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Install Linux

book/src/getting-started/install-linux.md

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Install on Linux

raylib-rs builds on Linux using the system GCC or Clang toolchain. You need the X11 and/or Wayland development headers, CMake, and the OpenGL headers. The exact package names differ by distribution.

Prerequisites

  1. Rust 1.85+ — install via rustup.

  2. CMake 3.15+ and build essentials — see the distribution-specific instructions below.

  3. Native graphics headers — X11 + OpenGL are required for the default build. Wayland headers are optional (only needed for the wayland feature).

Ubuntu / Debian

text
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends -y \
    cmake \
    libasound2-dev \
    libudev-dev \
    libx11-dev \
    libxrandr-dev \
    libxinerama-dev \
    libxcursor-dev \
    libxi-dev \
    libgl1-mesa-dev

This is the exact package list used by the CI check.yml, test.yml, and book.yml workflows.

Fedora / RHEL / AlmaLinux

text
sudo dnf install -y \
    cmake \
    gcc-c++ \
    alsa-lib-devel \
    systemd-devel \
    libX11-devel \
    libXrandr-devel \
    libXinerama-devel \
    libXcursor-devel \
    libXi-devel \
    mesa-libGL-devel

Arch Linux

text
sudo pacman -S --needed \
    cmake \
    base-devel \
    alsa-lib \
    systemd-libs \
    libx11 \
    libxrandr \
    libxinerama \
    libxcursor \
    libxi \
    mesa

Build and run

text
cargo new my-raylib-game
cd my-raylib-game
cargo add raylib
cargo build

Replace src/main.rs with the hello-window snippet from the Quickstart and run with cargo run.

Wayland and DRM

  • Wayland — opt in with --features wayland. Additionally requires:
    • Ubuntu/Debian: libwayland-dev libxkbcommon-dev
    • Fedora: wayland-devel libxkbcommon-devel
    • Arch: wayland libxkbcommon
  • DRM / tty rendering — opt in with --features drm,opengl_es_20. Renders directly to the framebuffer without a display server; useful for embedded/kiosk targets.

Troubleshooting

  • cannot find libclang — install clang and libclang-dev (Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install clang libclang-dev; Fedora: sudo dnf install clang). Set the LIBCLANG_PATH environment variable if bindgen still cannot find it.

  • cmake: command not found — install cmake from your package manager (see above).

  • Wayland: display server not detected — if you are running under X11 and get Wayland compositor errors, ensure you are either using the wayland feature intentionally or have omitted it (X11 is the default).