evdev

In computing, evdev (for event device) is a component of the Linux kernel for handling input (from keyboards, mice, joysticks, etc.) and a closely related input driver for the X.Org Server. The kernel component is glue code which translates input events from peripheral-specific drivers into a generic structure which the input driver can easily translate into X11 events. Thus every input device with a Linux driver is compatible with the X.Org input driver, making X.Org much easier to configure.

Most recent Linux distributions install evdev by default.

Using evdev makes it easier for the X.Org server to support hotplugging of input devices and allows advanced input devices, like multi-button mice and multimedia keyboards, to work correctly. The previous approach involved a kernel-level sink device 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.

External links

• "Linux Input drivers v1.0" by Vojtech Pavlik, 2001 (Linux kernel document, now somewhat dated)
• The evdev(4) man page at X.Org's website
• "linux input ecosystem" by Joe Shaw, 1 October 2010 (blog post)
• Multiterminal with evdev