xorg-server 1.8.0 released

xorg-server 1.8.0 has been released.

There will still be some bugs and issues to resolve — but this release has most of the features, specifically related to input handling and udev-based dynamic configuration, of a more solid USB multiseat solution.

In short:

  • udev rules, which already can detect a grouping of USB devices that constitute a terminal, can now tell X to ignore or use particular devices more easily through udev attributes and more dynamic/independent xorg.conf.d scripts.
  • udev is now the default configuration mechanism (the torch has been passed from the less flexible hal)

So the challenges to explore are now more in the area of ConsoleKit integration and whether we can use these new capabilities support not just pure-USB multiseat setups, but also a mix of seats with PCIe attached graphics, and with fully USB seats.