Issues when I am trying to build and run my code

[Hala97]

I’m not able to run the starting code of the course, after I included the raylib.h file to my axe_game.cpp:
MY CODE:

#include <stdio.h>
#include "raylib.h"

int main(){
    printf("Leo");
    InitWindow(350, 200, "Leo");
}

TERMINAL OUTPUT (when i try to debug and run):
Starting build…
/usr/bin/g++ -fdiagnostics-color=always -g /home/hala/Documenti/GitHub/axe_game/main.cpp -o /home/hala/Documenti/GitHub/axe_game/main
/usr/bin/ld: /tmp/cciViunJ.o: in function main': /home/hala/Documenti/GitHub/axe_game/main.cpp:6:(.text+0x31): undefined reference to InitWindow’
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status

Build finished with error(s).

• The terminal process failed to launch (exit code: -1).
• Terminal will be reused by tasks, press any key to close it.

I tryed several things, but this issue remains

[TheproCoder]

The issue is not with your code, it is with the compiler. A similar thing happened with me in another course, I had to delete some file in a compiler folder to fix it. It can also happen if you have an old version of a compiler.

[Hala97]

I even try to build raylib as a shared library, but I had the same issue.
Idk, if this could help:
I’m using Ubuntu 24.04 lts
and if I build from terminal using this line:
cc main.cpp -lraylib -lGL -lm -lpthread -ldl -lrt -lX11
I’m able to execute the code from the file created…
but I’m not able to debug and run from Vs Code

[Tuomo_T]

This tells me that VS Code can find raylib.h but the compiler cannot. Since you’re using Ubuntu, can you tell me how you installed Raylib?

[Hala97]

First of all I tryed to install raylib from Homebrew, and it gave me this error, then I found a post where a teaching assistant suggests to try to install, from the raylib github official repo, a shared library because the error could be caused by old version of the static lib, and I tryied , but nothing is changed.
both with ur template as in a new project where I copy pasted the raylib.h file and the library file.

edit:
I tryed to compile from terminal with g++ and gcc, but both the compiler gives me the same error:

main.cpp:(.text+0x22): undefined reference to `InitWindow’

edit2:
The only way to compile succesfully, even using the terminal is by execute this command:
gcc <name_of_file_to_compile> -o <name_of_the_output_file> -lraylib -lGL -lm -lpthread -ldl -lrt -lX11

[Tuomo_T]

The first edit makes sense because gcc wont know of the existence of raylib or where it is without linking. Though I’m glad the second option worked.

Though I am curious… what happens if you type “brew --cellar raylib” in your terminal?

[Hala97]

If I type “brew --cellar raylib”:

/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Cellar/raylib

[Tuomo_T]

Hmmm. On our template, if you tried adding that path to the “include path” section of c_cpp_properties.json file for Linux, what would the outcome be?

[Hala97]

If i include this path the debug seems to work fine…it gives some warning during the build, but now i can debug and run using VsCode

[Tuomo_T]

Awesome! I’m glad that helped resolve the issue. Warnings can usually be ignored, though if you let me know what it is I may be able to help clear that as well.

[VVruba]

Just wanted to bump in because I’ve been getting pretty much the same error for the past 6ish months on Windows.

[Tuomo_T]

There should be a “build debug” and/or “build release” option when choosing your build task. That option is not going to know that Raylib exists on your system or where to find it.

[VVruba]

Huh, I’m not really getting any options so I’m not sure what you mean by that.
By looking around I discovered that if I go to “Run” and “Start Debugging” or F5 the project builds and runs without a problem. It’s only when I press the “debug arrow” in top right that I get the error. Kinda baffling, it never occurred to me that there could be any difference between the former and the latter.

[Tuomo_T]

For me, it seems to work best when I “prime” vs-code by Selecting Terminal > Run Task, then picking build debug. Then F5 and the debug arrow seem to behave themselves.

But also, VSCode is a weird program that I argue is probably trying to do too much. But that’s just my opinion

[VVruba]

I tried it and it didn’t help
Debug arrow still throws that error but F5 and dropdown option builds normally lol.
This a real WTF moment if I’m being honest, but hey, I’m glad I discovered by accident that I can actually build my project. For the past 6 months I was under the impression that it was hopeless, I even reinstalled my whole system just to do a complete fresh install of raylib and VS code BECAUSE I THOUGH THE GOD DAMN DEBUG ARROW DOES THE SAME THING THE F5 AND DROPDOWN OPTIONS DO
Apologies, I lost my cool a little there.

[Tuomo_T]

No worries! Programming can be quite frustrating at times, for sure.