[question] Are there any cross-platform GUI frameworks here which work out-of-the-box?

[SamuelMarks]

I've recently been trying to get an open-source cross-platform GUI library—in C or C++—working with an open-source cross-platform C/C++ package manager.

Experience with vcpkg:

• nanogui @ [nanogui] update to 16/10/2020 - also it's broken microsoft/vcpkg#17052
• fltk @ [fltk] Undefined symbols on macOS 11.1 (20C69) microsoft/vcpkg#17053
• libui @ [libui] Undefined symbols on macOS 11.1 (20C69) microsoft/vcpkg#17054
• nuklear @ [nuklear] fatal error: 'malloc.h' file not found microsoft/vcpkg#17055
• tgui @ [TGUI] Install fails without error on macOS 11.1 (20C69) microsoft/vcpkg#17056
• imgui @ [imgui] fatal error: 'imgui_impl_allegro5.h' file not found microsoft/vcpkg#17058
• glui @ [glui] Interface doesn't update but render does microsoft/vcpkg#17059
• wxwidgets @ [wxwidgets] error "No Target! You should use wx-config program for compilation flags!" microsoft/vcpkg#17072
• allegro5 @ [allegro5] How do I use it? microsoft/vcpkg#17108
• gtk, gtkmm @ [glib] build failure on macOS (gtk, gtkmm) microsoft/vcpkg#17216
• nana @ [nana] build failure - You will need to install Xorg dependencies to use microsoft/vcpkg#17291
• dlib @ (LAPACK: [lapack-reference] build failure - gfortran required? microsoft/vcpkg#17293, GUI not launching: [dlib] (no build error, but no GUI get: Error of failed request: BadValue (integer parameter out of range for operation) microsoft/vcpkg#17295)

Experience with hunter:

• imgui @ [imgui] How do I resolve [hunter ** INTERNAL **] Project 'imgui' not found? cpp-pm/hunter#376

Experience with sw:

• imgui @ Compiler is not implemented: '' or 'AppleClang' SoftwareNetwork/sw#64

Experience here with conan:

• imgui and nuklear (really allegro5) @ [bug] <imgui> missing dependency from conan repo of <allegro5> conan#8763
• wxwidgets @ https://github.com/conan-io/conan/issues/8782
• libui @ [bug] ERROR: Missing binary: libui/0.4.1@bincrafters/stable conan#8783
• tgui @ [bug] tgui fails to install because of colon in name ('tgui:texus') conan#8784
• gtk @ https://github.com/conan-io/conan/issues/8785

Experience with conda:

• fltk @ [fltk] How to configure CMake to find this C/C++ dependency? conda/conda#10601
• wxwidgets @ [wxwidgets] PackagesNotFoundError but https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/wxwidgets; conda install -c conda-forge wxwidgets used conda/conda#10602

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EDIT: Created issues for all the GUI frameworks that I tried in vcpkg that are available somewhere in conan. Still haven't found a single GUI library which works (out-of-the-box).

[danimtb]

Transferring this to conan-center-index

[ericLemanissier]

you may want to add qt to the list

[SamuelMarks]

@ericLemanissier I've been avoiding Qt due to licensing issues. I want something usable for open-source, commercial, and noncommercial purposes. Actually on that note I think some others I've been testing are also GPL licensed…

[jgsogo]

I'll close this issue... we try to keep track of requested libraries using specific issues (#621). On the other hand, this is good feedback for the UI search (https://conan.io/center/) 👍