freeglut ☆
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Description:
Open-source alternative to the OpenGL Utility Toolkit (GLUT) library
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: opengl graphics 3d library cross-platform
Install: brew install freeglut
About:
Freeglut is a mature, open-source library that provides a portable API for window management and input handling for OpenGL applications. It serves as a drop-in replacement for the original GLUT library, offering bug fixes and new features. Its primary value is enabling developers to focus on rendering logic without writing platform-specific code.
Key Features:
  • Cross-platform window and context management
  • Support for mouse, keyboard, and joystick input
  • Extensible API for menus and callbacks
  • Active maintenance and bug fixes compared to original GLUT
Use Cases:
  • Developing cross-platform OpenGL demos and tutorials
  • Prototyping 3D graphics applications without a full GUI framework
  • Porting legacy GLUT applications to a maintained library
Alternatives:
  • GLFW – Modern alternative focused on Vulkan/OpenGL context creation with a cleaner, callback-based API.
  • SDL2 – Broader multimedia library that handles graphics, audio, and input, suitable for full game development.
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 13, 2025 5:49pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 5b5eceaa
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