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

[Dmitry Torokhov <dmitry.torokhov@gmail.com>]

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@felipebalbi.com> 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