# Install glew with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper, apt
OpenGL Extension Wrangler Library. Version 2.3.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-08-02. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install glew-utils.
## Install
```sh
sudo av install brew:glew
```
Additional install commands:
### macOS
- Homebrew (100%):
```sh
brew install glew
```
Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata
- MacPorts (94%):
```sh
sudo port install glew
```
Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/glew/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
### Linux
- apk (92%):
```sh
sudo apk add glew
```
Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: glew from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
- dnf (92%):
```sh
sudo dnf install glew
```
Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: glew from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst
- Nix (92%):
```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#glew
```
Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gl/glew/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- pacman (92%):
```sh
sudo pacman -S glew
```
Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: glew from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
- zypper (92%):
```sh
sudo zypper install glew
```
Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: glew from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst
- Debian apt (92%):
```sh
sudo apt install glew-utils
```
Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: glew-utils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
## Package facts
- **Package key:** brew:glew
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 2.3.1
- **Source summary:** OpenGL Extension Wrangler Library
- **Homepage:**
- **Repository:**
- **Last updated:** 2026-08-02T20:52:07+09:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00
## Executables
- glewinfo (alias)
- visualinfo (alias)
## Install behavior
- Bottle: not available
## Freshness
- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 2.3.1
## Project history and usage
GLEW, the OpenGL Extension Wrangler Library, is a C and C++ extension-loading library that discovers OpenGL, WGL, GLX, and EGL capabilities at runtime. It became a standard packaging target because OpenGL applications often need the same generated headers, library, and inspection tools across operating systems.
### Project history
GLEW's copyright history names Milan Ikits, Marcelo E. Magallon, and Lev Povalahev in the early 2000s, and the project site records a long release line beginning before the 1.2.5 release in December 2004. The project later moved through SourceForge and GitHub, while continuing to distribute generated release snapshots.
The 1.x series tracked OpenGL 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x extension growth. GLEW 2.0 in 2016 added forward-compatible-context support plus OSMesa and EGL support, and GLEW 2.1 in 2017 added support for OpenGL 4.6.
### Adoption history
GLEW's project news records inclusion in the OpenGL SDK and NVIDIA OpenGL SDK in 2007, an important adoption signal for an extension loader. The library's stability, permissive license, and simple include-and-initialize workflow helped it become a default dependency for tutorials, examples, and desktop OpenGL applications.
Package managers usually ship both the library and the `glewinfo` and `visualinfo` utilities. That turns GLEW from a build dependency into a diagnostics package for graphics stacks, useful when comparing driver extension exposure across Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD, and Mesa-based systems.
### How it is used
Practitioners include `GL/glew.h`, create a valid OpenGL context, call `glewInit()`, and then test extension or version variables before using optional API entry points. `glewinfo` verifies extension entry points, while `visualinfo` reports visuals or pixel formats.
Developers who need new extension data can regenerate sources with the project's generation workflow, but the README recommends packaged release snapshots for most users.
### Why package nerds care
GLEW matters to package maintainers because it smooths over a historically awkward boundary between graphics drivers, OpenGL headers, generated loaders, and application build systems. A distro-provided GLEW package lets many older and portable OpenGL projects avoid vendoring generated extension code.
### Timeline
- 2004: GLEW 1.2.5 released with new extensions and FreeBSD support.
- 2007: GLEW included in the OpenGL SDK and NVIDIA OpenGL SDK.
- 2016: GLEW 2.0 added forward-compatible contexts, OSMesa, and EGL support.
- 2017: GLEW 2.1 added OpenGL 4.6 support.
### Related projects
- GLEW sits alongside OpenGL, Mesa, GLX, WGL, EGL, GLUT/freeglut, and SDK sample code that needs portable access to extension entry points.
### Sources
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-
-
## Security Notes
library-like package without higher-risk signals.
- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- library-like package without higher-risk signals
## Other Package-Manager Records
- Debian apt - glew-utils - 2.2.0-4+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: glew-utils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | OpenGL Extension Wrangler - utilities | http://glew.sourceforge.net
- Debian apt - libglew-dev - 2.2.0-4+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libglew-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | OpenGL Extension Wrangler - development environment | http://glew.sourceforge.net
- Debian apt - libglew2.2 - 2.2.0-4+b2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libglew2.2 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | OpenGL Extension Wrangler - runtime environment | http://glew.sourceforge.net
- Nix - glew: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gl/glew/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - glew-utils - 2.2.0-4build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: glew-utils from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | OpenGL Extension Wrangler - utilities | http://glew.sourceforge.net
- Ubuntu apt - libglew-dev - 2.2.0-4build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libglew-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | OpenGL Extension Wrangler - development environment | http://glew.sourceforge.net
- Ubuntu apt - libglew2.2 - 2.2.0-4build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libglew2.2 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | OpenGL Extension Wrangler - runtime environment | http://glew.sourceforge.net
- apk - glew - 2.3.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: glew from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A cross-platform C/C++ extension loading library | https://glew.sourceforge.net/
- apk - glew-dev - 2.3.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: glew-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A cross-platform C/C++ extension loading library (development files) | https://glew.sourceforge.net/
- apk - glew-tools - 2.3.1-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: glew-tools from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A cross-platform C/C++ extension loading library (tools) | https://glew.sourceforge.net/
- dnf - glew - 2.2.0-13.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: glew from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | The OpenGL Extension Wrangler Library | https://github.com/nigels-com/glew
- dnf - glew-devel - 2.2.0-13.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: glew-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Development files for glew | https://github.com/nigels-com/glew
- dnf - libGLEW - 2.2.0-13.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libGLEW from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | libGLEW | https://github.com/nigels-com/glew
- pacman - glew - 2.3.1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: glew from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | The OpenGL Extension Wrangler Library | https://github.com/nigels-com/glew
- zypper - glew - 2.3.1-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: glew from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | OpenGL Extension Wrangler Library | https://github.com/nigels-com/glew
- zypper - glew-devel - 2.3.1-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: glew-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Development files for glew | https://github.com/nigels-com/glew
## Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/glew.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/glew.yml)
## Sources
- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph