Using MESA to render OpenGL > 1.4 remotely

When you are working on a remote server through nomachine or vnc, and there is no video card on the remote server that supports OpenGL > 1.4, the MESA in default render OpenGL version 1.4. This will cause the application to fail even if they do not really need to raise a GUI.

Here is a way to force MESA to report its GL version to 3.3 such that certain applications will generate correct result without terminate while sensing a too low GL version:

Put the following environment string in front of your command:

MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=3.3 your_command

This method does not work through ssh x-tunneling since in the latter case the x-server tends to take the GL command.

If you want this to go through an x-server that also uses mesa, you will need to put on the MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=3.3 before your ssh command too.