Re: [PATCH v2 0/3] new driver for Valve Steam Controller

[Rodrigo Rivas Costa]

On Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 06:06:30PM +0100, Benjamin Tissoires wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 5:31 PM, Rodrigo Rivas Costa
> <rodrigorivascosta@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > On Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 10:10:40AM +0100, Benjamin Tissoires wrote:
> >> On Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 1:13 AM, Pierre-Loup A. Griffais
> >> <pgriffais@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On 02/21/2018 12:21 PM, Rodrigo Rivas Costa wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 04:09:39PM -0800, Pierre-Loup A. Griffais wrote:
> >> >>>
> >> >>> On 02/20/2018 03:20 PM, Rodrigo Rivas Costa wrote:
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 02:29:48PM -0800, Pierre-Loup A. Griffais wrote:
> >> >>>> About the left trackpad/joystick, currently I'm not treating them
> >> >>>> different. I'm out of ABS axes, and anyway, it is not likely that the
> >> >>>> left pad and the joystick be used at the same time (I only have one left
> >> >>>> thumb). Nevertheless, if we really want to make them apart, we can use
> >> >>>> bits 10.3 (lpad_touch) and 10.7 (lpad_and_joy) together. I described the
> >> >>>> details in [2], but I'm not currently doing that in this driver.
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> I didn't necessarily mean exposing it, but in the event a user is using
> >> >>> both
> >> >>> at the same time (it happens, using claw grip with some games is
> >> >>> necessary
> >> >>> to use the D-pad while deflecting the stick), then you'll most likely run
> >> >>> into issues unless you demux the inbound data, since we were also out of
> >> >>> left analog fields and mux them together if used at the same time. Not
> >> >>> sure
> >> >>> if you're already handling that case, but not doing it would result in
> >> >>> the
> >> >>> stick appearing to fully deflect every other input report if the user is
> >> >>> doing both at the same time.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> "Claw grip"? Is that a real thing? Yes, it is! Well, you're totally
> >> >> right. I think that it will be best to fully separate the left-pad and
> >> >> the joystick. Maybe the left-pad can be mapped to ABS_HAT1{X,Y]...
> >> >>
> >> >>>> About the gyroscope/acceleration/quaternion, you know the issue
> >> >>>> that the wireless gives gyro plus quat but no accel, while the wired
> >> >>>> gives all three. My general idea is to create an additional input device
> >> >>>> with INPUT_PROP_ACCELEROMETER to expose what is available. Pity is that
> >> >>>> the wireless gives no accel, maybe there is some command to enable it?
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> It should be three neighboring bits for that setting; does this not work
> >> >>> for
> >> >>> you?
> >> >>>
> >> >>> // Bitmask that define which IMU features to enable.
> >> >>> typedef enum
> >> >>> {
> >> >>>         SETTING_GYRO_MODE_OFF                           = 0x0000,
> >> >>>         SETTING_GYRO_MODE_STEERING                      = 0x0001,
> >> >>>         SETTING_GYRO_MODE_TILT                          = 0x0002,
> >> >>>         SETTING_GYRO_MODE_SEND_ORIENTATION      = 0x0004,
> >> >>>         SETTING_GYRO_MODE_SEND_RAW_ACCEL        = 0x0008,
> >> >>>         SETTING_GYRO_MODE_SEND_RAW_GYRO         = 0x0010,
> >> >>> } SettingGyroMode;
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Thanks for that, it will be useful! Those are the values to be written
> >> >> to what I called "register 0x30" with {0x87 0x03 0x30 X 0x00}. Currently
> >> >> I am writing 0x14 to enable and 0x00 to disable. I suspected it was a
> >> >> bit-field...
> >> >>
> >> >>> In general I'm concerned about sending of the gyro-enable message
> >> >>> potentially impairing Steam functionality if it's running at the same
> >> >>> time
> >> >>> (eg. if gyro gets disabled over the radio while Steam still needs it), or
> >> >>> sending any stateful messages to the device. For instance, are you ever
> >> >>> sending the "blank configuration" setting? I assume you must be or users
> >> >>> would still get keyboard/mouse input over these USB endpoints while
> >> >>> trying
> >> >>> to interact with the controller. But sending this after Steam programmed
> >> >>> a
> >> >>> setting, or instructed the controller to go back to lizard mode because
> >> >>> it
> >> >>> was requested by a configuration, would be problematic.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Sure, but this patchset should be safe, shouldn't it?
> >> >> Maube future patches that play with the gyro/force-feedback could be
> >> >> disabled by default, and could need a module parameter to be enabled.
> >> >> That way Steam Client will work out-of-the-box anywhere but proficient
> >> >> users could use the extra functionality easily.
> >> >>
> >> >> Related to that, Benjamin Tissoires replied to 1/3:
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> --- a/drivers/hid/hid-quirks.c
> >> >>>> +++ b/drivers/hid/hid-quirks.c
> >> >>>> @@ -629,6 +629,10 @@ static const struct hid_device_id
> >> >>>> hid_have_special_driver[] = {
> >> >>>>   #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_HID_SPEEDLINK)
