evdev is an input driver for the X11 X.Org Server, utilizing the generic input event layer of the Linux kernel. By extension, this name is sometimes applied to Linux's input layer itself. evdev relies on kernel drivers to communicate with the hardware. It is an example of glue code, because its only job is to translate kernel input events into X events.
evdev comes installed by default in most Linux distributions. It is also the fundamental technology behind input device hotplugging in X.org. A new instance of the driver is loaded every time a new input device is attached to the computer. This allows advanced input devices, like multi-button mice and multimedia keyboards, to work correctly. The previous approach involved a kernel-level sink devices emulating a PS/2 mouse and an AT keyboard, which collected events from all input devices, while the X server was configured for one keyboard and one mouse.
References
- Multiterminal with evdev (a protocol)
 |
This Linux-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
