The NetBSD console and EndBASIC console may look identical at first glance, but the latter is a hybrid console that allows for text and overlapping graphics. This functionality is made possible by NetBSD’s wscons framework, which abstracts hardware details and allows for uniform treatment across various platforms. The wsdisplay and wskbd layered architectures under wscons handle console and input devices, respectively, with the ability to switch between text and graphics modes. By accessing framebuffer memory directly through the wsdisplay architecture, users can render graphics without X11 or Wayland, showcasing the system’s flexibility and capabilities beyond traditional text-based interfaces.
https://blogsystem5.substack.com/p/netbsd-graphics-wo-x11