[PATCH v2] Documentation: Input: Add uinput documentation

Marcos Paulo de Souza
2017-03-24T03:36:14Z

Signed-off-by: Marcos Paulo de Souza <marcos.souza.org@gmail.com>
---
Documentation/input/uinput.rst | 196 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 196 insertions(+)
create mode 100644 Documentation/input/uinput.rst

diff --git a/Documentation/input/uinput.rst b/Documentation/input/uinput.rst
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+=============
+uinput module
+=============
+
+Introduction
+============
+
+uinput is a kernel module that makes possible to create and handle input devices
+from userspace. By writing to the module's /dev/uinput (or /dev/input/uinput), a
+process can create a virtual device with specific capabilities.
+Once created, the process can send events through that virtual device.
+
+Interface
+=========
+
+::
+
+ linux/uinput.h
+
+The uinput header defines ioctls to create, setup and destroy virtual devices.
+
+libevdev
+========
+
+libevdev is a wrapper library for evdev devices, making uinput setup easier
+by skipping a lot of ioctl calls. When dealing with uinput, libevdev is the best
+alternative over accessing uinput directly, and it is less error prone.
+
+For examples and more information about libevdev:
+https://cgit.freedesktop.org/libevdev
+
+Examples
+========
+
+1.0 Keyboard events
+-------------------
+
+This first example shows how to create a new virtual device and how to send a
+key event. All default imports and error handlers were removed for the sake of
+simplicity.
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ #include <linux/uinput.h>
+
+ int fd;
+
+ void emit(int type, int code, int val)
+ {
+ struct input_event ie;
+
+ ie.type = type;
+ ie.code = code;
+ ie.value = val;
+ /* below timestamp values are ignored */
+ ie.time.tv_sec = 0;
+ ie.time.tv_usec = 0;
+
+ write(fd, &ie, sizeof(ie));
+ }
+
+ int main() {
+ struct uinput_setup usetup;
+
+ fd = open("/dev/uinput", O_WRONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
+
+ /* the ioctls below enables the to be created device to key
+ * events, in this case the space key
+ **/
+ ioctl(fd, UI_SET_EVBIT, EV_KEY);
+ ioctl(fd, UI_SET_KEYBIT, KEY_SPACE);
+
+ memset(&usetup, 0, sizeof(usetup));
+ usetup.id.bustype = BUS_USB;
+ usetup.id.vendor = 0x1234; /* sample vendor */
+ strcpy(usetup.name, "Example device");
+
+ ioctl(fd, UI_DEV_SETUP, &usetup);
+ ioctl(fd, UI_DEV_CREATE);
+
+ /* UI_DEV_CREATE causes the kernel to create the device nodes for this
+ * device. Insert a pause so that userspace has time to detect,
+ * initialize the new device, and can start to listen to events from
+ * this device
+ **/
+
+ /* key press, report the event, send key release, and report again */
+ emit(EV_KEY, KEY_SPACE, 1);
+ emit(EV_SYN, SYN_REPORT, 0);
+ emit(EV_KEY, KEY_SPACE, 0);
+ emit(EV_SYN, SYN_REPORT, 0);
+
+ ioctl(fd, UI_DEV_DESTROY);
+ close(fd);
+
+ return 0;
+ }
+
+2.0 Mouse movements
+-------------------
+
+This example shows how to create a virtual device that behaves like a physical
+mouse.
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ #include <linux/uinput.h>
+
+ /* emit function is identical to of the first example */
+
+ struct uinput_setup usetup;
+ int i = 50;
+
+ fd = open("/dev/uinput", O_WRONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
+
+ /* enable mouse button left and relative events */
+ ioctl(fd, UI_SET_EVBIT, EV_KEY);
+ ioctl(fd, UI_SET_KEYBIT, BTN_LEFT);
+
+ ioctl(fd, UI_SET_EVBIT, EV_REL);
+ ioctl(fd, UI_SET_RELBIT, REL_X);
+ ioctl(fd, UI_SET_RELBIT, REL_Y);
+
+ memset(&usetup, 0, sizeof(usetup));
+ usetup.id.bustype = BUS_USB;
+ usetup.id.vendor = 0x1234; /* sample vendor */
+ strcpy(usetup.name, "Example device");
+
+ ioctl(fd, UI_DEV_SETUP, &usetup);
+ ioctl(fd, UI_DEV_CREATE);
+
+ /* UI_DEV_CREATE causes the kernel to create the device nodes for this
+ * device. Insert a pause so that userspace has time to detect,
+ * initialize the new device, and can start to listen to events from
+ * this device
+ **/
+
+ /* moves the mouse diagonally, 5 units per axis */
+ while (i--) {
+ emit(EV_REL, REL_X, 5);
+ emit(EV_REL, REL_Y, 5);
+ emit(EV_SYN, SYN_REPORT, 0);
+ usleep(15000);
+ }
+
+ ioctl(fd, UI_DEV_DESTROY);
+ close(fd);
+
+ return 0;
+
+3.0 uinput old interface
+------------------------
+
+Before kernel 4.5, uinput didn't have an ioctl to setup a virtual device. When
+running a version prior to 4.5, the user needs to fill a different struct and
+call write on the uinput file descriptor.
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ #include <linux/uinput.h>
+
+ /* emit function is identical to of the first example */
+
+ struct uinput_user_dev uud;
+
+ fd = open("/dev/uinput", O_WRONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
+
+ /* the ioctls below enables the to be created device to key
+ * events, in this case the space key
+ **/
+ ioctl(fd, UI_SET_EVBIT, EV_KEY);
+ ioctl(fd, UI_SET_KEYBIT, KEY_SPACE);
+
+ memset(&uud, 0, sizeof(uud));
+ snprintf(uud.name, UINPUT_MAX_NAME_SIZE, "uinput old interface");
+ write(fd, &uud, sizeof(uud));
+
+ ioctl(fd, UI_DEV_CREATE);
+
+ /* UI_DEV_CREATE causes the kernel to create the device nodes for this
+ * device. Insert a pause so that userspace has time to detect,
+ * initialize the new device, and can start to listen to events from
+ * this device
+ **/
+
+ /* key press, report the event, send key release, and report again */
+ emit(EV_KEY, KEY_SPACE, 1);
+ emit(EV_SYN, SYN_REPORT, 0);
+ emit(EV_KEY, KEY_SPACE, 0);
+ emit(EV_SYN, SYN_REPORT, 0);
+
+ ioctl(fd, UI_DEV_DESTROY);
+ close(fd);
+
+ return 0;
+
--
2.9.3