diff --git a/fggl/CMakeLists.txt b/fggl/CMakeLists.txt
index 4e91e98df5050d043205853e86db5a90607761bf..baa89489ec1371668d7afb836166972744491b17 100644
--- a/fggl/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/fggl/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ add_subdirectory(phys/bullet)
 # Debug backend
 add_subdirectory(debug)
 
+# platform integrations
+add_subdirectory(platform)
+
 ##
 # begin windows support
 ##
diff --git a/fggl/platform/CMakeLists.txt b/fggl/platform/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5895d7d4093503cd44a7586e8370daf9b5adf9cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fggl/platform/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+if ( CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME MATCHES "Linux" )
+    add_subdirectory(linux)
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/fggl/platform/linux/CMakeLists.txt b/fggl/platform/linux/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..baafc294c2ee4bb9999032d8e46e527013927caf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fggl/platform/linux/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+find_package(Fontconfig)
+target_link_libraries(fggl PRIVATE Fontconfig::Fontconfig)
+
+target_sources( fggl
+    PRIVATE
+        fonts.cpp
+)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/fggl/platform/linux/fonts.cpp b/fggl/platform/linux/fonts.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..49db2f848ffb4c3abaffd86a995cbffe395e6a19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fggl/platform/linux/fonts.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of FGGL.
+ *
+ * FGGL is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any
+ * later version.
+ *
+ * FGGL 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 Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with FGGL.
+ * If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+//
+// Created by webpigeon on 23/06/22.
+//
+
+#include <fontconfig/fontconfig.h>
+
+namespace fggl::platform::Linux {
+
+	void get_font() {
+	/*	FcConfig *config = FcInitLoadConfigAndFonts();
+		FcPattern* pat = FcPatternCreate();
+		FcObjectSet* os = FcObjectSetBuild(FC_FAMILY, FC_STYLE, FC_WEIGHT, FC_SLANT, FC_PIXEL_SIZE, FC_SIZE, nullptr);
+		FcFontSet* fs = FcFontList(config, pat, os);
+
+		if ( fs ) {
+			FcFontSetDestroy(fs);
+		}*/
+	}
+
+} // namespace fggl::platform::linux
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/fggl/platform/linux/paths.hpp b/include/fggl/platform/linux/paths.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..6a66d5f732a24ab5f20b703fe6748d515959b526
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/fggl/platform/linux/paths.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of FGGL.
+ *
+ * FGGL is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any
+ * later version.
+ *
+ * FGGL 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 Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with FGGL.
+ * If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+//
+// Low-Level Linux-specific path management
+// Created by webpigeon on 23/06/22.
+// see https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html
+//
+
+#ifndef FGGL_PLATFORM_LINUX_PATHS_HPP
+#define FGGL_PLATFORM_LINUX_PATHS_HPP
+
+#include <filesystem>
+#include <array>
+
+namespace fggl::platform::Linux {
+
+	constexpr const char* ENV_USER_CONFIG = "XDG_CONFIG_HOME";
+	constexpr const char* EVN_USER_DATA = "XDG_DATA_HOME";
+	constexpr const char* ENV_USER_CACHE = "XDG_CACHE_HOME";
+
+	constexpr const char* ENV_DATA_DIRS = "XDG_DATA_DIRS";
+	constexpr const char* ENV_CONFIG_DIRS = "XDG_CONFIG_DIRS";
+
+	// fallback user paths defined in the XDG spec
+	constexpr const char* DEFAULT_USER_CONFIG = "~/.config";
+	constexpr const char* DEFAULT_USER_DATA = "~/.local/share";
+	constexpr const char* DEFAULT_USER_CACHE = "~/.cache";
+
+	// fallback search paths defined in the XDG spec
+	constexpr const std::array<const char*, 2> DEFAULT_DATA_DIRS = {"/usr/local/share/", "/usr/share/"};
+	constexpr const std::array<const char*, 1> DEFAULT_CONFIG_DIRS = {"/etc/xdg"};
+
+	// search routines for finding data and configuration files
+	std::filesystem::path locate_data(const std::string& base, const std::filesystem::path& relPath);
+	std::filesystem::path locate_config(const std::string& base, const std::filesystem::path& relPath);
+
+	// helper functions for getting file pointers
+	FILE* open_user_config(std::string& base, const std::filesystem::path& relPath);
+	FILE* open_user_config_rw(std::string& base, const std::filesystem::path& relPath, bool create = true);
+
+	FILE* open_user_cache(std::string& base, const std::filesystem::path& relPath);
+	FILE* open_user_cache_rw(std::string& base, const std::filesystem::path& relPath, bool create = true);
+
+	FILE* open_user_data(std::string& base, const std::filesystem::path& relPath);
+	FILE* open_user_data_rw(std::string& base, const std::filesystem::path& relPath, bool create = true);
+
+	// game data is always read only
+	FILE* open_game_data(std::string& base, const std::filesystem::path& relPath);
+}
+
+#endif //FGGL_PLATFORM_LINUX_PATHS_HPP