Xorg7 Input Drivers

Introduction to libevdev

The libevdev package contains common functions for Xorg input drivers.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS 12.4 platform.

Package Information

libevdev Dependencies

Optional

"doxygen", "valgrind" (optional for tests), and check (required for tests)

Kernel Configuration

Enable the following options in the kernel configuration and recompile the kernel if necessary:

Device Drivers --->
  Input device support --->
    -*-   Generic input layer (needed for keyboard, mouse, ...)          [INPUT]
    <*/M>   Event interface                                        [INPUT_EVDEV]

If you want to test this package with full coverage, the following options are needed as well:

Device Drivers --->
  Input device support --->
    -*- Generic input layer (needed for keyboard, mouse, ...)            [INPUT]
    [*]   Miscellaneous devices --->                                [INPUT_MISC]
      <*/M>   User level driver support                           [INPUT_UINPUT]

If you build this as a module, it needs to be inserted before the test suite runs.

Installation of libevdev

Prepare libevdev by running the following commands:

meson setup build --prefix=/usr \
      --buildtype=release       \
      -D documentation=disabled \
      -D tests=disabled

ninja -C build

The test suite requires Check that we've removed from LFS.

Now Install, as the root user:

ninja -C build install

Command Explanations

-D tests=disabled: This allows the package to compile if Check is not installed. We've removed Check from LFS.

Contents

Introduction to Libinput

libinput is a library that handles input devices for display servers and other applications that need to directly deal with input devices.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS 12.4 platform.

Package Information

libinput Dependencies

Required

libevdev-1.13.6 and mtdev-1.1.7

Optional

"valgrind" (to run the tests), GTK3 (to build the GUI event viewer), "libunwind" (required for tests), "doxygen", and check (for another non-root test)

Kernel Configuration for Running the Libinput Test Suite

Although libinput works with the same kernel configuration used by libevdev-1.13.6, its standard and more expansive test suite requires the presence of /dev/uinput (as well as both "valgrind" and "libunwind").

If you wish to run the standard test suite, enable the following option in the kernel configuration and recompile the kernel if necessary:

Device Drivers --->
  Input device support --->
    -*- Generic input layer (needed for keyboard, mouse, ...)            [INPUT]
    [*]   Miscellaneous devices --->                                [INPUT_MISC]
      <*/M>   User level driver support                           [INPUT_UINPUT]

If you build this as a module, it needs to be inserted before the test suite runs.

Installation of Libinput

Prepare libinput by running the following commands:

meson setup build --prefix=/usr \
      --buildtype=release       \
      -D debug-gui=false        \
      -D tests=false            \
      -D libwacom=false         \
      -D udev-dir=/usr/lib/udev

ninja -C build

Many tests are skipped unless running the test suite as the root user. To run those tests, as the root user issue: meson test --suite=root. To test the package, issue:

cd build
meson configure -D tests=true
ninja test
cd ..

Now Install, as the root user:

ninja -C build install

Note

If you have passed -D documentation=true to meson, you can install the generated documentation by running the following commands as the root user:

install -v -dm755 /usr/share/doc/libinput-1.29.2/html
cp -rv Documentation/* /usr/share/doc/libinput-1.29.2/html

Command Explanations

-D debug-gui=false: This switch disables creation of a visual debug helper for libinput. Remove if you want it, and you have "GTK3" installed.

-D tests=false: This switch disables compilation of the standard test suite. Even with the tests defined as false, you can still run the first six minor tests as a regular user, but one will be skipped if "pyparsing" is not installed, and another one if "pytest" is not installed.

-D libwacom=false: Remove this option if you have libwacom installed, or if you are installing GNOME.

-D udev-dir=/usr/lib/udev does no harm.

-D documentation=true: This switch enables generation of the documentation. Add it if you want to generate the documentation. See the optional dependencies required to build documentation.

Contents

Introduction to XF86-input-evdev

The XF86-input-evdev package contains a Generic Linux input driver for the Xorg X server. It handles keyboard, mouse, touchpads and wacom devices, though for touchpad and wacom advanced handling, additional drivers are required.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS 12.4 platform.

Package Information

Xorg Evdev Driver Dependencies

Required

libevdev-1.13.6, mtdev-1.1.7, and Xorg-Server-21.1.21

Installation of Xorg Evdev Driver

Prepare Xorg Evdev Driver by running the following commands:

./configure --prefix=/usr   \
        --sysconfdir=/etc    \
        --localstatedir=/var \
        --disable-static

Now Build the package, issue:

make

This package does not come with a test suite.

Now Install, as the root user:

make install

Contents

Introduction to Xorg Libinput Driver

The X.Org Libinput Driver is a thin wrapper around libinput and allows for libinput to be used for input devices in X. This driver can be used as drop-in replacement for evdev and synaptics.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS 12.4 platform.

Package Information

Xorg Libinput Driver Dependencies

Required

libinput-1.29.2 and Xorg-Server-21.1.21

Installation of Xorg Libinput Driver

Prepare Xorg Libinput Driver by running the following commands:

./configure --prefix=/usr   \
        --sysconfdir=/etc    \
        --localstatedir=/var \
        --disable-static

Now Build the package, issue:

make

To test the results, issue:

make check

Now Install, as the root user:

make install

Contents

Introduction to Xorg Synaptics Driver

The Xorg Synaptics Driver package contains the X.Org Input Driver, support programs and SDK for Synaptics touchpads. Even though the evdev driver can handle touchpads very well, this driver is required if you want to use advanced features like multi tapping, scrolling with touchpad, turning the touchpad off while typing, etc.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS 12.4 platform.

Package Information

Xorg Synaptics Driver Dependencies

Required

libevdev-1.13.6 and Xorg-Server-21.1.21

Installation of Xorg Synaptics Driver

Prepare Xorg Synaptics Driver by running the following commands:

./configure --prefix=/usr   \
        --sysconfdir=/etc    \
        --localstatedir=/var \
        --disable-static

Now Build the package, issue:

make

This package does not come with a test suite.

Now Install, as the root user:

make install

Contents

Introduction to Xorg Wacom Driver

The Xorg Wacom Driver package contains the X.Org X11 driver and SDK for Wacom and Wacom-like tablets. It is not required to use a Wacom tablet, the xf86-input-evdev driver can handle these devices without problems.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS 12.4 platform.

Package Information

Xorg Wacom Drivers Dependencies

Required

Xorg-Server-21.1.21

Optional

"doxygen" and "graphviz"

Kernel Configuration

To use a Wacom tablet with USB interface, enable the following options in your kernel configuration and recompile. Note that other configuration options could be required for tablet with a serial or bluetooth interface:

Device Drivers --->
  [*] HID bus support --->                                         [HID_SUPPORT]
    {*/M} HID bus core support                                             [HID]
      Special HID drivers --->
      <*/M>   Wacom Intuos/Graphire tablet support (USB)             [HID_WACOM]
    USB HID support --->
      <*/M> USB HID transport layer                                    [USB_HID]
  [*] USB support --->                                             [USB_SUPPORT]
    <*/M> Support for Host-side USB                                        [USB]

Installation of Xorg Wacom Driver

Prepare Xorg Wacom Driver by running the following commands:

./configure --prefix=/usr   \
        --sysconfdir=/etc    \
        --localstatedir=/var \
        --disable-static

Now Build the package, issue:

make

To test the results, issue:

make check

Now Install, as the root user:

make install

Contents