Re: [gentoo-user] synaptic touchpad stopped scrolling!

[Jorge Peixoto de Morais Neto]

> Probably the new evdev-driver overrides synaptics. If you do not need evdev
> and can live with the normal drivers like kbd for keyboard and synaptics,
> you can try to disable it.
I hope you don't consider this to be thread hijacking, but can you
point me to a simple and high-level (but not exaggeratedly
dumbed-down, as articles by mainstream media journalists tend to be)
explanation of what evdev is good for?
My only input devices are a PS2 keyboard with standard Brazilian
layout (with no foolish extra "multimedia" keys) and a PS2 mouse with
two buttons and one scroll wheel that also works as a third button. Do
I need/want evdev?

OT: I like to keep my system simple and disable what I don't use. I
like to be able to understand my system.
My point of view is, that when I keep my system simple (such as by
using Xfce with the minimal USE flag, instead of Gnome/KDE and foolish
3d effects), it not only gets very fast and stable, but also far
simpler allowing me to understand it. When something goes wrong in
Ubuntu, I often have little clue of the cause. When something goes
wrong in my simple Gentoo system, it is far easier to find the cause.

Speaking of Ubuntu, I have the impression that they are becoming a
system that Just Works most of the time, but if you are unlucky and it
doesn't work, it Just Doesn't Work and it is hard to find the cause. I
continue to advocate Ubuntu to Linux newcomers, but my own system will
remain Gentoo.

-- 
Software is like sex: it is better when it is free - Linus Torvalds