Installation Guide

Step-by-step instructions to install dependencies and build Cub3D on Linux

Installing Cub3D

This guide will walk you through setting up all dependencies and building Cub3D from source.

System Requirements

Cub3D requires a Linux environment with X11 support. It is not compatible with macOS or Windows without modifications.

Operating System

• Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, or similar)
• X11 Window System (X.Org)

Build Tools

• GCC or compatible C compiler
• Make build system
• Git for cloning repositories

Required Libraries

1. Install X11 Development Libraries

   These libraries are required for MiniLibX to create windows and handle graphics:

   Ubuntu/Debian

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install libx11-dev libxext-dev
   

   Fedora/RHEL

   sudo dnf install libX11-devel libXext-devel
   

   Arch Linux

   sudo pacman -S libx11 libxext
   
2. Install Math Library

   The math library is used for trigonometric calculations in raycasting:

   sudo apt-get install libm-dev
   

   Most Linux distributions include libm by default, but the development headers may need to be installed separately.

3. Install Build Essentials

   Ensure you have the basic build tools:

   Ubuntu/Debian

   sudo apt-get install build-essential
   

   Fedora/RHEL

   sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"
   

Building Dependencies

Cub3D depends on two libraries that must be built alongside the project:

MiniLibX

MiniLibX is a simple graphics library for creating windows and rendering pixels. The project expects it in the minilibx-linux/ directory.

Clone MiniLibX

# Navigate to your Cub3D source directory
cd ~/workspace/source

# Clone MiniLibX if not present
if [ ! -d "minilibx-linux" ]; then
  git clone https://github.com/42Paris/minilibx-linux.git
fi

The Makefile (Makefile:34-35) automatically builds MiniLibX when you run make all, so manual building is optional.

Libft

Libft is a custom C standard library implementation. The project expects it in the libft/ directory.

Build Libft

# Navigate to libft directory
cd ~/workspace/source/libft

# Build the library
make

# Verify the build
ls -la libft.a

Like MiniLibX, Libft is automatically built by the main Makefile (Makefile:31-32).

Building Cub3D

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone <repository-url> ~/workspace/source
   cd ~/workspace/source
   
2. Build the Project

   The Makefile handles all dependencies automatically:

   make
   

   This command will:

   1. Build MiniLibX (libmlx.a)
   2. Build Libft (libft.a)
   3. Compile all Cub3D source files
   4. Link everything into the cub3d executable

   The compiler flags used are:

   • -Wall -Wextra -Werror - Enable all warnings and treat them as errors
   • -O3 - Maximum optimization for performance
   • -g -g3 - Include debug symbols
3. Verify the Build

   Check that the executable was created:

   ls -la cub3d
   ./cub3d
   

   You should see the usage message:

   Debes introducir dos argumentos por terminal
   

Build Targets

The Makefile provides several useful targets:

Command	Description
make or make all	Build the complete project
make clean	Remove object files (.o)
make fclean	Remove object files and the executable
make re	Rebuild everything from scratch

Clean Build

# Remove all build artifacts
make fclean

# Rebuild from scratch
make

Troubleshooting

Error: libmlx.a not found

This means MiniLibX wasn’t built successfully. Try:

cd minilibx-linux
make clean
make

If that fails, check that X11 development libraries are installed.

Error: X11/X.h not found

Install the X11 development headers:

sudo apt-get install libx11-dev libxext-dev

Compilation warnings or errors

The project uses strict compilation flags (-Wall -Wextra -Werror). Common issues:

• Unused variables: Remove or comment them out
• Implicit declarations: Check function prototypes in cub3.h
• Type mismatches: Ensure proper casting, especially with MLX functions

Linking errors with -lm

The math library must be linked. Verify the Makefile includes -lm in the linking step:

$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $(NAME) $(OBJS) -L$(MINILIBX_DIR) -lmlx -L$(LIBFT_DIR) -lft -lm -lX11 -lXext

Verification

After successful installation, verify everything works:

# Check the executable exists
which cub3d || echo "./cub3d"

# Test with a sample map
./cub3d maps/COME.cub

If a window opens with a 3D view, installation is complete! Press ESC to close the window.

Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Learn how to run Cub3D and navigate the 3D environment