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GPL Linux Driver For The Synaptics cPad

Posted by timothy on from the snazzy-interface dept.

jki writes "A historical moment for Openchallenge as a challenge has now went through the full circle. 18th August Mace Moneta submitted a challenge to develop open source Linux drivers for the Synaptics cPad (cPad is an LCD-equipped touchpad that provides notebook users with a secondary display as well as touch interface and navigation) integrated to Toshiba Satellite 5100-501 for example. Now, today Rob Miller submitted the solution implementing GPL'd Linux drivers. I am so thrilled to see Openchallenge really working -- I hope this opens the flood gates!"

2 of 12 comments (clear)

  1. Good for embedded Linux? by bradams · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think this would be a good display / input option for single board computers (SBC) that do not need a full time display.

    Plug it in, check the config, move on to the next...

    --
    I like to build things and wire stuff together.
  2. Competition to MS's Pen Tablets! by JessLeah · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How hard would it be for a hobbyist geek to use one of these devices, commodity hardware, and a little cleverness (like that of those Mac hackers who would take apart a Powerbook, flip the keyboard back behind the display, mount it on a stand, and call it an iMac Jr.) to design the "OpenTablet" spec?

    Someone could make a fortune selling do-it-yourself kits with instructions... and of course the specs could be made open, for those of us (not me!) handy enough with a soldering iron and whatnot to make it ourselves...

    A pen tablet running something like Debian... would easily be the perfect antidote to MS's admittedly nifty-looking new pen tablets :)

    --
    Honey, I shrunk the Cygwin