Stefano Stabellini <stefano.stabellini@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
> On Wed, 7 Oct 2009, Markus Armbruster wrote:
>> The protocol between PVFB frontend and backend supports relative and
>> absolute pointer.
>>
>> In theory, support for absolute pointer in the backend is optional. In
>> practice, our backend has always supported it.
>>
>> Absolute pointers provide a superior user experience, and our frontend
>> always enabled them.
>>
>> However, because the backend could theoretically not offer the absolute
>> pointer option, the frontend still supports both. This has worked fine
>> so far, but it's starting to cause trouble now.
>>
>> We support both relative and absolute pointer by setting both EV_REL and
>> EV_ABS in input device, then use whatever the backend sends us. The
>> backend either sends only relative or only absolute events.
>>
>> Nothing in the kernel suggests setting both EV_REL and EV_ABS is bad.
>> In fact, drivers/hid/hid-wacom.c and drivers/input/tablet/aiptek.c seem
>> to do the same.
>>
>> Unfortunately, X is having difficulties with it. It worked only because
>> of a bug in evdev. This bug was fixed recently, and the fix broke the
>> Xen PV pointer. Impact: pointer doesn't work at all with Fedora Rawhide
>> guests. See [*] for the gory details.
>>
>> X will eventually be fixed, but waiting for that isn't practical. We
>> need to work around the problem in xen-kbdfront, or possibly evdev.
>>
>> My preferred solution is dropping support for relative pointer in the
>> frontend, then set only EV_ABS. It's easy, safe, and sends user space
>> down well-trodden paths. Requires a backend supporting absolute
>> pointers, but as mentioned above, they all do.
>>
>> Opinions?
>>
>
> I think that it is fair to assume that the backend supports absolute
> coordinates, in fact the stubdom frontend does that already.
> As a consequence removing the EV_REL bit is fine as a workaround but I
> wouldn't go as far as removing the actual code that support it
> (XENKBD_TYPE_MOTION).
Why keep the then dead code in the frontend? Note I'm not suggesting to
change the protocol or the backend.
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