macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install wafflelocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install waffle with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, zypper
C library for selecting an OpenGL API and window system at runtime. Version 1.8.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-29.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add waffleAlpine Linux edge package indexes · waffle · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libwaffle-1-0Debian stable package indexes · libwaffle-1-0 · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install waffleFedora Rawhide package metadata · waffle · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#wafflenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/wa/waffle/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install libwaffle-1-0openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libwaffle-1-0 · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
C library for selecting an OpenGL API and window system at runtime
Project links
Commands and aliases
- wflinfo
history
Project history and usage
Waffle is a small freedesktop.org graphics infrastructure library rather than an end-user application. Its purpose is to let a program choose an OpenGL API and native window-system binding at runtime, so the same test or tool can run against combinations such as GLX, X11/EGL, Wayland/EGL, GBM, surfaceless EGL, or experimental non-Linux backends.
Project history
The project was public in the Mesa and Piglit orbit by 2012: the Waffle website records a presentation by Chad Versace at the 2012 X Developer's Conference, and the October 2012 Waffle 1.1.0 announcement described the library as API- and ABI-compatible with Waffle 1.0 while adding GBM, experimental Android support, and manpage documentation.
Waffle's upstream home is now the Mesa namespace on freedesktop.org GitLab. The older GitHub organization is kept as an archive and points contributors to the freedesktop.org repository, which matches Waffle's role as plumbing for Mesa-adjacent graphics testing rather than a standalone developer product.
How it is used
Waffle is mainly used by graphics tests and diagnostics that need to create GL contexts without committing at build time to one window system. The accompanying `wflinfo` command is the visible CLI entry point, while library consumers use the C API to initialize a platform, choose a config, create contexts and windows, and, on selected platforms, retrieve backing native objects when they need behavior outside Waffle's abstraction.
Why package nerds care
Its significance is niche but real: Waffle sits in the awkward layer between OpenGL APIs and native window systems, exactly where Mesa and Piglit need repeatable testing across driver stacks. Package maintainers tend to encounter it as a dependency of graphics conformance and regression-test tooling, not as a general-purpose GUI library.
Timeline
- 2012: Waffle was presented at XDC 2012 and Waffle 1.1.0 was announced on the freedesktop.org Piglit and Mesa mailing lists.
- 2012 onward: the project focused on enabling Piglit to select GL API and window-system combinations at runtime.
- 2020s: development and issue tracking live under the Mesa project on freedesktop.org GitLab, with GitHub preserved as an archive.
Related projects
- Piglit is the closest related project: Waffle's README and website both describe enabling Piglit, Mesa's OpenGL test suite, as the immediate goal. APITrace is also named in the README as a future-facing related tool for recording and replaying OpenGL calls across systems.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: yellow
generalized runtime or code generation signal.
Risk classifier
yellow risk · medium confidence · runtime
Why
- generalized runtime or code generation signal
Signals
- text:runtime
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Build metadata lists 5 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
wflinfo | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version1.8.3
manager updated2026-06-29
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://waffle.freedesktop.org/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://waffle.freedesktop.org/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:waffle |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.8.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/waffle |
| Homepage | https://waffle.freedesktop.org/ |
| Repository | https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/waffle |
| Upstream docs | https://waffle.freedesktop.org/ |
| License | BSD-2-Clause |
| Source archive | https://waffle.freedesktop.org/files/release/waffle-1.8.3/waffle-1.8.3.tar.xz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-29T23:33:58Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Build dependencies | cmake, docbook-xsl, meson, ninja, pkgconf |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | waffle |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
libwaffle-1-0 1.8.1-1
Waffle library (binaries)
https://waffle.freedesktop.org/
sudo apt install libwaffle-1-0- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: waffle
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
Debian apt95%
libwaffle-dev 1.8.1-1
Waffle library (development files)
https://waffle.freedesktop.org/
sudo apt install libwaffle-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: waffle
- 7 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
Debian apt95%
libwaffle-doc 1.8.1-1
Waffle library (documentation)
https://waffle.freedesktop.org/
sudo apt install libwaffle-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: waffle
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
Debian apt95%
waffle-utils 1.8.1-1
Waffle library (utilities)
https://waffle.freedesktop.org/
sudo apt install waffle-utils- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: waffle
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
Nix95%
waffle
nix profile install nixpkgs#waffle- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
Ubuntu apt95%
libwaffle-1-0 1.8.0-2build1
Waffle library (binaries)
https://waffle.freedesktop.org/
sudo apt install libwaffle-1-0- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: waffle
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
Ubuntu apt95%
libwaffle-dev 1.8.0-2build1
Waffle library (development files)
https://waffle.freedesktop.org/
sudo apt install libwaffle-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: waffle
- 7 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
Ubuntu apt95%
libwaffle-doc 1.8.0-2build1
Waffle library (documentation)
https://waffle.freedesktop.org/
sudo apt install libwaffle-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: waffle
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
Ubuntu apt95%
waffle-utils 1.8.0-2build1
Waffle library (utilities)
https://waffle.freedesktop.org/
sudo apt install waffle-utils- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: waffle
- 2 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
apk95%
waffle 1.8.0-r0
C library for selecting an OpenGL API and window system at runtime
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/waffle
sudo apk add waffle- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: waffle
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
apk95%
waffle-bash-completion 1.8.0-r0
Bash completions for waffle
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/waffle
sudo apk add waffle-bash-completion- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: waffle
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
apk95%
waffle-dev 1.8.0-r0
C library for selecting an OpenGL API and window system at runtime (development files)
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/waffle
sudo apk add waffle-dev- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: waffle
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
apk95%
waffle-doc 1.8.0-r0
C library for selecting an OpenGL API and window system at runtime (documentation)
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/waffle
sudo apk add waffle-doc- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: waffle
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
apk95%
waffle-zsh-completion 1.8.0-r0
Zsh completions for waffle
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/waffle
sudo apk add waffle-zsh-completion- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: waffle
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
dnf95%
waffle 1.8.1-1.fc44
Platform independent GL API layer
http://www.waffle-gl.org/releases.html
sudo dnf install waffle- License: MIT
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: waffle
- 5 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
dnf95%
waffle-devel 1.8.1-1.fc44
Development headers and libraries for waffle
http://www.waffle-gl.org/releases.html
sudo dnf install waffle-devel- License: MIT
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: waffle
- 4 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Waffle
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment