Linking error when building OpenGL app on Mac with command line - macos

Question

I am new to building command line on Mac. While working on a cross-platform app using OpenGL, IMGui, and GLFW, I keep getting linking errors:
Undefined symbols for architecture x86_64:
"__glfwCreateContextEGL", referenced from:
__glfwPlatformCreateWindow in libGLFW.a(cocoa_window.o)
"__glfwCreateContextNSGL", referenced from:
__glfwPlatformCreateWindow in libGLFW.a(cocoa_window.o)
"__glfwCreateContextOSMesa", referenced from:
__glfwPlatformCreateWindow in libGLFW.a(cocoa_window.o)
"__glfwInitEGL", referenced from:
__glfwPlatformCreateWindow in libGLFW.a(cocoa_window.o)
"__glfwInitNSGL", referenced from:
__glfwPlatformCreateWindow in libGLFW.a(cocoa_window.o)
"__glfwInitOSMesa", referenced from:
__glfwPlatformCreateWindow in libGLFW.a(cocoa_window.o)
"__glfwPlatformCreateMutex", referenced from:
_glfwInit in libGLFW.a(init.o)
"__glfwPlatformCreateTls", referenced from:
_glfwInit in libGLFW.a(init.o)
"__glfwPlatformDestroyMutex", referenced from:
_terminate in libGLFW.a(init.o)
"__glfwPlatformDestroyTls", referenced from:
_terminate in libGLFW.a(init.o)
"__glfwPlatformGetTls", referenced from:
_glfwDestroyWindow in libGLFW.a(window.o)
__glfwRefreshContextAttribs in libGLFW.a(context.o)
_glfwMakeContextCurrent in libGLFW.a(context.o)
_glfwExtensionSupported in libGLFW.a(context.o)
_glfwGetCurrentContext in libGLFW.a(context.o)
_glfwSwapInterval in libGLFW.a(context.o)
_glfwGetProcAddress in libGLFW.a(context.o)
...
"__glfwPlatformLockMutex", referenced from:
__glfwInputError in libGLFW.a(init.o)
"__glfwPlatformSetTls", referenced from:
__glfwInputError in libGLFW.a(init.o)
_glfwInit in libGLFW.a(init.o)
"__glfwPlatformUnlockMutex", referenced from:
__glfwInputError in libGLFW.a(init.o)
"__glfwTerminateNSGL", referenced from:
__glfwPlatformTerminate in libGLFW.a(cocoa_init.o)
"__glfwUpdateDisplayLinkDisplayNSGL", referenced from:
-[GLFWWindowDelegate windowDidChangeScreen:] in libGLFW.a(cocoa_window.o)
I am linking to the Cocoa, CoreVideo, and IOKit frameworks. Any idea what I'm missing?

Answer 1

Hello might have found your error while doing something similar you forgot to link it to a few libs that are required...
"g++ -o test main.c libGLEW.a libglfw3.a -framework opengl -framework Cocoa -framework IOKit"
source: https://web.eecs.umich.edu/~sugih/courses/eecs487/glfw-howto/

Answer 2

I had a similar issue to you when trying to build GLFW on my own. It seems as though when building GLFW you're not including all files needed.
The following macOS-specific files are needed in the current version of GLFW when building:
src/cocoa_init.m
src/cocoa_joystick.m
src/cocoa_monitor.m
src/cocoa_window.m
src/cocoa_time.c
src/posix_thread.c
src/nsgl_context.m
src/egl_context.c
src/osmesa_context.c
src/posix_module.c
For you specifically, make sure egl_context.c,
nsgl_context.m, and
posix_thread.c are included.