Synaptics releases Gesture Suite extension for Linux

TOUCHPAD MAKER Synaptics has announced that it is bringing multi-touch to Linux with Gesture Suite.

Synaptics, a developer of human interface devices for mobile computing and communications, is extending its Gesture Suite software to Linux with added multi-touch functionality.

No doubt watching the Windows and Mac multi-touch market swell, Synaptics is offering full multi-touch gesture support in its Synaptics Gesture Suite for Linux (SGS-L) software drivers for an array of Linux distributions. These include Fedora, Millos Linpus, Red Flag, SuSE, Ubuntu, and Xandros.

Now open sourcerors will have the ability to do two-finger Scrolling, Pinchzoom, Twistrotate, Pivotrotate, three-finger Flick, three-finger Press, Momentum, and Chiralscrolling.

Gesture Suite is free for Synaptics manufacturing partners but the company hasn't said if it will be available for download.

"The Synaptics Gesture Suite for Linux enables our OEMs to leverage a broad range of gesture capabilities across Linux operating systems," said Ted Theocheung, head of Synaptics PC and digital home products and ecosystem.

Theocheung added that it "offers extensibility into new Linux flavours such as Google Chrome OS and additional support for touch-enabled remote control devices." µ