Replace boost and fmt functionality with C++20 features and update CEF

.github/workflows/build.yml

@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
   build_linux_gcc:
-    name: Linux GCC 11.4.0
-    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    name: Linux GCC 13.3.0
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     if: >
       github.event_name == 'pull_request' ||
       ( contains(github.ref, 'main') && !contains(github.event.head_commit.message, '[no-ci]') ) ||
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update -q
           sudo apt-get install libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev libx11-dev
-          sudo apt-get install libxi-dev libgconf-2-4 libboost-all-dev lcov xvfb
+          sudo apt-get install libxi-dev lcov xvfb libfreetype-dev
       - name: Build Externals
         run: >
           ./make_externals.sh -G "Unix Makefiles"
@@ -130,15 +130,15 @@ jobs:
           path-to-lcov: ./build/linux-Release/coverage.info
 
   build_linux_clang:
-    name: Linux Clang 14.0
-    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    name: Linux Clang 18.0
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     if: >
       github.event_name == 'pull_request' ||
       ( contains(github.ref, 'main') && !contains(github.event.head_commit.message, '[no-ci]') ) ||
       contains(github.event.head_commit.message, '[run-ci]')
     env:
-      CC: clang-14
-      CXX: clang++-14
+      CC: clang-18
+      CXX: clang++-18
       COSMOSCOUT_USE_PCH: false
       COSMOSCOUT_USE_UNITY_BUILD: false
     steps:
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update -q
           sudo apt-get install libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev libx11-dev
-          sudo apt-get install libxi-dev libgconf-2-4 libboost-all-dev
+          sudo apt-get install libxi-dev libfreetype-dev
       - name: Build Externals
         run: >
           ./make_externals.sh -G "Unix Makefiles"
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ jobs:
       ( contains(github.ref, 'main') && !contains(github.event.head_commit.message, '[no-ci]') ) ||
       contains(github.event.head_commit.message, '[run-ci]')
     env:
-      BOOST_ROOT_1_72_0: C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Boost\1.72.0\x86_64
       COSMOSCOUT_USE_PCH: true
       COSMOSCOUT_USE_UNITY_BUILD: true
     steps:
@@ -200,13 +199,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: ilammy/msvc-dev-cmd@v1
       - name: Download Dependencies
         run: |
-          # From https://github.com/actions/virtual-environments/issues/2667
-          $url = "https://github.com/actions/boost-versions/releases/download/1.72.0-20200608.4/boost-1.72.0-win32-msvc14.2-x86_64.tar.gz"
-          (New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile($url, "$env:TEMP\boost.tar.gz")
-          7z.exe x "$env:TEMP\boost.tar.gz" -o"$env:TEMP\boostArchive" -y | Out-Null
-          7z.exe x "$env:TEMP\boostArchive" -o"$env:TEMP\boost" -y | Out-Null
-          Push-Location -Path "$env:TEMP\boost"
-          Invoke-Expression .\setup.ps1
           choco install ninja
       - name: Build Externals
         shell: cmd
@@ -216,10 +208,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build CosmoScout VR
         shell: cmd
         run: |
-          cmake --preset windows-ninja-release-config -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache -DBOOST_ROOT=%BOOST_ROOT_1_72_0%
+          cmake --preset windows-ninja-release-config -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache
           cmake --build --preset windows-ninja-release-build
       - name: Run Tests
         shell: cmd
         run: |
-          SET PATH=%BOOST_ROOT_1_72_0%\\lib;%PATH%
           install\\windows-Release\\bin\\run_tests.bat

.github/workflows/deploy.yml

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   source_code:
     name: Source Code
-    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
     - name: Checkout Repository
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
 
   release_linux:
     name: Linux
-    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
     - name: Checkout Repository
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ jobs:
         sudo apt-get update -q
         sudo apt-get install libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev libx11-dev
         sudo apt-get install libxi-dev libgconf-2-4
-        sudo apt-get install libboost-all-dev
     - name: Build Externals
       run: ./make_externals.sh -G "Unix Makefiles"
     - name: Build CosmoScout VR
@@ -70,29 +69,18 @@ jobs:
   release_windows:
     name: Windows
     runs-on: windows-2025
-    env:
-      BOOST_ROOT_1_72_0: C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Boost\1.72.0\x86_64
     steps:
     - name: Checkout Repository
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - name: Checkout Submodules
       run: git submodule update --init --recursive
-    - name: Download Boost
-      run: |
-        # From https://github.com/actions/virtual-environments/issues/2667
-        $url = "https://github.com/actions/boost-versions/releases/download/1.72.0-20200608.4/boost-1.72.0-win32-msvc14.2-x86_64.tar.gz"
-        (New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile($url, "$env:TEMP\boost.tar.gz")
-        7z.exe x "$env:TEMP\boost.tar.gz" -o"$env:TEMP\boostArchive" -y | Out-Null
-        7z.exe x "$env:TEMP\boostArchive" -o"$env:TEMP\boost" -y | Out-Null
-        Push-Location -Path "$env:TEMP\boost"
-        Invoke-Expression .\setup.ps1
     - name: Build Externals
       shell: cmd
       run: make_externals.bat -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 
     - name: Build CosmoScout VR
       shell: cmd
       run: |
-        cmake --preset windows-vs-release-config -DBOOST_ROOT=%BOOST_ROOT_1_72_0%
+        cmake --preset windows-vs-release-config
         cmake --build --preset windows-vs-release-build
     - name: Create Release
       run: | 

