Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

xmodmap VS DirectFB

Compare xmodmap VS DirectFB and see what are their differences

xmodmap logo xmodmap

The xmodmap program is used to edit and display the keyboard modifier map and keymap table that are...

DirectFB logo DirectFB

DirectFB is a web-based platform that provides you with complete access to a software library that you can use for the acceleration of graphics, handling the input devices, and others for your Linux operating systems.
  • xmodmap Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-12
  • DirectFB Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-25

xmodmap features and specs

  • Flexibility
    xmodmap allows users to remap keys and buttons according to their preferences, providing high customization flexibility.
  • Simplicity
    The utility is straightforward and simple to use for basic key remapping tasks, making it accessible to users with varying technical skills.
  • Compatibility
    xmodmap is compatible with many UNIX-like operating systems and can be used in various desktop environments.

Possible disadvantages of xmodmap

  • Limited Features
    xmodmap lacks some advanced features and functionalities found in more modern key remapping tools.
  • Volatility
    Changes made with xmodmap are not persistent across sessions and need to be reapplied each time the user logs in.
  • Deprecated
    xmodmap is considered deprecated in favor of other tools like setxkbmap and can have compatibility issues with newer systems.

DirectFB features and specs

  • Performance
    DirectFB provides high-performance graphics operations on embedded systems by directly interfacing with the framebuffer, which can result in faster rendering compared to other graphics systems that use more layers of abstraction.
  • Resource Efficiency
    It is optimized for low resource usage, which makes it suitable for use on devices with limited processing power and memory, such as set-top boxes and other embedded systems.
  • Simplicity
    DirectFB offers a relatively straightforward API for 2D graphics operations, which can simplify the development process for applications that do not require the full complexity of OpenGL or similar libraries.
  • Support for Multiple Backends
    DirectFB supports various input and output backends, allowing for flexible integration with different types of hardware such as different graphics cards and input devices.

Possible disadvantages of DirectFB

  • Limited 3D Support
    While DirectFB is excellent for 2D operations, it lacks comprehensive support for 3D graphics compared to more modern graphics APIs like OpenGL or Vulkan, which might limit its use for applications requiring 3D rendering.
  • Obsolescence
    DirectFB has not seen significant updates or widespread adoption in recent years, which makes it less desirable for new projects compared to other graphics stacks that are actively developed and supported.
  • Platform Specificity
    It is designed primarily for Linux-based systems, which limits its portability to other operating systems, unlike more platform-agnostic graphics libraries.
  • Development Community
    The community and support around DirectFB are relatively small, which can make it more challenging to find help or resources when encountering issues during development.

xmodmap videos

Remap keys via xmodmap no longer works

More videos:

DirectFB videos

Odroid c1 directfb porting : booting time 14sec

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to xmodmap and DirectFB)
Note Taking
100 100%
0% 0
OS & Utilities
56 56%
44% 44
Window Manager
0 0%
100% 100
Automation
73 73%
27% 27

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, xmodmap seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

xmodmap mentions (1)

  • Unicode Character โ€œ๐•โ€ (U+1D54F)
    The character is used by another famous piece of software for what, 40 years? https://x.org/wiki/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago

DirectFB mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of DirectFB yet. Tracking of DirectFB recommendations started around Apr 2022.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing xmodmap and DirectFB, you can also consider the following products

Microsoft keyboard layout creator - Edit the windows keyboard layout.

Mir - The purpose of Mir is to enable the development of user interfaces shells.

Stick Shift - Stick Shift saves you time by removing repetitive changes to hand position when programming.

Y Window System - Y Window System is a platform that allows you to improve the speed, working, and efficiency of the application in your operating system and helps you to increase the responsiveness of applications similar to any locally based app.

Wayland - Wayland is intended as a simpler replacement for X, easier to develop and maintain.

KeyExtender - KeyExtender is a keyboard remapping tool which not only allow you to customize keyboard keys, but...