Working on Raspberry Pi

To build your Raylib game for Raspberry Pi you just need to download Raylib git repository (or get the current release from here). All required libraries come with the Raylib, no additional dependencies are required. Raylib also comes with ready-to-use makefiles to compile source code and examples.

Supported Devices and OS

Official OS supported is Raspberry Pi OS, but Raspbian Stretch and Raspbian Buster currently work too. Raspberry Pi OS Bullseye works (but only with PLATFORM_DRM, not PLATFORM_RPI). The following Raspberry Pi devices work with raylib:

• Raspberry Pi Zero (all models)
• Raspberry Pi 1 (all models)
• Raspberry Pi 2 (all models)
• Raspberry Pi 3 (all models)
• Raspberry Pi 4 (all models)

_NOTE: Raspberry Pi 4 native mode compilation requires PLATFORM_DRM compilation flag instead of PLATFORM_RPI!_So does Raspberry Pi 0-3 with Bullseye OS

Supported OpenGL backends

• OpenGL ES 2.0 in native mode (no X11 required)
• OpenGL 1.1 on X11 desktop mode
• OpenGL 2.1 on X11 desktop mode
• (OpenGL 3.3 on X11 desktop mode ?)

By default, Raylib is will compile for a classic X11-based Linux desktop, using the OpenGL desktop drivers. However it is also possible to compile in native mode not depending on any windowing system (no X11 required), accessing Broadcom Video driver directly and running programs from the virtual terminal.

OpenGL desktop mode requires the GL desktop driver and supposedly it only works for RPI 2 and higher, that limit is set for performance reasons... but, if required, GL desktop driver can be also enabled on RPI B/B+ or Zero, just follow this guide to enable it.

Compiling Raylib source code

Before you can use Raylib in your project you will have to compile it, but this is quick and easy!

Just navigate to raylib\src\ directory and run one of the following options depending on your needs:

1. To use OpenGL ES 2.0 in native mode (no X11):

On Raspberry Pi 0-3 using legacy versions of OS:

make PLATFORM=PLATFORM_RPI

On Rapsberry Pi 4 or Raspberry Pi 0-3 using Bullseye or newer OS:

make PLATFORM=PLATFORM_DRM

2. To use desktop OpenGL 1.1 or 2.1 (X11 window)

make PLATFORM=PLATFORM_DESKTOP GRAPHICS=GRAPHICS_API_OPENGL_21

3. To use standard OpenGL 3.3 (X11 window)

make

NOTE: To use raylib on the Raspberry Pi desktop, you need to had previously installed all desktop window-dev system libraries, if you just downloaded Raspberry Pi OS Desktop, maybe it comes with required libraries installed but if it complains on compilation, just make sure to install the following libraries:

sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends raspberrypi-ui-mods lxterminal gvfs
sudo apt-get install libx11-dev libxcursor-dev libxinerama-dev libxrandr-dev libxi-dev libasound2-dev mesa-common-dev libgl1-mesa-dev

To compile raylib in native mode on Raspberry Pi 4, you need the specific DRM libraries:

sudo apt-get install libdrm-dev libegl1-mesa-dev libgles2-mesa-dev libgbm-dev

raylib also works on DietPi distribution, following libraries are required:

sudo apt-get install libraspberrypi-dev raspberrypi-kernel-headers
sudo apt-get install build-essential

Compiling raylib examples

Just move to folder raylib/examples/ and run the same make command you used to compile Raylib