.TH sdl2-config 1 "2024-01-10" "SDL 2.0"
.SH NAME
sdl2-config \- script to get information about the installed version of SDL
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B sdl2-config
[\fB--prefix\fR[\fB=\fIDIR\fR]]
[\fB--exec-prefix\fR[\fB=\fIDIR\fR]]
[\fB--version\fR]
[\fB--cflags\fR]
[\fB--libs\fR]
[\fB--static-libs\fR]
.SH DESCRIPTION
.B sdl2-config
is a tool that is used to configure and determine the compiler and linker
flags that should be used to compile and link programs, libraries, and
plugins that use SDL.  It is also used internally by the m4 macros that are
included with SDL.
.P
In new code, consider using
.BR pkg-config (1)
or
.BR pkgconf (1)
instead of
.B sdl2-config.
To support cross-compiling, if the environment variable
.B PKG_CONFIG
is set, its value should be used instead of the literal name
.B pkg-config
or
.BR pkgconf .
.P
In Autotools build systems, the preferred way to detect SDL is with the
.B "PKG_CHECK_MODULES([SDL], [sdl2])"
macro invocation from
.BR pkg.m4 (7).
.P
In Meson build systems, the preferred way to detect SDL is with Meson's
usual
.B dependency('sdl2')
function call.
.P
In CMake build systems, the preferred way to detect SDL is to use
.B "find_package(SDL2 CONFIG)"
and optionally
.BR "find_package(SDL2 CONFIG COMPONENTS SDL2main)" ,
then link to
.B SDL2::SDL2
and optionally
.BR SDL2::SDL2main .
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.B --cflags
Print the compiler flags that are necessary to compile a program or library
that uses SDL.
.IP
The pkg-config equivalent is
.BR "${PKG_CONFIG:-pkg-config} --cflags sdl2" .
.TP
.BI --exec-prefix\fR[=\fIDIR\fR]
If \fIDIR\fR is not specified, print the exec prefix of the current SDL
installation.
The pkg-config equivalent is
.BR "${PKG_CONFIG:-pkg-config} --variable=exec_prefix sdl2" .
.IP
If \fIDIR\fR is specified, use it instead of the installation exec prefix that
SDL was built with when computing the output for the --cflags, --libs and
--static-libs options.  This option must be specified before any of the options
--cflags, --libs and --static-libs.
The pkg-config equivalent is
.B ${PKG_CONFIG:-pkg-config}
.BI --define-variable=exec_prefix= DIR
.BR "" [ --cflags | --libs "|...]"
.BR sdl2 .
.TP
.B --libs
Print the linker flags that are necessary to link a program that uses SDL.
.IP
The pkg-config equivalent is
.BR "${PKG_CONFIG:-pkg-config} --libs sdl2" .
.TP
.B --static-libs
Print the linker flags that are necessary to statically link a program that uses SDL.
.IP
The pkg-config equivalent is
.BR "${PKG_CONFIG:-pkg-config} --static --libs sdl2" .
.TP
.BI --prefix\fR[=\fIDIR\fR]
If \fIDIR\fR is not specified, print the prefix of the current SDL installation.
The pkg-config equivalent is
.BR "${PKG_CONFIG:-pkg-config} --variable=prefix sdl2" .
.IP
If \fIDIR\fR is specified, use it instead of the installation prefix that SDL
was built with when computing the output for the --cflags, --libs and
--static-libs options.  This option is also used for the exec prefix if
--exec-prefix was not specified.  This option must be specified before any of
the options --cflags, --libs and --static-libs.
The pkg-config equivalent is
.B ${PKG_CONFIG:-pkg-config}
.BI --define-variable=prefix= DIR
.BR "" [ --cflags | --libs "|...]"
.BR sdl2 .
.TP
.B --version
Prints the currently installed version of SDL on standard output.
The pkg-config equivalent is
.B ${PKG_CONFIG:-pkg-config} --modversion
.BR sdl2 .
.SH EXAMPLES
.TP
gcc -o main.o $(sdl2-config --cflags) main.c
is how you might use
.B sdl2-config
to compile a C source file for an executable program.
.TP
gcc -o my_app $(sdl2-config --libs) main.o util.o
is how you might use
.B sdl2-config
to link compiled objects into an executable program.
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR pkgconf (1),
.BR pkg-config (1),
.BR pc (5),
.BR pkg.m4 (7)
.SH AUTHOR
The Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) library was written by Sam Lantinga.
.PP
This manual page was written by Branden Robinson, originally for Progeny
Linux Systems, Inc., and the Debian Project.
.br
Updated in 2013 by Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo <mafm@debian.org>.
.br
Updated in 2024 by Simon McVittie.