Multi-Pointer X Support For GTK+

Multi-Pointer X support won't be enabled by default in the forthcoming release of X Server 1.6 even though it landed in the mainline code-base last year. This technology to allow for multiple input devices to be used on Linux simultaneously will not be enabled by default until X Input 2.0 arrives with X Server 1.7 later this year. However, that isn't stopping GNOME developers from already working on GTK+ support for X Input 2.0 and Multi-Pointer X.

Carlos Garnacho has been working on adding X Input 2.0 support to the GDK by adding in a GtkDeviceGroup multidevice-event signal. The GtkDeviceGroup is a container for grouping GdkDevices, hence its name. There has also been a few API changes to GTK+ and other work to incorporate X Input 2.0 / MPX. There is also a fair amount of work left, which is detailed on the GTK+ MPX Wiki.

More information on the work done by Carlos can be found on his blog. There is a GTK+ MPX Git repository for those interested in trying out a version of GTK+ with multiple pointers before it enters the mainline GTK+ code-base.