---
name: "fbgrab"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "fbgrab"
version: "1.5-3"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/fbgrab"
---

# fbgrab(1)

takes screenshots using the framebuffer device

## NAME

**fbgrab** - takes screenshots using the framebuffer device

## SYNOPSIS

**fbgrab \[options\] filename**

## DESCRIPTION

**fbgrab** reads the **framebuffer device** (/dev/fb\*) or a dump thereof and saves a **PNG** image file. You can use it for making screenshots of of virtually any application, from traditional test applications to your X-windows desktop, as well as framebuffer applications.

## OPTIONS

- **-?**

  print usage information.

- **-a**

  ignore the alpha channel with drivers incorrectly setting but not  supporting an alpha channel.

- **-b bitdepth**

  the number of bits per pixel used, optional when reading from device.

- **-c console**

  specifies which **console** (or virtual terminal - like other people call this feature) to grab. Sometimes this changing is faster then the framebuffer is refreshed (especially when grabbing framebuffer apps). If so, you should **use -C console** ... This waits some time before grabbing. You can't use **-s** in this case.

- **-d device**

  specifies which framebuffer device you want to read. If you do not use this option, it takes the value from the **FRAMEBUFFER** environment variable. If no FRAMEBUFFER environment variable is given or if its value is **NULL**, then DEFAULT\_FB is taken. (see source code), which usually is /dev/fb0.

- **-f filename**

  Read from from file instead of device, requires that -w (width), -h (height) and -b (bitdepth) are specified.

- **-h height**

  the height of the framebuffer in pixels, optional when reading from device.

- **-i interlacing**

  turns **off** interlacing. If you do not want **ADAM7 interlacing**, you should use the **-i** option.

- **-l line length, a.k.a. stride.**

  the length in pixels between the start of each row in the framebuffer, which might be larger or equal to width. Optional when reading from device.

- **-s seconds**

  specifies how many seconds to wait before grabbing. **fbshot** does not lock console switching, so you can switch it while waiting, if you cannot use -c requires normally that fbgrab is run as root.

- **-v verbose**

  be verbose

- **-w width**

  the width of the frambeuffer in pixels, optional when reading from device.

- **-z compression level**

  set png compression level 0 (fast) to 9 (best).

## TODO

\* Low-end bit depths, eg 1, 2, 4 & 8 bits.

- \* Companion program fbput that would display a picture in the frambuffer.

  - \* Better utilization of the PNG-lib, all formats are first converted to 32 bitdepth and then stored as PNG - hardly the right approach.

  ## EXAMPLES

fbgrab fb.png

will take a framebuffer snapshot, or if you don't have fbgrab at your machine, you can do

cp /dev/fb0 framebuffer.dump

and then

fbgrab -w 1024 -h 768 -l 2048 -b 16 -f framebuffer.dump fb.png

to convert it to a picture.

## AUTHOR

Written by Gunnar Monell \<gunnar.monell@gmail.com\>. Basically a rewrite of fbshot by Stephan Beyer \<fbshot@s-beyer.de\>

## COPYRIGHT (C)

(C) 2002-2020 Gunnar Monell \<gunnar.monell@gmail.com\>

(C) 2000 Stephan Beyer \<fbshot@s-beyer.de\>

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.