[kaminkatze]

Pixel based, kindle 3 game of life.

Spoiler:

#!/bin/sh

#===========================
# initvar - init global vars
# usage: initvar w h
#---------------------------
initvar() {
  DZ=/dev/zero DN=/dev/null DF=/dev/fb0 BF=/tmp/fb0
  FW=$1 FH=$2 MX=$(($1-1)) MY=$(($2-1))
  LL=300 D='0' L='F'
}

#===========================
# usage: load x y name
#---------------------------
load() {
  local x=$1 y=$2 name=$3
  case "$name" in
  glider)
    setpix $DF $((x+1)) $y $L
    setpix $DF $((x+2)) $((y+1)) $L
    setpix $DF $x $((y+2)) $L
    setpix $DF $((x+1)) $((y+2)) $L
    setpix $DF $((x+2)) $((y+2)) $L ;;
  esac; eips ''
}

#===================================
# usage: setpix f x y v
#-----------------------------------
setpix() {
  local x=$((($2+$FW)%$FW)) y=$((($3+$FH)%$FH))
  local b=$(hexdump -s $(($y*LL+$x/2)) -n 1 -e '"%02X"' $1)
  { [[ $(($x%2)) == 0 ]] && echo -en "\x$4${b#?}" || echo -en "\x${b%?}$4"; } \
  | dd of=$1 bs=1 count=1 seek=$(($y*LL+$x/2)) 2>$DN
}

#===================================
# usage: getpix f x y
#-----------------------------------
getpix() {
  local x=$((($2+$FW)%$FW)) y=$((($3+$FH)%$FH))
  local b=$(hexdump -s $(($y*LL+$x/2)) -n 1 -e '"%02X"' $1)
  [[ $(($x%2)) == 0 ]] && echo ${b%?} || echo ${b#?}
}

#===================================
# update - update field
#-----------------------------------
update() {
  local bl=0 bm=0 br=0 cl=0 cm=0 cr=0 tl=0 tm=0 tr=0 c
  cat $DF > $BF
  for x in $(seq 0 $MX); do
  for y in -1 0; do
    tl=$cl tm=$cm tr=$cr cl=$bl cm=$bm cr=$br
    bl=$(getpix $BF $((x-1)) $y | tr 'F' '1')
    bm=$(getpix $BF $x $y | tr 'F' '1')
    br=$(getpix $BF $((x+1)) $y | tr 'F' '1')
  done
  for y in $(seq 0 $MY); do
    tl=$cl tm=$cm tr=$cr cl=$bl cm=$bm cr=$br
    bl=$(getpix $BF $((x-1)) $((y+1)) | tr 'F' '1')
    bm=$(getpix $BF $x $((y+1)) | tr 'F' '1')
    br=$(getpix $BF $((x+1)) $((y+1)) | tr 'F' '1')
    c=$((bl+bm+br+cl+cr+tl+tm+tr))
    v=$(getpix $BF $x $y)
    [[ $c -lt 2 -o $c -gt 3 ]] && v=$D
    [[ $c -eq 3 ]] && v=$L
    setpix $DF $x $y $v 
  done; done; eips ''
}

#===================================
# loop - update loop
# usage: loop steps
#-----------------------------------
loop() {
  local c=$1 p=0
  while [[ $p -lt $c ]]; do
    update; p=$((p+1))
  done
}

eips -c
initvar 8 8
load 0 0 glider
loop 1

(Hope I haven't violated to many of your style constrains.)