Dennis Núñez

Build and install multiple versions of OpenCV on Linux

Before installation, during CMAKE, you should specify different install paths using -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX= flag (I'll create the folder libraries in the path /home/dennis/opencv-2.4.9/).

For example, for opencv 2.4.9:

-D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/home/dennis/opencv-2.4.9/libraries

while for opencv 3.3.0:

-D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/home/dennis/opencv-3.3.0/libraries

Do not confuse this path with source path.

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Note: Also, maybe building static libs is a good idea then (cmake -D BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF), since you won't be allowed to install the so's to system path either.

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Also, add the next lines to the .bashrc file:

# For OpenCV 2.4.9 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/home/dennis/opencv-2.4.9/libraries/lib # For OpenCV 3.3.0 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/home/dennis/opencv-3.3.0/libraries/lib

Finally, the real "magic" is in the makefile to compile your own code. Linking path and include paths have to be specified as per the opencv version you want.

For example : You have opencv 2.4.9 installed in /path/to/opencv2.4.9/lib/ and opencv 3.3.0 install in /path/to/opencv3.3.0/lib/ as per mentioned in that link, you will have makefile as per below:

Compile using OpenCV 2.4.9 and C++

Compile using the Makefile:

CC = g++ CFLAGS = -g -Wall SRCS = example.cpp PROG = example OPENCV_LIBS = /home/dennis/opencv-2.4.9/libraries OPENCV = -I$(OPENCV_LIBS)/include/opencv -I$(OPENCV_LIBS)/include \ $(OPENCV_LIBS)/lib/libopencv_calib3d.so $(OPENCV_LIBS)/lib/libopencv_core.so \ $(OPENCV_LIBS)/lib/libopencv_highgui.so $(OPENCV_LIBS)/lib/libopencv_imgproc.so LIBS = $(OPENCV) $(PROG):$(SRCS) $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $(PROG) $(SRCS) $(LIBS)

Compile:

$ make

Compile using OpenCV 3.3.0 and C++

Compile using the Makefile:

CC = g++ CFLAGS = -g -Wall SRCS = example.cpp PROG = example OPENCV_LIBS = /home/dennis/opencv-3.3.0/libraries OPENCV = -I$(OPENCV_LIBS)/include/opencv -I$(OPENCV_LIBS)/include \ $(OPENCV_LIBS)/lib/libopencv_calib3d.so $(OPENCV_LIBS)/lib/libopencv_core.so \ $(OPENCV_LIBS)/lib/libopencv_highgui.so $(OPENCV_LIBS)/lib/libopencv_imgproc.so LIBS = $(OPENCV) $(PROG):$(SRCS) $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $(PROG) $(SRCS) $(LIBS)

Compile:

$ make

Using different OpenCV's versions with Python

Since the cv2.so is the file to import cv2 to python. In OpenCV 2.4.9, this file is located at:

- /home/dennis/opencv-2.4.9/libraries/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/cv2.so for Python 2.7.

- /home/dennis/opencv-2.4.9/libraries/lib/python3.4/dist-packages/cv2.so for Python 3.4.

Since the cv2.so is the file to import cv2 to python. In OpenCV 3.3.0, this file is located at:

- /home/dennis/opencv-3.3.0/libraries/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/cv2.so for Python 2.7.

- /home/dennis/opencv-3.3.0/libraries/lib/python3.4/dist-packages/cv2.so for Python 3.4.

So, to use OpenCV 3.3.0 in Python 2.7 insert the next command before start working with cv2 library:

In [1]: import sys In [2]: sys.path.insert(0,'/home/dennis/opencv-3.3.0/libraries/lib/python2.7/dist-packages') In [3]: import cv2

You can check with:

In [4]: cv2.__version__ Out[4]: '3.3.0' In [5]: cv2.__file__ Out[5]: '/home/dennis/opencv-3.3.0/libraries/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/cv2.so'

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Trick: You can copy the cv2.so from /home/dennis/opencv-3.3.0/libraries/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/cv2.so to your project directory ~/Desktop/example in order to import cv2 using OpenCV 3.3.0 (for Python) in your example.

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Resources

- http://answers.opencv.org/question/65178/install-multiple-versions-of-opencv-on-ubuntu/.

- https://stackoverflow.com/questions/43051470/install-opencv3-on-ubuntu-installation-without-remove-opencv2-package.

- http://answers.opencv.org/question/98580/how-to-set-up-a-side-opencv-set-path-to-another-opencv/.