Opengl Libraries

Question

Opengl Libraries

Sid Kraft 46

Trying to implement the OpenGL libraries, in Visual Studio using C++, getting the following errors:

After opening the PowerShell,

-vcpkg Install OpenGL

getting the errors:

"could not locate a manifest(vcpkg.json) above the current working directory

this vcpkg distribution does not have a classic mode instance

sounds like a highly technical response which I do not understand. How can I execute successfully, Sid Kraft

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 6,595 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello @Sid Kraft ,

Thanks for your question.

I have seen your previous issue, and I have recommended you how to install. However, Visual Studio has a built-in version of vcpkg that is very strict. It refuses to install libraries globally and instead demands a "shopping list" file (called a manifest) for every single project.

Therefore, we are going to bypass the strict built-in version by downloading the standalone classic version of vcpkg.

I have tested this on my end and it works. Please try the following steps and let me know the results.

Download the standalone tool Let's put this in your main C: drive so it's easy to find.

cd C:\
git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git

Build the tool Now you need to navigate into that new folder and activate it.

cd vcpkg
.\bootstrap-vcpkg.bat

Note: This step might take a minute as it sets itself up.

Install OpenGL and Link to Visual Studio Now that you are in the correct folder, you can run our original commands. Make sure to include the .\ at the start of the commands, as this tells your computer to use this specific classic version!

.\vcpkg install opengl
.\vcpkg integrate install

I ran the following code in a new project to test, and it successfully works:

#include <windows.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <GL/gl.h>

int main()
{
    std::cout << "If this prints, vcpkg successfully linked OpenGL." << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

User's image

User's image I hope this addresses your question. If this response was helpful, please consider following the guidance to provide feedback.

Sid Kraft 46 Reputation points

2026-06-30T04:08:36.4466667+00:00

Not

e: Did exactly as you stated and got the following error above???
Sid Kraft 46 Reputation points

2026-06-30T04:09:52.7866667+00:00

Did exactly as you said and got the following error
Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 6,595 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-30T04:15:01.29+00:00
Hi @Sid Kraft ,
Since Git is not installed, this error occurs. After installing Git, you can follow the next steps as usual.

Install Git

Go to the official download page: https://git-scm.com/download/win

Click the "Click here to download" link to get the latest 64-bit version.

Open the downloaded file and run the installer. You can just click Next through all the default options - you don't need to change any settings.

Restart PowerShell

Once Git is installed, you must close your current Developer PowerShell window. If you don't close it, it won't realize Git was just installed.

Close the PowerShell window.

Open a fresh Developer PowerShell in Visual Studio (View > Terminal).

Resume the setup

Now you can follow my recommended above steps.

Hope this helps.
Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 6,595 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-02T07:11:40.5233333+00:00

Just checking in to see if you had a chance to review my previous response. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions - I’m here to help.

Answer 2

The error message indicates that the vcpkg instance being used is the Visual Studio–embedded copy, which cannot run in classic mode and therefore requires a vcpkg.json manifest file.

To resolve this and successfully install OpenGL-related libraries:

Use manifest mode (recommended)
- Create a vcpkg.json file in the root folder of the C++ project (the same folder as your CMakeLists.txt or project files).
- Add dependencies in the dependencies section, for example:
```
     {
       "dependencies": [ "opengl" ]
     }
```
- Open PowerShell in that project folder (where vcpkg.json is located).
- Run:
```
     vcpkg install
```
- In manifest mode, vcpkg install reads vcpkg.json and installs the listed libraries into the vcpkg_installed subfolder. This is the mode recommended for most users.
Or switch to a standalone vcpkg for classic mode
- Install a standalone copy of vcpkg (for example, from the vcpkg GitHub repo) in a writable folder.
- In PowerShell, point environment variables to that standalone vcpkg:
```
     $env:VCPKG_ROOT="path/to/standalone/vcpkg"
     $env:PATH="$env:PATH;$env:VCPKG_ROOT"
```
- Then use classic mode syntax to install packages, for example:
```
     vcpkg install opengl
```
- In classic mode, packages are installed into the installed/ directory under the vcpkg root and can be shared across projects.

The key is that the Visual Studio–embedded vcpkg cannot be used in classic mode, so either create a vcpkg.json and use manifest mode, or use a standalone vcpkg installation configured via VCPKG_ROOT and PATH for classic mode.

References: