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Linux 3.17 Kernel Released With Xbox One Controller Support
An anonymous reader writes The Linux 3.17 kernel was officially released today. Linux 3.17 presents a number of new features that include working open-source AMD Hawaii GPU support, an Xbox One controller driver, free-fall support for Toshiba laptops, numerous ARM updates, and other changes.
It doesn't, you can load it as a module.
...or run the alternative userspace driver, which linux supports doing as well.
What really should be the question is why can't even Microsoft, which despite their software reputation generally is well reguarded for input accessories, not present a consistent interface across different generations of controllers. It's not like there isn't an enumeration standard they could follow.
Someone had to do it.
Because the xbox controller is the de facto standard controller in windows and on steam. And Linus knows that to get Linux onto everyones desktop one of the biggest shortcomings in Linux is mainstream commercial software and games. Steam OS (which cqan be installed over linux and not just standalone) sorta fixes that so it helps if the OS already has controller support.
What I am waiting for is when Linux has out of the box support for those $1 usb bluetooth modules. They are a bitch to get working and really needed when youre setting up Linux as a HTPC and you dont want a huge IR module hanging out of your pc.
Microsoft didn't want to allow the Xbox One to accept Xbox 360 controllers, so they chose to scrap XInput support from the Xbox One controllers. That PC users can't use the controllers is just an unfortunate side-effect.
Benford's Corollary to Clarke's Law: "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."
And it can do towers of hanoi, web browsing, email, ftp, and it even includes an editor I think.