.gitmodules

@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@
 [submodule "externals/opensg-1.8"]
 	path = externals/opensg-1.8
 	url = https://github.com/cosmoscout/opensg-1.8.git
-[submodule "externals/c-ares"]
-	path = externals/c-ares
-	url = https://github.com/cosmoscout/c-ares.git
 [submodule "externals/curl"]
 	path = externals/curl
 	url = https://github.com/cosmoscout/curl.git

CMakeLists.txt

@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ project(cosmoscout-vr VERSION 1.10.0)
 
 # Use cmake 3.12's <PACKAGE>_ROOT variabled for searching.
 cmake_policy(SET CMP0074 NEW)
-# cmake_policy(SET CMP0167 OLD)
 
 # Ensure local modules (for dependencies etc.) are found.
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake)
@@ -32,12 +31,6 @@ set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY USE_FOLDERS ON)
 
 include(GenerateExportHeader)
 
-# Boost and OpenGL must be present on your system. All other dependencies are included as submodules
-# in "externals/". Those must be built beforehand, preferably using the scripts "make_externals.*".
-set(Boost_REALPATH ON)
-set(Boost_USE_MULTITHREADED ON)
-set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS OFF)
-find_package(Boost REQUIRED COMPONENTS system chrono date_time filesystem)
 find_package(OpenGL REQUIRED)
 
 # You have to provide the directory where the externals got installed to. The scripts make_*.sh and
@@ -48,12 +41,6 @@ set(COSMOSCOUT_EXTERNALS_DIR COSMOSCOUT_EXTERNALS_DIR-NotFound
 # Make sure to use forward slashes only.
 file(TO_CMAKE_PATH ${COSMOSCOUT_EXTERNALS_DIR} COSMOSCOUT_EXTERNALS_DIR)
 
-if (DEFINED ENV{CARES_ROOT_DIR})
-  SET(CARES_ROOT_DIR "$ENV{CARES_ROOT_DIR}")
-else()
-  SET(CARES_ROOT_DIR ${COSMOSCOUT_EXTERNALS_DIR})
-endif()
-
 if (DEFINED ENV{CURL_ROOT_DIR})
   SET(CURL_ROOT_DIR "$ENV{CURL_ROOT_DIR}")
 else()
@@ -155,7 +142,6 @@ find_package(GLI REQUIRED)
 find_package(DOCTEST REQUIRED)
 find_package(TINYGLTF REQUIRED)
 find_package(CSPICE REQUIRED)
-find_package(CARES REQUIRED)
 find_package(CURL REQUIRED)
 find_package(CURLPP REQUIRED)
 find_package(SPDLOG REQUIRED)
@@ -184,30 +170,6 @@ install(
   FILES_MATCHING PATTERN "*.so*" PATTERN "*.dll*"
 )
 
-# Copy boost libraries to install directory.
-foreach(BOOST_LIB 
-  ${Boost_CHRONO_LIBRARY_DEBUG}
-  ${Boost_CHRONO_LIBRARY_RELEASE}
-  ${Boost_DATE_TIME_LIBRARY_DEBUG}
-  ${Boost_DATE_TIME_LIBRARY_RELEASE}
-  ${Boost_FILESYSTEM_LIBRARY_RELEASE}
-  ${Boost_FILESYSTEM_LIBRARY_DEBUG}
-  ${Boost_SYSTEM_LIBRARY_RELEASE}
-  ${Boost_SYSTEM_LIBRARY_DEBUG}
-)
-  if(EXISTS "${BOOST_LIB}")
-    get_filename_component(LIB_BASE_NAME ${BOOST_LIB} NAME_WE)
-    get_filename_component(LIB_PATH ${BOOST_LIB} PATH)
-    if (WIN32)
-      install(FILES ${LIB_PATH}/${LIB_BASE_NAME}.dll DESTINATION "lib")
-    endif()
-    if (UNIX)
-      file(GLOB LIB_FILES ${LIB_PATH}/${LIB_BASE_NAME}.so*)
-      install(FILES ${LIB_FILES} DESTINATION "lib")
-    endif()
-  endif()
-endforeach()
-
 # Install documentation directory
 install(DIRECTORY
   ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/docs
@@ -261,11 +223,11 @@ configure_file(
 # compiler settings --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 add_definitions(
-  -DBOOST_ALL_DYN_LINK
   -DGLM_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL
   -DGLM_FORCE_SWIZZLE
   -DNOMINMAX
   -DSPDLOG_COMPILED_LIB
+  -DSPDLOG_USE_STD_FORMAT
 )
 
 if (MSVC)
@@ -294,7 +256,7 @@ else()
   )
 endif()
 
