Gentoo Archives: gentoo-user

From: walt <w41ter@×××××.com>
To: gentoo-user@l.g.o
Subject: [gentoo-user] Some hints about evdev versus xorg and your mouse and keyboard
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:45:19
Message-Id: groad0$920$1@ger.gmane.org
1 I had the same problems with the xorg upgrade, so I got some good
2 advice on the xorg mailing list.
3
4 The big picture first: The plan is to use evdev *instead* of the
5 drivers in xf86-input-keyboard and xf86-input-mouse, and to make
6 any Input Device sections in xorg.conf completely go away (at least
7 for mice and keyboard; not sure about tablets, joysticks etc).
8
9 In my xorg.conf there is no mention whatever of mice or keyboards,
10 and xf86-input-keyboard and xf86-input-mouse have been completely
11 deleted from my machine. (xf86-input-evdev is still necessary, of
12 course.)
13
14 You must have "Event Interface" enabled in your kernel config file,
15 obscurely located in "Device Drivers-->Input device support". This
16 step will result in /dev/input/event* after you reboot your new
17 kernel.
18
19 If you have an unusual mouse, as I do, you will need to create a
20 new fdi file in /etc/hal/fdi/policy/ to get it working properly.
21
22 I finally figured out the format for my new file by studying
23 /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/10osvendor/10-x11-input.fdi. For non-
24 us keyboards you might want to look at 10-keymap.fdi.
25
26 I named the new file 10-x11-logitech.fdi, and here it is (but
27 watch out for linewrap:
28
29 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
30 <deviceinfo version="0.2">
31 <device>
32 <match key="info.product" contains="ImExPS/2">
33 <merge key="input.x11_options.EmulateWheel" type="string">true</merge>
34 <merge key="input.x11_options.EmulateWheelButton" type="string">8</merge>
35 </match>
36 </device>
37 </deviceinfo>
38
39 The xml above replaced these deleted lines in my xorg.conf:
40 Section "InputDevice"
41 Identifier "Mouse0"
42 Driver "evdev"
43 Option "Protocol" "auto"
44 Option "Device" "/dev/input/event4"
45 Option "Emulate3Buttons" "True"
46 Option "EmulateWheel" "True"
47 Option "EmulateWheelButton" "8"
48 EndSection
49
50 Notice that evdev doesn't need to be told which device to use :o)
51
52 What? You couldn't figure all of this out by reading man pages???

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