> >> >>>>          { HID_USB_DEVICE(USB_VENDOR_ID_X_TENSIONS,
> >> >>>>          USB_DEVICE_ID_SPEEDLINK_VAD_CEZANNE) },
> >> >>>>   #endif
> >> >>>> +#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_HID_STEAM)
> >> >>>> +       { HID_USB_DEVICE(USB_VENDOR_ID_VALVE,
> >> >>>> USB_DEVICE_ID_STEAM_CONTROLLER) },
> >> >>>> +       { HID_USB_DEVICE(USB_VENDOR_ID_VALVE,
> >> >>>> USB_DEVICE_ID_STEAM_CONTROLLER_WIRELESS) },
> >> >>>> +#endif
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> In addition to the discussion in 0/3, I wonder if you should not
> >> >>> remove this hunk. Unless having hid-generic binding the device before
> >> >>> your hid-steam driver, it would be better not force the Steam boxes to
> >> >>> use your driver.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> I don't really see the point on that. If we do that I'll have to unbind
> >> >> and bind the device manually, and that is a pain, and impossible without
> >> >> root (my ultimate goal is to use this controller with my Tizen TV ;-P).
> >>
> >> I guess you are not running v4.16-rc2 :) (see Clement answers too)
> >>
> >> Since v4.16, there is no need to absolutely blacklist the devices in
> >> this list. hid-generic will bind them first, but as soon as an other
> >> driver claims the device, hid-generic unbinds itself and let the other
> >> driver to handle the device. Without any user input!
> >
> > No, I'm still in v4.15.3, and I thought I was bleeding edge...
> > I've seen those patches in the hid git tree, but I thought it was
> > experimental. Good to know it is upstream, that quirks array was
> > weird... I'll try to upgrade and see what happens.
> >>
> >> >> And anyway this driver is mostly harmless, the only visible changes from
> >> >> userspace are the new input and power devices, and that the virtual
> >> >> keyboard/mouse are no more.
> >>
> >> Pierre-Loup mentioned that sometime the Steam client needs those
> >> interfaces for the Desktop mode. I have the feeling things are going
> >> to be too intricated for us to gracefully accept the driver unless
> >> there is a clear ACK from Valve that they are happy with the new
> >> driver.
> >>
> >> >> If the virtual devices are really missed we
> >> >> could use:
> >> >>
> >> >>         hid_hw_start(hdev, HID_CONNECT_DEFAULT);
> >> >>
> >> >> on them, maybe with a module parameter? Note that one of the first
> >> >> things the Steam Client does is to disable the virtual devices (with a
> >> >> command to the device).
> >> >> (TBH I always had the impression that those virtual devices are there
> >> >> to move the Grub menu...)
> >> >>
> >> >> If Valve people really feel that this driver is not needed for SteamOS,
> >> >> because the Steam Client is always running, then SteamOS can always do
> >> >> CONFIG_HID_STEAM=n.
> >>
> >> That is what I was expecting, but if the driver also breaks the
> >> regular Steam client, we have a situation :)
> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Yes, certainly; that isn't really the usecase I'm worried about. What I'm
> >> > worried about is behavior changing for existing users of the controller on
> >> > normal desktop distributions. Currently the Steam client will program these
> >> > pieces of state (enable/disable direct keyboard/mouse HID functionality,
> >> > enable/disable gyro/accel) based on the user's configuration, and a user
> >> > getting a kernel update that includes a driver that also programs that
> >> > without their intervention is bound to affect the behavior. If there was a
> >> > way to make it so the states won't be programmed until it's pretty clear the
> >> > user is trying to use that driver's functionality, that would feel safer.
> >>
> >> I do not think there is a way to know beforehand, given that the
> >> kernel module will be loaded first, and sometimes even without the
> >> root file system if the driver has been included in the initramfs
> >> (which is the point of not having the device blacklisted in
> >> hid-quirks.c)
> >>
> >> I guess the only reasonable solution would be for the kernel HID
> >> driver to expose all the interfaces (keyboard, touchpad, gyro, etc...)
> >> but not take any action on whether which mode it switches into. Then,
> >> (and unfortunatelly) though a custom sysfs API, we could teach SDL or
> >> any other configurator to change the device into the desired mode.
> >> I would prefer not having a custom sysfs API, but this would allow us
> >> to change the owner to a non-root user while hidraw needs to have the
> >> root access.
> >>
> >> An other solution than the sysfs API, would be to have a small driver
> >> in libratbag (or a similar daemon) that sends the mode switch command
> >> as if the joystick where a special gaming mouse.
> >
> > Ok, I agree that we cannot remove the keyboard/mouse interfaces. What
> > about a module parameter? Something like `disable_lizard_mode` or
> > `disable_hid_devices`. That would be 0 by default, so no user-mode
> > breakage. BTW, are module parameters considered userspace API stable?
> 
> There are 2 issues with parameters modules:
> - yes, it's kernel API (if you change it and one user in the South
> Pole has it in the grub config and it now breaks the device, it will
> be considered as a regression)
> - they are usually taken into account at loading time, and you need
> root to change them

