openal32 error for some of my testers?

[kanpekiken]

Hi, I recently created a game using SFML and it compiles and runs fast.
I used a resource file and so everything goes into the .exe
When some of my testers run it on their machines they get this error about openal32.dll missing and to reinstall the program.

I thought that wasnt supposed to happen?
Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong?

It runs fine on my machine and many others but a select few people have this problem.

[Laurent]

Do you provide the OpenAL32.dll file that's included in the SFML SDK, with your game?

[kanpekiken]

I am pretty sure otherwise it wouldn't compile or run in my machine.

I have everything statically linked though.
My testers are only running the .exe they dont get anything else in the download but the .exe file. For some of them it runs fine and for some of them it gives them that error.

I even put the openal32.dll file in my project folder just to see if that did anything but still the same problem.

[Laurent]

No, that file is needed when the game runs, on the user's PC, not when it compiles or links on your machine. So you need to provide it with your .exe.

[kanpekiken]

Oh really?

So what about the users who ran it fine? they just had it already installed somewhere?
it didnt ask anyone for any opengl32.dll before I added audio.

I'm new to releasing products so sorry if these are stupid questions.

[Laurent]

they just had it already installed somewhere?

Yes, it's not uncommon to have a version of it (but possibly incompatible!), either in the system's DLLs or in another app whose path is in the PATH environment variable.

it didnt ask anyone for any opengl32.dll before I added audio.

openal32.dll (that was a typo, right?) is indeed a dependency of sfml-audio only.

[kanpekiken]

I see!!!
I wonder if I should include an installer LOL (if thats even possible to do)

also no that wasnt a typo. I meant before I added audio everyone ran the program fine.
I said opengl because that was a .dll they all needed as well but I guess now it just means all their machines had that. Im a little surprised they didnt have openal. Thank you though!!!

I was stressing hard over this.

[Laurent]

The OpenGL DLL (opengl32.dll) is shipped with your graphics card driver. Everyone has it. On the other hand, the OpenAL DLL (openal32.dll) is a software library, just like SFML.