How do I handle the different pixel formats between Android and desktop in MiniFB?

Use the MFB_RGB macro for platform-agnostic pixel creation. For external data like images from stb_image, you must swap red and blue channels on desktop or Android based on the source format, as explained in the Android pixel format notes.

MiniFB vs SDL for simple C graphics: which should I choose?

MiniFB is lighter and focused solely on windowing and pixel rendering, while SDL offers more features like audio and networking. Pick MiniFB for raw pixel control; SDL for a comprehensive media framework.

Does MiniFB support multi-touch on Android and iOS?

Yes, but touches are mapped to mouse callbacks with IDs packed into coordinates. Use mfb_decode_touch() to extract position and ID, as described in the input state queries section.

How to set up MiniFB for WebAssembly with Emscripten?

Specify the Emscripten toolchain in CMake with -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE, build the project, and serve the output with an HTTP server. The README includes steps for HTML integration and canvas management.

Can I use shaders with MiniFB for graphics effects?

No, MiniFB is designed for raw pixel buffers and doesn't support shaders. You'd need to implement effects in software on the CPU or integrate a separate rendering library.

What are the limitations of MiniFB on Wayland compared to X11?

Wayland support is less mature; some window flags are ignored, and it may block in mfb_update_ex() while waiting for compositor callbacks. Protocol compatibility might require regenerating files with system tools.

Open-Awesome

MiniFB

MITC

A small cross-platform C library for creating windows and rendering 32-bit pixel buffers.

GitHub

1.3k stars97 forks0 contributors

What is MiniFB?

MiniFB is a cross-platform C library that creates windows and renders 32-bit pixel buffers with minimal overhead. It solves the problem of writing portable low-level graphics code by abstracting platform-specific windowing and input APIs, allowing developers to focus on pixel manipulation rather than system integration.

Target Audience

C and C++ developers building pixel-based graphics applications, simple games, demoscene productions, or educational tools who need a lightweight, portable windowing solution without the complexity of larger frameworks.

Value Proposition

Developers choose MiniFB for its extreme simplicity, small codebase, and broad platform support—from desktop and mobile to web and even legacy systems like DOS. It provides just enough abstraction to be portable while staying close to the metal.

Overview

MiniFB is a small cross platform library to create a frame buffer that you can draw pixels in

Use Cases

Best For

Building simple 2D games or demos in C/C++
Creating educational graphics programming examples
Developing cross-platform pixel art tools
Porting legacy DOS graphics code to modern systems
Prototyping low-level graphics algorithms
Embedding lightweight graphics in WASM applications

Not Ideal For

Applications requiring built-in GUI widgets, text rendering, or complex UI controls
High-performance 3D games or simulations needing shader pipelines and advanced graphics APIs
Projects where consistent keyboard input across all platforms (e.g., on iOS or Android) is non-negotiable
Teams wanting a plug-and-play solution without managing platform-specific build flags and dependencies

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cross-Platform Abstraction

Provides a unified API for window creation and input handling across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web, and DOS, enabling a single codebase for diverse targets as highlighted in the platform support matrix.

Minimal API Footprint

Offers a small set of functions focused on pixel buffer updates and basic events, reducing integration complexity—exemplified by the quick start example requiring only a few calls.

Performance-Oriented Backends

Utilizes hardware-accelerated APIs like OpenGL on Windows/Linux and Metal on macOS by default, with built-in frame rate control and vertical sync where supported.

Broad Platform Reach

Supports niche environments like WebAssembly and MS-DOS, including debugging tools for DOSBox-x, making it unique for retro computing or embedded web graphics.

Cons

Inconsistent Feature Support

Some platforms lack key features; for instance, iOS has no keyboard callbacks, Android input is limited, and Wayland requires protocol regeneration for compatibility, as noted in the limitations table.

Complex Build Configuration

Requires different CMake flags and dependencies per platform (e.g., libwayland-dev for Wayland or specific X11 packages), which can complicate multi-platform setup and maintenance.

Pixel Format Inconsistencies

Android uses RGBA byte order while desktop uses BGRA, forcing manual swizzling for external image data to avoid color swaps, as detailed in the Android pixel format section.

Frequently Asked Questions

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