“XFree86 isn’t the be-all end-all of Linux graphics.
Consider the embedded space, or dedicated turnkey apps, or console
games, or… Jay Link introduces readers to SVGAlib in a
flawed, but entertaining and useful tutorial. (If you’ve never
heard of SVGAlib, it’s a Linux-specific graphics library providing
fast functions for full-screen use, joystick and keyboard input,
and even 3D. It’s undergone development and refinement for a few
years, and it’s easy to use but still powerful.)”
“More than a listing of SVGAlib functions and their uses, the
author covers a wide scope of graphics topics. They’re all explored
in the context of SVGAlib, but the basic principles apply to other
libraries. Monitors display information the same way, polygons and
primitives have the same algorithms, and something has to save the
background before you draw something over top of it. The first
three chapters cover libraries, competing tools, graphics modes,
hardware fundamentals, and the primitive primitives. It’s a good
introduction to graphics in general.”
“Starting simply, SVGAlib functions obviously build on each
other. For the most part, so do the chapters. Once you’ve mastered
setting pixels and drawing lines, it’s time to draw circles and
arcs or fill in your shapes. You’ll want fonts after that, and then
animation. Basically, this is a book you can read straight through
with little trouble. Link travels a lot of ground — input devices,
3D development, raytracing, animation, and user interfaces.
Appendices B and C list and describe the vga and vgagl functions of
SVGAlib. Though usually short, the descriptions have information
enough to be useful to a casual programmer, often listing caveats
and gotchas.”