EGLBADSURFACE

EGLBADSURFACE is a term used in graphics software development to describe an invalid rendering surface within the EGL API. It refers to a condition where a surface handle cannot be used with the current context to perform rendering operations.

The concept is closely tied to the EGL error EGL_BAD_SURFACE, which is defined in the Khronos EGL specification. EGL_BAD_SURFACE is reported when an operation is attempted with a surface that is not valid for the current context, has not been properly created, has been destroyed, or has become incompatible due to config or size changes.

Common causes of an EGL bad surface include destroying a surface while it is still in use, using the wrong thread for a surface, producing a surface with an unsupported pixel format, or failing to reinitialize after a resize or format change. These conditions can lead to rendering failures or crashes if not handled.

Symptoms typically involve EGL functions returning failure (for example eglMakeCurrent failing with EGL_FALSE) and related GL errors such as EGL_BAD_SURFACE or GL_INVALID_OPERATION. Diagnosis focuses on inspecting the surface lifecycle, verifying proper creation and destruction order, and checking that the surface and context are correctly bound on the appropriate thread.

Mitigation and prevention emphasize robust resource management and error handling. Best practices include re-creating or re-binding a valid surface when in doubt, ensuring correct synchronization and thread ownership, avoiding use of surfaces after destruction, and validating compatibility of surface configs with the rendering context. Regularly checking EGL and GL error codes after calls helps detect and address EGL_BAD_SURFACE conditions early.

See also: EGL, EGL_BAD_MATCH, EGL_BAD_ALLOC, EGLSurface, OpenGL ES, Khronos Group.