Short Bytes: Opening the gates of a whole new world for Microsoft fans, upcoming Linux kernel 4.8 is adding Surface 3 support. Now, Surface 3 users can enjoy better touchscreen support after installing a Linux distro on their devices. It’s one of the many big changes coming to Linux kernel 4.8, which is slated to release in the upcoming months.
Now, a new Linux kernel driver for the Surface 3 touchscreen will make things easier. The first release candidate of Linux kernel 4.8 has just been released, offering the initial glimpse of this driver.
In his release notes for previously released Linux kernel 4.7, Linux creator Linus Torvalds hoped to add more “Linux-next contents” in the 4.8 release. Bringing support for Microsoft’s Surface 3 looks like one of those big changes coming to the kernel.
While there are tons of additions in the release candidate, here’s the part regarding Surface 3 from Dmitry Torokhov in a mailing list change:
Hi Linus,
Please pull from:
git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/dtor/input.git for-linus
to receive updates for the input subsystem. You will get the following new drivers promised in the last merge window:
– driver for touchscreen controller found in Surface 3
– driver for Pegasus Notetaker tablet
– driver for Atmel Captouch Buttons
– driver for Raydium I2C touchscreen controllers
– powerkey driver for HISI 65xx SoC
You might be knowing that Surface 3 is already capable of running Linux. But, without proper drivers, the touch features don’t work as expected.
This change is expected to open a whole new open source gateway for Microsoft users, especially the ones using older devices. It’s a well-known fact that running Linux on an older PC with lower specifications is much easier.
Did you find this article helpful? Don’t forget to drop your feedback in the comments section below.
Also Read: Is Hidden Linux Subsystem In Windows 10 Making Your PC Unsafe?
