xorg input (hald/AllowEmptyInput) confusion among users

[Robert Noland]

On Thu, 2009-05-14 at 19:44 +0400, Dmitry Marakasov wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> After 7.2 release, I'm seeng a huge flow of new users trying FreeBSD.
> This is great, but also I see a lot of questions regarding input
> device configuring in xorg - I believe that really sploils first
> FreeBSD experience for many users.
> 
> So, I've got a litte idea on how to improve the situation.
> 
> As I understand, currently user is required to do one of following:
> - Make sure hald is running (if xorg is compiled with it)
> - Add AllowEmptyInput "0" to xorg config otherwise

If xorg-server is built without HAL support then the default is swapped
and you don't need to set this.  I also have come to prefer Option
"AutoAddDevices" "off" to AllowEmptyInput.  That disables all
hot-plugging.  I use gnome normally, so I generally just run moused and
let hald do it's thing.

> Thus, extra action is ALWAYS required from user.
> 
> The idea is to eliminate those.
> 
> The second case can be easily fixed by patching xorg to generate config
> already with AllowEmptyInput included, in case it's built without
> HAL support.

As stated above... If you de-select the HAL option on the port, the
default should get flipped.

> The first case is more complicated and only things I can come with are
> hacks. For example, something like that:
> 
> xorg-server/Makefile:
> 	pre-isntall:
> 		${GREP} -q 'hald_enable.*[yY][eE][sS]' /etc/rc.conf || ( ${ECHO_CMD} "You should ..."; ${FALSE} )

Something like this might be reasonable, patches welcome...

> xorg-server/pkg-install:
> 	/usr/local/etc/rc.d/hald start >/dev/null 2>&1
> 
> 	if ! ps auxww | grep -v grep | grep -q hald; then
> 		echo "hald is not running..., you should"
> 	fi

This might be overkill.  I don't like the idea of the port trying to
start other daemons... The message is fine though.

> Another solution is to make xorg server just run hald itself.

People start X in all sorts of ways... via startx, gdm using the rc
system, xdm or kdm from /etc/ttys.  So the only place to do this would
be in the xorg-server code, which isn't going to happen...

robert.

> Any comments?

-- 
Robert Noland <rnoland at FreeBSD.org>
FreeBSD
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