-set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
 
 # Enable unit tests

LICENSE-3RD-PARTY.txt

@@ -34,36 +34,6 @@ ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF
 THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ #
-# Boost (system, chrono, filesystem, date_time)                                                    #
-# http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt                                                             #
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ #
-
-Boost Software License - Version 1.0 - August 17th, 2003
-
-Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person or organization
-obtaining a copy of the software and accompanying documentation covered by
-this license (the "Software") to use, reproduce, display, distribute,
-execute, and transmit the Software, and to prepare derivative works of the
-Software, and to permit third-parties to whom the Software is furnished to
-do so, all subject to the following:
-
-The copyright notices in the Software and this entire statement, including
-the above license grant, this restriction and the following disclaimer,
-must be included in all copies of the Software, in whole or in part, and
-all derivative works of the Software, unless such copies or derivative
-works are solely in the form of machine-executable object code generated by
-a source language processor.
-
-THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
-IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
-FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT
-SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR ANYONE DISTRIBUTING THE SOFTWARE BE LIABLE
-FOR ANY DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE,
-ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
-DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
-
-
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ #
 # c-ares                                                                                           #
 # https://c-ares.haxx.se/license.html                                                              #

cmake/FindCEF.cmake

@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ find_path(CEF_INCLUDE_DIR include/cef_version.h
     HINTS ${CEF_ROOT_DIR}/include/cef)
 
 # Locate library.
-find_path(CEF_RESOURCE_DIR cef.pak
+find_path(CEF_RESOURCE_DIR resources.pak
     HINTS ${CEF_ROOT_DIR}/share/cef)
 
-find_path(CEF_LIBRARY_DIR snapshot_blob.bin
+find_path(CEF_LIBRARY_DIR v8_context_snapshot.bin
     HINTS ${CEF_ROOT_DIR}/lib)
 
 find_library(CEF_LIBRARY NAMES cef libcef

docs/dependencies.md

@@ -9,15 +9,13 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0
 
 # Complete List of Dependencies
 
-The list below contains all dependencies of CosmoScout VR. Besides Boost, all of them are included either as [git submodules](../externals) or directly in the source tree.
+The list below contains all dependencies of CosmoScout VR. All of them are included either as [git submodules](../externals) or directly in the source tree.
 Some of the dependencies are only required by some plugins.
 
 A text document containing [all individual license texts](../LICENSE-3RD-PARTY.txt) is provided in the root directory of the source tree.
 
 | Engine Dependencies | Description | License |
 |:---|:---|:---|
-| [Boost (system, chrono, filesystem, date_time)](http://www.boost.org) | Used for time conversions and file system operations. | [Boost Software License](http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt) |
-| [c-ares](https://c-ares.haxx.se) | A dependency of curl, used for asynchronous DNS requests. | [MIT](https://c-ares.haxx.se/license.html) |
 | [Chromium Embedded Framework](https://bitbucket.org/chromiumembedded/cef) | For the Webkit based user interface. | [BSD](https://bitbucket.org/chromiumembedded/cef/raw/a5a5e7ff08129f4122437dfdbba93d2a746c5c59/LICENSE.txt) |
 | [Curl](https://curl.haxx.se) | Library for downloading stuff from the Internet. | [MIT style](https://curl.haxx.se/legal/licmix.html) |
 | [CurlPP](https://github.com/jpbarrette/curlpp) | C++ wrapper for curl. | [MIT style](https://github.com/jpbarrette/curlpp/blob/master/doc/LICENSE) |

docs/ide-setup.md

@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ Below you find some instructions on how to setup your preferred IDE for CosmoSco
 ### Prerequisites
 
 - Be sure to build the externals, as specified in the [installation](install.md) guide.
-- On Windows ensure that `BOOST_ROOT` is registered as an environment variable. 
 
 ### Configure CMake Profiles
 
@@ -179,12 +178,7 @@ We will discuss these files in the following.
         "$gcc"
       ],
       "windows": {
-        "command": "cmake --preset windows-vs-release-config; cmake --build --preset windows-vs-release-build",
-        "options": {
-          "env": {
-            "BOOST_ROOT": "C:\\local\\boost_1_69_0"
-          }
-        }
+        "command": "cmake --preset windows-vs-release-config; cmake --build --preset windows-vs-release-build"
       }
     },
     {
@@ -201,12 +195,7 @@ We will discuss these files in the following.
         "$gcc"
       ],
       "windows": {
-        "command": "cmake --preset windows-make-debug-config; cmake --build --preset windows-make-debug-build",
-        "options": {
-          "env": {
-            "BOOST_ROOT": "C:\\local\\boost_1_69_0"
-          }
-        }
+        "command": "cmake --preset windows-make-debug-config; cmake --build --preset windows-make-debug-build"
       }
     },
     {
@@ -292,8 +281,6 @@ We will discuss these files in the following.
 }
 ```
 
-If you are on Windows, you may have to replace the `"BOOST_ROOT"` environment variable in this file.
-
 With this file in place, you can press `Ctrl+Shift+P` and select `Tasks: Run Task`. Now you can first select `Make Externals (Release)`, then `Make (Release)` and later `Run CosmoScout VR`.
 
 > [!TIP]