Can someone explain SDL vs GTK+

[Wej]

I realise they're both open source graphics libraries, but is there an advantage of one over the other? I wanted to download Fuse, a Spectrum emulator but there's versions using both libraries and wasn't sure which to go for.

Are these libraries installed in the default Ubuntu install?

 

[Hairybudda]

SDL is Simple DirectMedia Layer. Think of it as a blanket for programmers that covers the uglier parts of using hardware accelerated graphics and sound, I would imagine that ubuntu comes with the SDL libs preinstalled.

GTK+ is kind of different, it's more a blanket for programmers that covers the uglier parts of writing user interface code. Again, I would have assumed that ubuntu would have come with GTK+ libs preinstalled.

Do you have hardware accelerated graphics? You might have to apt-get install mesa-demos first, but fire 'glxinfo | grep direct' into a terminal window and if it spits out Direct Rendering: Enabled, you should be ok to go for the SDL version. If not, use the GTK+ version.

 

[Wej]

I have a 'Yes'

 

[Hairybudda]

I'd grab the SDL version then!