Well, that parameter would be using at probe time. So  you will need to
unplug and replug the controller to take effect.

> >
> > Note that when this parameter is set, the driver will not send any
> > command to the controller, (as Steam Client does). Instead, it will
> > simply not call hid_hw_start() on those interfaces. I'm not sure how the
> > no-quirks hid-generic will behave in this case... I'll try and see...
> >
> > In the future, we could add a few other modules paramteres to enable the
> > gyro and the force-feedback, as these functions could very well break
> > Steam. But these functions will be welcomed by DIY enthusiasts.
> 
> The more I think of it, the more I think you need to split the "driver" in 2:
> - the kernel part that will be able to understand the raw values from
> the device and inject the correct events in the correct input nodes
> - the config part that will control how the device behaves. This
> config part is the one interfering with Steam, so you might simply
> want to have a standalone tool (or in libratbag, and integrate it in
> SDL) to send the commands to switch the device into the desired mode.
> 
> Note that we all tried to use custom sysfs API for configuring our
> fancy input devices, and we all came down to the conclusion that it
> was better to leave the kernel to the minimum and have external tool
> to talk to the hardware for the config. This way, you can break the
> API as you want (it's internal to your tool), and you can also adapt
> much quicker to new devices.

Nice idea. If we are relying in user-mode external tools, no need for
sysfs, we already can send commands using hidraw. Maybe I can write a
simple command-line tool to do that. Would adding a link to my github
page with that tool be considered too much self-promotion?

The future situation with the gyro will be trikier, though. Because the
driver should send the enable/disable gyro commands when the
corresponding input-gyro device is opened/closed. And that cannot be
done with a user-mode tool.

But one problem at a time... I'll modify the driver to leave the lizard
mode alone, and see what you all think, ok?

Thank you.
Rodrigo