[haiku-development] Re: Mouse <-> touchpad settings woes

  • From: Stephan Assmus <superstippi@xxxxxx>
  • To: haiku-development@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:50:51 +0100

On 2009-11-15 at 09:46:00 [+0100], Humdinger <humdingerb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
wrote:
> Know what starts getting annoying a bit? On my notebook, I use the 
> touchpad when mobile (well, sitting still on the sofa...) and a mouse 
> when at the desk. Therefore, the mouse settings always suck: mouse too 
> fast, pad too slow.
> 
> Is it feasible to detect if the mouse is moved and use one setting and if 
> it's the touchpad another? Provided the Mouse Preferences gains a little 
> drop-down menu that learns every newly connected HID device (different 
> mouse models, touchpad if available, graphics tablet...) and a method to 
> remove a no longer needed entry. [Seldom used devices could sink down in 
> that list and become paler over time.]
> 
> If it's not possible to change on-the-fly by detecting which device 
> produces the input, maybe it'd be enough for notebook usage to 
> automatically switch to the mouse setting, when it detects one at a USB 
> port without analyzing where the signals are coming from.

Don't know if you remember, but I mentioned "per input device settings" 
before. I think it's even on the Future Haiku Features list. :-) Your 
problem above is exactly what I had in mind. Among other things. To answer 
your question, yes, it is perfectly possible to detect where the messages 
are coming from. At the point where speed and acceleration settings are 
applied, it's one "driver" instance per device anyway.

I also mentioned the unified input device preflet. Axel later pointed out 
that it may be a better idea to keep "pointing devices" and keyboards 
separate, since they are quit different beasts. Especially, since the 
Keyboard preflet is supposed to be a merge of three current preflets, 
Keyboard, Keymap and Shortcuts.

All that is certainly something I would want to work on in the next time, 
but I have not started yet and may need to pay attention to other stuff in 
the immediate future. If someone is interested and wants to discuss 
implementation, I would be glad to share ideas. ;-)

Best regards,
-Stephan

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