The Multi-Pointer X server

worufu writes "Some weeks after releasing the MPX (Multi-Pointer X Server), the Linux world slowly seems to draw attention to the project which opens up the limits of simultaneous input devices of the current X server. The future possibities are unlimited and I cannot wait to see some nice applications supporting the advantages of multiple input devices.
From the project description: 'The Multi-Pointer X Server is an enhanced X server to support multiple mice. It provides users with one cursor per device. Each cursor can operate independently. A multicursor windowing system allows two-handed interaction with legacy applications, but also the creation of innovative applications and user interfaces.'"

Comments

About time!

[MMC Monster]

I always wondered when multiple mice would be supported.

It's great for when someone remotely logs on to help a user with a problem.

Gameplay would be very interesting - Use one mouse to point and shoot while using another to move around.

You can tutor someone else on the same computer. Maybe have the mice look different so there's no confusion.

It's called the evdev interface...

[IBitOBear]

Um, I have a Logitech G5 mouse and X processesses all the buttions, the wheel works and the thing where you push the wheel left and right to do forward and back (e.g. a fourth axis) works just fine as well. [Note the "Name" option instead of spesifying the "Device" pathname, this lets me plug the mouse in, or not, without having to tweak any settings.]

See the complicated configuration:

Section "InputDevice"
                Identifier "Gaming Mouse"
                Driver "evdev"
                Option "Name" "Logitech USB Gaming Mouse"
EndSection

Now getting touchpad on my laptop to do all the cool stuff (up and back scroll buttions, iPod-like circular scrolling, etc) was a little more involved. I set a udev rule to make the device name explicit and I had to find the configuration entry on the net and cut-and-paste...

udev rule created in "new" file /etc/udev/rules.d/10-input.rules:

BUS="serio", SYSFS{description}="i8042 Aux Port", KERNEL="event?", SYMLINK="input/alps"

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier "Alps"
        Driver "synaptics"
        Option "Device" "/dev/input/alps"
        Option "CorePointer"
        Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
        Option "LeftEdge" "130"
        Option "RightEdge" "840"
        Option "TopEdge" "130"
        Option "BottomEdge" "640"
        Option "FingerLow" "12"
        Option "FingerHigh" "15"
        Option "MaxTapTime" "180"
        Option "MaxTapMove" "200"
        Option "MaxDoubleTapTime" "100"
        Option "EmulateMidButtonTime" "75"
        Option "VertScrollDelta" "20"
        Option "HorizScrollDelta" "20"
        Option "MinSpeed" "0.60"
        Option "MaxSpeed" "1.10"
        Option "AccelFactor" "0.030"
        Option "UpDownScrolling" "1"
        Option "CircularScrolling" "1"
        Option "CircScrollDelta" "0.1"
        Option "CircScrollTrigger" "2"
        Option "SHMConfig" "on"
        Option "Emulate3Buttons" "on"
EndSection

This is on ubuntu with the current "stock" 2.6.15 kernel and Xorg packages.