Understand DRM driver internals by writing a minimal virtual DRM driver (as a kernel module).
| Project | Difficulty | Layer | Key APIs / Tools | |---------|------------|-------|------------------| | 1. EDID Dump | Beginner | Userspace / Kernel | sysfs, edid-decode | | 2. Simple KMS | Intermediate | Kernel (KMS) | libdrm, KMS legacy | | 3. Atomic Modesetting | Advanced | Kernel (Atomic) | libdrm, atomic ioctls | | 4. Minimal Wayland Compositor | Advanced | Userspace (Display Server) | wlroots, Wayland protocol | | 5. GPU SR-IOV | Expert | Kernel / Virtualization | vfio-pci, i915/amdgpu, QEMU | | 6. DRM Panel Driver Patch | Advanced | Kernel Driver | checkpatch, DRM panel API |
: Initialize a basic module, add a CRTC (Cathode Ray Tube Controller), an encoder, and a plane.
: Hardware that converts pixel streams to signals for the connectors. Hands On Projects For The Linux Graphics Subsystem
Place a breakpoint right after your application initializes its memory map ( mmap ) or dumb buffer allocation.
return 0;
To start, we need to choose a user-space graphics library, such as Mesa or X.org. Understand DRM driver internals by writing a minimal
Use Wireshark to capture graphics-related IOCTLs and understand how commands are dispatched to the driver.
: Use tools like Wireshark to capture and analyze how graphics requests are dispatched through the system. Key Learning Resources The Linux DRM Developer's Guide
Before you can control a graphics card, you need to find it. This project focuses on understanding how the Linux kernel maps graphics devices. Simple KMS | Intermediate | Kernel (KMS) |
Execute ioctl() calls using FBIOGET_FSCREENINFO and FBIOGET_VSCREENINFO to read fixed parameters (like line length) and variable parameters (like active resolution).
Intercept and inspect the OpenGL calls of a running application. Why: Debugging graphics is hard because calls go into a "black box." apitrace lets you see exactly what instructions are being sent to the driver.
: Bind your framebuffer to a chosen CRTC and active connector using drmModeSetCrtc() . Key Takeaway
I can provide the boilerplate initialization code or a list of required library dependencies to get your environment configured. Share public link
