Synaptics's Synaptics Gesture Suite will now natively support the Linux operating system environment. This release extends the Synaptics Gesture Suite—which includes sophisticated multi-finger gestures—to OEMs that offer Linux-based solutions.

Supported Linux operating systems include Fedora, Millos Linpus, Red Flag, SLED 11 (SuSE), Ubuntu, and Xandros. SGS for Linux (SGS-L), supports a wide range of pointing enhancements and gestures including two-finger scrolling, PinchZoom, TwistRotate, PivotRotate, three-finger flick, three-finger press, Momentum™, and ChiralScrolling. Bundled with Synaptics’ enhanced driver interface, SGS-L is provided free of charge to Synaptics OEM/ODM partners when ordered with Synaptics TouchPad and ClickPad products.

“The Synaptics Gesture Suite for Linux enables our OEMs to leverage a broad range of gesture capabilities across Linux operating systems, and offers extensibility into new Linux flavors such as Google Chrome OS and additional support for touch-enabled remote control devices,” said Ted Theocheung, head of Synaptics PC and digital home products & ecosystem. “SGS ensures optimized interoperability of gestures, minimal gesture interpretations errors, and proven usability performance across the widest range of TouchPad sizes from small remote controls and netbooks to large powerhouse notebook PCs, as well as customization capabilities to OEMs’ exacting specifications.”

Synaptics is a recognized leader in the mobile computing and handheld human interface areas, with more than 700 million devices shipped since 1995. Synaptics has a strong leadership position in the Microsoft Windows-based TouchPad market and Synaptics Gesture Suite (SGS)—currently available on a majority of Synaptics TouchPads delivered to PC OEMs around the world—allows users to enhance their productivity with thousands of Microsoft Windows-based applications available today. Today’s announcement extends the industry’s broadest gesture suite across a wide range of leading Linux operating systems.