Intro to Low-Level Graphics on Linux
From the webpage:
This tutorial attempts to explain a few of the possible methods that exist on Linux to access the graphics hardware from a low level. I am not talking about using Xlib instead of GTK+ or QT5, nor am I talking about using DirectFB, I want to go even lower than that; I’m talking about drawing graphics to the screen without needing any external dependencies; I’m talking about communicating directly with the Linux kernel. I will also provide information about programming for newer graphical systems (Wayland/Mir) even though those do not involve direct communication with the kernel drivers. The reason I want to provide this information in this tutorial is that even though their APIs are higher level, the programming techniques used in low-level graphics programming can easily be adapted to work with Wayland and Mir. Also, similar to fbdev and KMS/DRM APIs, good programming resources are hard to come by.
Most Linux systems actually provide a few different methods for drawing graphics to the screen; there are options. However, the problem is that documentation is basically non-existent. So, I would like to explain here what you need to know to get started.
Please note that this tutorial assumes you have a basic knowledge of C, this is not a beginner tutorial, this is for people who are interested in something like learning more about how Linux works, or about programming for embedded systems, or just doing weird experimental stuff for fun.
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You can impress your spouse’s family this holiday season by writing C code for low-level graphics on Linux. They won’t know you are frantically typing comments to the example code and will be suitably impressed by compiling.
The other reason to mention this is the presence of Linux on embedded systems. Embedded systems such as in industrial controllers, monitoring equipment, etc. The more comfortable you are will such systems the easy they will be to explore.
Enjoy!