How to correctly install imgui on linux/ubuntu "globally".

[waqasulhaqislamabad]

Hey,
I want to install imgui on linux/ubuntu, I want to install it "globally" so that I can include it my projects.

So for example I want to include it like this:

#include <imgui/imgui.h>
int main() {
    // Use IMGUI
    return 0;
}

I tried adding it using apt-get but "libimgui-dev" was not found, even though it is here:
https://packages.ubuntu.com/impish/libimgui-dev

Thanks.

[PathogenDavid]

It is recommended that you don't.

The libimgui-dev package is maintained by a third-party and is very out of date. The canonical way to consume Dear ImGui is by copying its files into your project or using a Git Submodule.

That being said, you're meant to consume that package by using pkg-config.

[Micro-fractal]

If you install Dear ImGui as a git submodule, how do you get the correct header file locations? If I do #include "imgui/backends/imgui_impl_glfw.h" after initializing an imgui submodule, the compiler complains that it can't find imgui.h. I gather that you are supposed to collect the files into your root folder instead of using a git submodule. How does that mesh with the idea of usin a git submodule? I don't know what pkg-config is and how it's supposed to work. It would be great if, if this is necessary for using a git submodule, this would be noted in the README in any way.

[pattakosn]

If you install Dear ImGui as a git submodule, how do you get the correct header file locations? If I do #include "imgui/backends/imgui_impl_glfw.h" after initializing an imgui submodule, the compiler complains that it can't find imgui.h. I gather that you are supposed to collect the files into your root folder instead of using a git submodule. How does that mesh with the idea of usin a git submodule? I don't know what pkg-config is and how it's supposed to work. It would be great if, if this is necessary for using a git submodule, this would be noted in the README in any way.

I suppose he means to copy paste/git module the required source files and have something like this in your cmake files

add_library(imgui STATIC
        # Main Imgui files
        external/imgui/imgui.cpp
        external/imgui/imgui.h
        external/imgui/imgui_draw.cpp
        external/imgui/imgui_tables.cpp
        external/imgui/imgui_widgets.cpp
        external/imgui/imgui_demo.cpp
        # SDL2+OpenGL-specific files
        external/imgui/backends/imgui_impl_sdl.cpp
        external/imgui/backends/imgui_impl_sdl.h
        external/imgui/backends/imgui_impl_opengl3.cpp
        external/imgui/backends/imgui_impl_opengl3.h)
add_library(imgui::imgui ALIAS imgui)
target_link_libraries(imgui
    PUBLIC
    OpenGL::GL
    $<TARGET_NAME_IF_EXISTS:SDL2::SDL2main>
    $<IF:$<TARGET_EXISTS:SDL2::SDL2>,SDL2::SDL2,SDL2::SDL2-static>
)
target_include_directories(imgui PUBLIC external/imgui/ external/imgui/backends/)

[andrijzyn]

For those who have wandered here, this package is currently up to date in the debian repos.
https://packages.debian.org/sid/libimgui-dev @

It is recommended that you don't.

The libimgui-dev package is maintained by a third-party and is very out of date. The canonical way to consume Dear ImGui is by copying its files into your project or using a Git Submodule.

That being said, you're meant to consume that package by using pkg-config.

Edited: The package is over half a year old 😩