fbgl: Lightweight 2D Framebuffer Library for Linux

fbgl (Framebuffer Graphics Library) is a minimalistic, header-only 2D framebuffer library written in C. Designed for simplicity and performance, fbgl provides an intuitive API for directly manipulating the Linux framebuffer device (/dev/fb0). Whether you're experimenting with low-level graphics or building lightweight graphical applications, fbgl offers the foundation you need.

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Features

• Header-only design: Include fbgl.h and start coding.
• Direct framebuffer rendering: Writes directly to /dev/fb0 for high performance.
• Simple API: Easy-to-use functions for initializing, clearing, and drawing.
• Lightweight: Minimal dependencies, using only standard Linux libraries.
• Custom rendering: Draw pixels, lines, and shapes directly to the framebuffer.

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• A Linux-based system with framebuffer support.
• Development tools like GCC.
• Access to /dev/fb0 (requires elevated permissions or proper user configuration).

Installation

No installation is required! Simply copy the fbgl.h file into your project directory and include it in your source files, while also defining the FBGL_IMPLEMENTATION macro in one of your source files.

#define FBGL_IMPLEMENTATION
#include "fbgl.h"

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Usage

Example Program

Here’s a simple program that initializes the framebuffer, clears it to a blue color, and draws a red diagonal line.

#define FBGL_IMPLEMENTATION
#include "fbgl.h"
#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{

    fbgl_t buffer;

    // Initialize the framebuffer
    if (fbgl_init("/dev/fb0", &buffer) != 0) {
        fprintf(stderr, "Failed to initialize framebuffer\n");
        return 1;
    }

    printf("Framebuffer size: %dx%d\n", fb_get_width(), fb_get_height());

    // Clear framebuffer to blue
    fbgl_clear(0x0000FFFF); // Blue color

    // Draw a red diagonal line
    for (int i = 0; i < fb_get_width() && i < fb_get_height(); i++) {
        fbgl_put_pixel(i, i, 0xFFFF0000, &buffer); // Red
    }

    // Wait for user input before exiting
    getchar();

    // Clean up
    fbgl_destroy(&buffer);
    return 0;
}

Compile the program:

gcc -o example main.c

Run the program with elevated permissions to access /dev/fb0:

sudo ./example

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API Reference

Initialization and Cleanup

int fbgl_init(const char *device);

Initializes the framebuffer.

• Parameters:
  device: Path to the framebuffer device (e.g., /dev/fb0).

• Returns:
  0 on success, -1 on failure.

void fbgl_destroy(void);

Destroys the framebuffer and releases resources.

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Drawing Functions

void fbgl_clear(uint32_t color);

Fills the entire framebuffer with a specified color.

• Parameters:
  color: 32-bit ARGB color (e.g., 0xFFFF0000 for red).

void fbgl_put_pixel(int x, int y, uint32_t color);

Sets a pixel at the specified position to the given color.

• Parameters:
  x, y: Pixel coordinates.
  color: 32-bit ARGB color.

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Utility Functions

int fbgl_get_width(void);

Returns the width of the framebuffer in pixels.

int fbgl_get_height(void);

Returns the height of the framebuffer in pixels.

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How It Works

1. Framebuffer Device: fbgl uses the Linux framebuffer device (/dev/fb0) to directly access the screen memory.
2. Memory Mapping: The framebuffer is mapped into user-space memory using mmap, allowing for direct pixel manipulation.
3. Direct Rendering: Pixels are written directly to the framebuffer, bypassing higher-level graphics APIs.

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Limitations

• Platform-specific: Works only on Linux systems with framebuffer support.
• Root permissions: Access to /dev/fb0 often requires sudo.
• No hardware acceleration: Rendering is done in software, so performance depends on CPU speed.

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Roadmap

Future improvements for fbgl may include:

• Support for double buffering.
• More advanced drawing primitives (e.g., circles, filled polygons).
• Cross-platform abstraction for non-Linux systems.
• Text rendering using bitmap fonts.
• Performance optimizations for large resolutions.

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you’d like to improve fbgl, add features, or fix bugs:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch for your changes.
3. Submit a pull request with a clear description of your updates.

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License

fbgl is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

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Acknowledgments

• Inspired by the simplicity of low-level graphics programming.
• Thanks to the Linux community for making framebuffer programming accessible!
• See the acknowledgements for more details.

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Showcase

First Texture Rendering

PSF Text in fbgl

Simple ray casting demo

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Contact

If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out via GitHub or email.

Happy coding with fbgl! 🚀