Bug 42489

Summary:	Enhance XI2 with support for advanced features related to "input game controllers" (rumble/force feedback, e.t.c.)
Product:	xorg	Reporter:	Alexey Loukianov <mooroon2>
Component:	Input/other	Assignee:	Peter Hutterer <peter.hutterer>
Status:	RESOLVED WONTFIX	QA Contact:	Xorg Project Team <xorg-team>
Severity:	enhancement
Priority:	medium	CC:	jeremyhu, leslie_alistair, luke
Version:	git
Hardware:	All
OS:	All
Whiteboard:	2011BRB_Reviewed
i915 platform:		i915 features:

Description Alexey Loukianov 2011-11-01 15:06:46 UTC

Xorg Xserver allows usage of joystick devices as X input devices, thanks to input/joystick and input/evdev drivers. Functionality that is being exposed though XI2 is almost sufficient to be used as "generic OS-agnostic joystick driver that is accessible over X protocol". Unfortunately there are still some bits of desired functionality missing that forces apps to stick with low-level OS dependent interfaces when working with game input devices.

Most notable example of missing functionality are:
a) Ability to easily classify selected XI2 device as being "game input device" and ability to determine the exact "device type" (i.e. is it a gamepad, driving wheel, arcade stick, e.t.c.);
b) Defined XI2 API and underlying protocol support to control "device state/effects" like "rumble/vibration" for gamepads, "friction" and "force feedback" for driving wheels, e.t.c.;

Having these bits of functionality implemented in the OS-agnostic way provided by Xserver (protocol + extended XI2 API) would made Xserver world a bit friendly for game developers. Also there are some apps that would benefit from "joystick support at the Xserver level". Wine is a very good example of such app.

Comment 1 Peter Hutterer 2011-12-18 21:53:29 UTC

(In reply to comment #0)
> a) Ability to easily classify selected XI2 device as being "game input device"
> and ability to determine the exact "device type" (i.e. is it a gamepad, driving
> wheel, arcade stick, e.t.c.);

if the driver works properly then it should label the axes which should go a fair way towards identifying devices.


as for force-feedback - I have virtually no knowledge in this area so I'd need your input describing the data being sent to/fro the device and a generic interface to handle this.

Comment 2 Peter Hutterer 2016-11-28 04:40:05 UTC

This is a mass change of bugs. Bugs assigned to me that haven't been updated in the last 3 years are closed as WONTFIX, because, well, let's at least be honest about it.

Please do not re-open unless you have a really good reason to do so (e.g. you're fixing it yourself). If it hasn't been fixed in the last 3 years, it probably won't be fixed anytime soon either. Sorry.

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