Author: tom000
Date: 2007-03-06 17:37:19
Framebuffer is a Linux device responsibility for displaying graphics in console. It's don't need any additional programs-servers to work, which are usually using by Linux's users in this purpose.
I saying here specially 'Linux's users' because I don't know how this case looks in another unix operating systems, but I think that they can be equipped in devices this type. In case of other operating systems than Linux this method doesn't work because here we need modify Linux kernel.
One of the most popular framebuffer is used to change system console resolution. This operation lets to users get more comfortable in moving on system dictionaries and files by console. Framebuffer can be used to viewing graphics files, pdf's or video clips.
Choosing controller
To prepare system to framebuffer handling first we need to recompile kernel in specific way. I show here method of compile kernel with vesafb-tng controller.
First we need to download kernel's patch, which let to use this controller. Vesafb-tng is a project build up by polish developer of Gentoo Linux – Michał Januszewski. This controller let get in console nonstandard resolution (ex. for panoramic screens), which default controller vesafb didn't support. This file may be downloaded from website http://dev.gentoo.org/~spock/projects/vesafb-tng/ and file name is vesafb-tng-***.patch. To make vesafb-tng works patch should be downloaded adequate to used kernel in system.
Kernel preparing
When downloading is finished we are going to directory where kernel sources are unpacked and updating them by command:
cat patch_to/vesafb-tng.patch | patch -p1
To compile this controller to kernel we using command:
make menuconfig
and going to Device Drivers > Graphics support. I we don't have build framebuffer in kernel yet then selecting Support for frame buffer devices and next VESA VGA graphics support and choosing controller vesafb-tng, changing by the way console resolution:
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