Multitouch with Kernel 2.6.30
Linux and multitouch input also work without X.org and with help from the new Kernel 2.6.30. Three French students show how it's done.
Mohamed-Ikbel Boulabiar, Stephane Chatty and Sebastien Hamdani of the Interactive Computing Lab of the French Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC) in Toulouse have demonstrated that Linux can transform into a multitouch system with the help of the new kernel. A patch by kernel developer Henrik Rydberg for the Linux input system makes it possible.
A demo video on the project webpage shows how it looks in practice: what you need is a computer with surfaces from Broadcom 5974, Stantum, NTrig or DiamondTouch, Kernel 2.6.30 and Compiz with a DBus plugin. To rotate or scale windows, you also need the Freewins plugin. The demo reads input directly from the /dev/input/eventX device file. X Server plays absolutely no role at this point.
As the developers report, we're talking about a simple prototype. However, they hope that the adapted touchscreen drivers will land in Kernel 2.6.31. The demo also brings up the question whether X.org might improve handling of multitouch kernel events. The demo code and Stantum multitouch tablet driver and NTrig multitouch screen driver sources are available off the webpage.
Issue 259/2022
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
System76 Teams up with HP to Create the Dev One Laptop
HP and System76 have come together to develop a new laptop, powered by Pop!_OS and aimed toward developers.
-
Titan Linux is a New KDE Linux Based on Debian Stable
Titan Linux is a new Debian-based Linux distribution that features the KDE Plasma desktop with a focus on usability and performance.
-
Danielle Foré Has an Update for elementary OS 7
Now that Ubuntu 22.04 has been released, the team behind elementary OS is preparing for the upcoming 7.0 release.
-
Linux New Media Launches Open Source JobHub
New job website focuses on connecting technical and non-technical professionals with organizations in open source.
-
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 Now Available
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 has been released with all the additions from upstream as well as other features and improvements.
-
Pop!_OS 22.04 Has Officially Been Released
From the makers of some of the finest Linux-powered desktop and laptop computers on the market comes the latest version of their Ubuntu-based distribution, Pop!_OS 22.04.
-
Star Labs Unveils a New Small Format Linux PC
The Byte Mk I is an AMD-powered mini Linux PC with Coreboot support and plenty of power.
-
MX Linux Verison 21.1 “Wildflower” Now Available
The latest release of the systemd-less MX Linux is now ready for public consumption.
-
Microsoft Expands Their Windows Subsystem for Linux Offerings With AlmaLinux
Anyone who works with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) will now find a new addition to the available distributions, one that’s become the front-runner replacement for CentOS.
-
Debian 11.3 Released wIth Numerous Bug and Security Fixes
The latest point release for Debian Bullseye is now available with some very important updates.