Re: Sensors and the input layer (was Re: [RFC] [PATCH V2 1/2] input:CMA3000 Accelerometer driver)

From: Dmitry Torokhov
Date: Mon Aug 30 2010 - 16:44:23 EST


On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 09:40:25PM +0100, Alan Cox wrote:
> On Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:04:39 -0500
> Felipe Balbi <me@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Hi Dmitry,
> >
> > When we tried to push N900's accelerometer driver as an
> > input device you commented you didn't want sensors such
> > as accelerometers, magnetometers, proximity, etc on the
> > input layer because "they are not user input", although
> > I didn't fully agree with you, we had to modify the drivers
> > and, I believe, one of them is sitting in staging under
> > the industrial i/o subsystem.
> >
> > Are you now accepting sensor drivers on the input layer ?
> > that will make our life a lot easier but we need some
> > definition to avoid having to re-work drivers when we
> > want to push them to mainline.
>
> I would certainly vote for them being input when they are sometimes used
> that way - compasses for example do get used by applications (like
> compass programs, some of the real cool visualisation tools and things
> like live/game mixed gaming environments) and accelerometers are gaming
> inputs.

But do you believe that input should be the "primary residence" for the
devices when they are only _sometimes_ used as input devices? Or it
would make sense to employ a converter from XXX to input (either purely
in-kernel or userspace over uinput)?

Thanks.

--
Dmitry
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/