Failed to make GL context current: unable to create a GL context on Ghostty 1.2.0 appimage

[elerch]

Hi - I'm running Debian 13 trixie (with NVIDIA drivers) and use your Ghostty 1.1.0 appimage without issue. When trying to use the Ghostty 1.2.0 appimage, I'm getting an error, despite meeting all the system dependencies. Yesterday, since your appimage wasn't available, I built Ghostty from source and it was able to get a context/run successfully. I have other OpenGL-based applications working fine.

Any ideas what I can do system-wise, or is this a problem in the appimage, or perhaps upstream (though the build from source, as I mentioned, worked ok)? I will note I am using i3wm on X11.

info: ghostty version=1.2.0
info: ghostty build optimize=ReleaseFast
info: runtime=apprt.Runtime.gtk
info: font_backend=font.main.Backend.fontconfig_freetype
info: dependency harfbuzz=11.0.0
info: dependency fontconfig=21402
info: renderer=renderer.generic.Renderer(renderer.OpenGL)
info: libxev default backend=io_uring
info(os_locale): setlocale from env result=en_US.UTF-8
info(gtk): GTK version build=4.18.6 runtime=4.18.6
info(gtk): libadwaita version build=1.7.7 runtime=1.7.7
info: reading configuration file path=/home/lobo/.config/ghostty/config
info(cli): compatibility handler for selection-invert-fg-bg handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for cursor-invert-fg-bg handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for background-blur-radius handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for adw-toolbar-style handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for bold-is-bright handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for selection-invert-fg-bg handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for cursor-invert-fg-bg handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for background-blur-radius handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for adw-toolbar-style handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for bold-is-bright handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(config): default shell source=env value=/usr/bin/zsh
warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DEBUG=
warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DISABLE=gles-api,vulkan
pci id for fd 6: 10de:2504, driver (null)
kmsro: driver missing
libEGL warning: DRI3 error: Could not get DRI3 device
libEGL warning: Ensure your X server supports DRI3 to get accelerated rendering
info(gtk_systemd_cgroup): transient scope created cgroup=/user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/app.slice/app-ghostty-transient-2706678.scope
info(gtk_ghostty_application): cgroup isolation enabled base=/user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/app.slice/app-ghostty-transient-2706678.scope
warning(gtk_ghostty_surface): failed to make GL context current: Unable to create a GL context
warning(gtk_ghostty_surface): this error is almost always due to a library, driver, or GTK issue
warning(gtk_ghostty_surface): this is a common cause of this issue: https://ghostty.org/docs/help/gtk-opengl-context

[Samueru-sama]

Does alacritty work with your nvidia gpu?

I have a theory of what is happening but I need to know if you have issues with alacritty as well.

[elerch]

Alacritty opened up just fine

[Samueru-sama]

Alacritty opened up just fine

Okay I have no idea what's broken in that case. 😹

My theory was that this was a bug in mesa 25.2 which is shipped in this appimage:

• https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/1n1z1c6/kmsro_driver_missing/nb8isf3/

• https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/packaging/packages/mesa/-/issues/34

However if alacritty works it is not that.

---

But anyways, just in case test extracting the appimage --appimage-extract and then remove AppDir/share/glvnd and run the AppRun and let me know if it works this way.

[elerch]

Removing AppDir/share/glvnd worked! Looks like some config is out of whack but I'm seeing the same behavior as with the version I built with source. I am getting a bunch of eglExportDMABUFImage failed errors, but again, that's consistent with the build from source binary I made yesterday.

info: ghostty version=1.2.0
info: ghostty build optimize=ReleaseFast
info: runtime=apprt.Runtime.gtk
info: font_backend=font.main.Backend.fontconfig_freetype
info: dependency harfbuzz=11.0.0
info: dependency fontconfig=21402
info: renderer=renderer.generic.Renderer(renderer.OpenGL)
info: libxev default backend=io_uring
info(os_locale): setlocale from env result=en_US.UTF-8
info(gtk): GTK version build=4.18.6 runtime=4.18.6
info(gtk): libadwaita version build=1.7.7 runtime=1.7.7
info: reading configuration file path=/home/lobo/.config/ghostty/config
info(cli): compatibility handler for selection-invert-fg-bg handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for cursor-invert-fg-bg handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for background-blur-radius handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for adw-toolbar-style handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for bold-is-bright handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for selection-invert-fg-bg handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for cursor-invert-fg-bg handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for background-blur-radius handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for adw-toolbar-style handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(cli): compatibility handler for bold-is-bright handled error, you may be using a deprecated field: error.InvalidField
info(config): default shell source=env value=/usr/bin/zsh
warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DEBUG=
warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DISABLE=gles-api,vulkan
info(gtk_systemd_cgroup): transient scope created cgroup=/user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/app.slice/app-ghostty-transient-2785823.scope
info(gtk_ghostty_application): cgroup isolation enabled base=/user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/app.slice/app-ghostty-transient-2785823.scope
info(opengl): loaded OpenGL 4.6
info(font_shared_grid_set): font regular: Fira Code Regular
info(font_shared_grid_set): font regular: Hack Regular
info(font_shared_grid_set): font bold: Fira Code Bold
info(font_shared_grid_set): font bold: Hack Bold
info(font_shared_grid_set): font italic: Fira Code Regular
info(font_shared_grid_set): font italic: Hack Italic
info(font_shared_grid_set): font bold_italic: Fira Code Bold
info(font_shared_grid_set): font bold_italic: Hack Bold Italic
info(io_exec): found Ghostty resources dir: /tmp/.mount_ghosttkLMGDI/usr/share/ghostty
info(io_exec): shell integration automatically injected shell=termio.shell_integration.Shell.zsh
warning(gtk_ghostty_application): unimplemented action=apprt.action.Action.Key.cell_size
info(io_exec): started subcommand path=/bin/sh pid=2785871
info(io_exec): subcommand cgroup=/user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/app.slice/app-ghostty-transient-2785823.scope/surfaces/55557C2519F0.scope

