SkiaSharp GTK4 Linux Support

[czirok]

GTK4 support for Linux with GirCore - seeking feedback on integration approach

Context & Motivation

I have developed GTK4 support for the SkiaSharp.Views ecosystem built on GirCore .NET bindings. Gir.Core provides C# bindings for several GObject based libraries like GTK for user interfaces.

The motivation: Modern Linux desktops primarily target GTK4, and there's a need for a native, Skia-based solution that fits the SkiaSharp.Views.* family pattern.

What I've Built

The SkiaSharp.Views.GirCore package provides:

• Native GTK4 + Cairo rendering
• 100% compatibility with SkiaSharp.Views.Desktop patterns
• Linux x64 and ARM64 support (only x64 tested so far)

Implementation Details

Main Components:

• SKDrawingArea widget (based on GTK4 DrawingArea)
• Cairo backend integration
• Locale fix module (LC_NUMERIC setting required for SVG Path)

Technical Stack:

• .NET 8.0+
• GirCore 0.7.0-preview.1
• GTK4 + Cairo + SkiaSharp

Testing & Real-World Usage

Tested on Platforms:
Arch Linux (latest), Debian Bookworm (12), Ubuntu Plucky Puffin (25.04), Fedora Adams (42), OpenSUSE Tumbleweed (latest), Ubuntu Noble Numbat (24.04), CentOS Stream 10

Production Applications (with full AOT support):

• N-body simulation (8.7MB AOT binary) https://github.com/czirok/apps/blob/main/apps/N-body/README.md
• Gomoku game (9.3MB AOT binary) https://github.com/czirok/apps/blob/main/apps/Gomoku/README.md

Sample Programs:
Multiple working examples demonstrate the integration capabilities:

• LiveCharts2 GTK integration (sample program available, but Map is not yet AOT compatible due to JSON serialization) https://github.com/czirok/apps/tree/main/samples#livecharts2-gtk-with-gircore-and-skiasharp
• GirCore MAUI Graphics SkiaSharp tester https://github.com/czirok/apps/tree/main/samples#gircore-maui-graphics-skiasharp-tester
• Quick Start examples https://github.com/czirok/apps/tree/main/samples#quick-start-1

Current Availability

• NuGet: SkiaSharp.Views.GirCore 3.119.0-preview.6 https://www.nuget.org/packages/SkiaSharp.Views.GirCore/
• Source Code: https://github.com/czirok/apps/tree/main/src/SkiaSharp.Views.GirCore
• Documentation: https://github.com/czirok/apps/blob/main/src/SkiaSharp.Views.GirCore/README.md

What I'd Like to Discuss

I'm interested in contributing this to the official SkiaSharp repository and would like feedback on:

1. Naming convention - Should it remain SkiaSharp.Views.GirCore or be renamed to SkiaSharp.Views.Gtk4? I recommend keeping the current name.
2. Integration approach - What would be the best way to integrate this into the mono/SkiaSharp repository structure?
3. Package ownership - I can transfer the NuGet package with appropriate modifications if the name stays the same
4. Maintenance commitment - I'm committed to long-term development and support of this component

The package has been stable in production use and I believe it fills an important gap for Linux desktop application development with SkiaSharp.

Looking forward to your thoughts and feedback!