Fbdump captures visible Linux framebuffer device contents. A simple tool that comes in handy for developers and users alike.
fbdump is a software tool that enables users to capture the visible portion of the Linux framebuffer device and produce a PPM file as the standard output. It functions as a screenshot tool that can process the content running on the framebuffer. fbdump supports packed-pixel framebuffer types, which includes VGA16 framebuffer driver. The inspiration behind fbdump comes from fbsnap, a program that lacks mention of its author in its source code. Although fbdump and fbsnap are different, fbdump is considerably more helpful as it supports the utilization of various pixel and color models.
Moreover, fbdump also operates on big- and little-endian architectures, making it reasonably fast, even though reading from video memory can be sluggish. This software was initially developed to provide a fast and simple way for getting several images from the framebuffer. While it may be possible to dump a raw framebuffer through an uncomplicated "cat /dev/fb0" or similar command, the outcomes are frequently not so useful. With fbdump, users can always count on getting a portable, 24-bit, true-color image since it takes care of any required pixel format or color-space conversion.
To save the image, fbdump uses PPM file format; it is cheap to write out and doesn't need to be linked to any external libraries. The x86 architecture currently compiles down the fbdump to an 8K executable after stripping. Converting PPMs to a more useful format is easy with NetPBM, for instance. Usage is simple, as the options are limited with only a few command-line options.
Users can specify the framebuffer device to grab from with the -fb option, and specify the virtual terminal number to foreground before grabbing with the -vt option. There's also the delay option, which delays seconds after switching and before grabbing. If no -fb switch is supplied, fbdump assumes grabbing from the /dev/fb0 device. Users can also specify the framebuffer through the FRAMEBUFFER environmental variable.
The latest release of the fbdump contains a fix for long-standing bugs in handling color maps, support for 64-bit architectures, and cleaning up. With the ease of use and simplicity of this screenshot software, it's no wonder it's a go-to option for many users.
Moreover, fbdump also operates on big- and little-endian architectures, making it reasonably fast, even though reading from video memory can be sluggish. This software was initially developed to provide a fast and simple way for getting several images from the framebuffer. While it may be possible to dump a raw framebuffer through an uncomplicated "cat /dev/fb0" or similar command, the outcomes are frequently not so useful. With fbdump, users can always count on getting a portable, 24-bit, true-color image since it takes care of any required pixel format or color-space conversion.
To save the image, fbdump uses PPM file format; it is cheap to write out and doesn't need to be linked to any external libraries. The x86 architecture currently compiles down the fbdump to an 8K executable after stripping. Converting PPMs to a more useful format is easy with NetPBM, for instance. Usage is simple, as the options are limited with only a few command-line options.
Users can specify the framebuffer device to grab from with the -fb option, and specify the virtual terminal number to foreground before grabbing with the -vt option. There's also the delay option, which delays seconds after switching and before grabbing. If no -fb switch is supplied, fbdump assumes grabbing from the /dev/fb0 device. Users can also specify the framebuffer through the FRAMEBUFFER environmental variable.
The latest release of the fbdump contains a fix for long-standing bugs in handling color maps, support for 64-bit architectures, and cleaning up. With the ease of use and simplicity of this screenshot software, it's no wonder it's a go-to option for many users.
What's New
Version 0.4.2: N/A