(ghostty:2785823): Gdk-WARNING **: 09:43:03.414: eglExportDMABUFImage failed: 0x3009

(ghostty:2785823): Gdk-WARNING **: 09:43:03.418: eglExportDMABUFImage failed: 0x3009

[Samueru-sama]

Removing AppDir/share/glvnd worked!

welp, looks like mesa is fucking something up.

This can be worked around at sharun, so I will open a request there.

[Samueru-sama]

Explanation of what is happening:

sharun sets the env variable __EGL_VENDOR_LIBRARY_DIRS which makes the bundled libEGL.so look for OpenGL drivers in following locations in order:

• AppDir/share/glvnd/egl_vendor.d

• /usr/share/glvnd/egl_vendor.d

In theory this should work perfectly, libEGL.so would first try to use our bundled mesa, which means:

• Because the proprietary nvidia driver is installed, nouveau driver cannot be used as the kernel module is disabled (not 100% sure if this is how this works), so mesa would not try to load here.

• Then libEGL.so would try the next location in __EGL_VENDOR_LIBRARY_DIRS, which is /usr/share/glvnd/egl_vendor.d.

However there is a bug in mesa here where mesa is not allowing libEGL.so to fallback to checking /usr/share/glvnd/egl_vendor.d, this is not the first time I see this happening, see probonopd/PrusaSlicer#5

The only reason /usr/share/glvnd/egl_vendor.d gets included is for people with the proprietary nvidia driver btw.

To fix this issue all that needs to be done is flip the order of dirs in __EGL_VENDOR_LIBRARY_DIRS when we detect that the proprietary nvidia driver is installed.

[Samueru-sama]

@elerch can you test again with the latest stable release?

The issue is likely there but just in case since a separate issue was fixed.

[elerch]

You are correct @Samueru-sama - the issue is still there with the latest stable

[Samueru-sama]

@elerch Please let me know if #95 fixes the issue, it is a temp solution.

Artifact

[elerch]

That works! Thanks, hopefully the upstream fix is made soon

[psadi]

fixed with #95, New release v1.2.0+1 published.

[ju-sh]

I'm getting this error with v.1.2.0+1 as well. AMD Radeon integrated GPU, if that means anything.
I was trying the AppImage.

$ ./Ghostty-1.2.0-x86_64.AppImage
info: ghostty version=1.2.0
info: ghostty build optimize=ReleaseFast
info: runtime=apprt.Runtime.gtk
info: font_backend=font.main.Backend.fontconfig_freetype
info: dependency harfbuzz=11.0.0
info: dependency fontconfig=21402
info: renderer=renderer.generic.Renderer(renderer.OpenGL)
info: libxev default backend=io_uring
info(os_locale): setlocale from env result=en_IN
info(gtk): GTK version build=4.18.6 runtime=4.18.6
info(gtk): libadwaita version build=1.7.7 runtime=1.7.7
info: reading configuration file path=/home/ju-sh/.config/ghostty/config
info(config): default shell src=passwd value=/bin/bash
info(config): default working directory src=passwd value=/home/ju-sh
warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DEBUG=
warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DISABLE=gles-api,vulkan
amdgpu: DRM version is 3.40.0, but this driver is only compatible with 3.42.0 (kernel 5.15+) or later.
amdgpu: DRM version is 3.40.0, but this driver is only compatible with 3.42.0 (kernel 5.15+) or later.
libEGL warning: egl: failed to create dri2 screen
info(gtk_systemd_cgroup): transient scope created cgroup=/user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/app.slice/app-ghostty-transient-712237.scope
info(gtk_ghostty_application): cgroup isolation enabled base=/user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/app.slice/app-ghostty-transient-712237.scope
warning(gtk_ghostty_surface): failed to make GL context current: Unable to create a GL context
warning(gtk_ghostty_surface): this error is almost always due to a library, driver, or GTK issue
warning(gtk_ghostty_surface): this is a common cause of this issue: https://ghostty.org/docs/help/gtk-opengl-context