Qtopia Core applications write directly to the framebuffer, eliminating the need for the X Window System and saving memory. For development and debugging purposes, a virtual framebuffer can be used, allowing Qtopia Core programs to be developed on a desktop machine, without switching between consoles and X11.

QVFb is an X11 application supplied with Qt/X11 that provides a virtual framebuffer for Qtopia Core to use. To use it, you need to configure and install Qt/X11 according

The virtual framebuffer emulates a framebuffer using a shared memory region and the qvfb tool to display the framebuffer in a window. The qvfb tool also supports a feature known as a skin which can be used to change the look and feel of the display. The tool is located in Qt's tools/qvfb directory, and provides several additional features accessible through its File and View menus.

Please note that the virtual framebuffer is a development tool only. No security issues have been considered in the virtual framebuffer design. It should be avoided in a production environment, i.e. do not configure production libraries with the -qvfb option.