Making a standalone program that uses SFML?

[declan]

Hey everyone!

I keep wanting to show people that aren't physically near me what my neat program can do. Then I realize that I can't just send them the executable, so I say, ok, they know how to compile source code. And then I realize that they'd also need the SFML libraries to compile this.

Is there any way to send them only what they'd need to run it, to have a standalone little executable?

Thanks!

[Nexus]

If you link to SFML statically, this is almost possible. On Windows, some DLLs like OpenAL32.dll have to be delivered (if OpenAL isn't installed), and depending on the compiler, you might have to distribute some additional files. For example, in MSVC++, you can't link statically to both the CRT and SFML (or at least you couldn't when I tried it the last time, which was a while ago).

[Svenstaro]

Your best bet is to distribute everything needed as shared libraries and link your executable completely dynamically as well. Then you can just send a very tiny executable each time you change something and have other people try it out.

If you go the static route, you will note have to distribute any extra files but your executable will be rather huge each time you send it because you're sending all the extra data each time.

IMO, static linking is not worth it (and it's harder too, you will need to recompile your whole linking chain!). You should distribute all extra files and executable in a dynamic/shared fashion.

[declan]

Well, it would be on the same OS, if that helps. But I don't understand what to do really. Couldn't I do it (statically I think?) so that I only send them the pieces of the library that my program is using?

Thanks!

[Svenstaro]

If you link statically, all your sources and libs will be in the single binary file you provide. This can get you quite a huge file.

If you link dynamically, all libs will be separate and your binary will only contain your own code and links to other libs. This is probably what you want.

[declan]

If you link statically, all your sources and libs will be in the single binary file you provide. This can get you quite a huge file.

If you link dynamically, all libs will be separate and your binary will only contain your own code and links to other libs. This is probably what you want.

Hmmm, ok. But would my friends have to have SFML installed? If I just wanted to send someone the program, would I have to send them the libs too?

[Svenstaro]

Indeed, they would have to have SFML and your other libs. If they are on Linux they can simply get them through they package manager. If they are on Windows you should just send them the dlls the first time.

[declan]

Indeed, they would have to have SFML and your other libs. If they are on Linux they can simply get them through they package manager. If they are on Windows you should just send them the dlls the first time.

Hmmm...if I wanted to do it statically, would it include the entire library, or just the ones from it they need?

[Svenstaro]

Statically linking would include everything you link against in the executable and you would also have to recompile some deps statically that are only available in dynamic form right now.

[dunce]

Some of SFML dependencies have licenses (LGPL) that dont permit static linking. Thus you have to include those dlls in your distribution at least once anyway.

[Svenstaro]

Of course LGPL permits static linking. But then your application needs to be at least LGPL as well. Is assumed this was the case, was it not?

[dunce]

I meant closed source applications.