how do these things work on Linux? Do I use X, a window manager's API or both? I'll also need (links to) good tutorials if you know any.

[jsmith]

If you are looking to do GUI programming, I would recommend using a GUI library such as Qt. You _can_ use X directly, but that is akin to using Windows system calls to create/manage windows as opposed to using the .NET framework.

[Tom Backton]

I don't need GUI programming. I just need the basics, like the first code example in this page:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/9818/win32tut/gdi.html

I just need to open a simple window that supports OpenGL.

[PanGalactic]

Try this: http://www.wxwidgets.org/docs/tutorials/opengl.htm

[Tom Backton]

But wxWidgets is a GUI library...I have an idea. Here's a link to a tutorial that shows how you open a window with WinAPI and draw into it with OpenGL:

http://nehe.gamedev.net/data/lessons/lesson.asp?lesson=01

I need the same functionality in Linux. Setting up OpenGL in Linux. Without GLUT, without a high-level GUI toolkit. Just the standard way to open a window in Linux. I'd be more specific if I knew how these things work on Linux...

[jsmith]

The difference between windows and linux is that windowing capabilities are built directly into the windows kernel. windowing capabilities on Unix are accomplished via X, which is not usable/accessible without a library. ie, you won't be able to open a window in Unix by just using system calls.

[Duthomhas]

> via X, which is not usable/accessible without a library...

Actually, X is a library...

If Tom Backton really (really, really) wants to do it without a fancy GUI toolkit, take a read through

Basic Graphics Programming With The Xlib Library
http://users.actcom.co.il/~choo/lupg/tutorials/xlib-programming/xlib-programming.html

The Xlib Manual
http://tronche.com/gui/x/xlib/

However, if he really wants cross-platform windowing, he is better off using a toolkit like Trolltech Qt, wxWindows, FLTK, GTK+, etc. Find more here:

The GUI Toolkit, Framework Page
http://www.free-soft.org/guitool/

Hope this helps.