cvs commit: src/sys/dev/vkbd vkbd.c vkbd_var.h src/sys/modules/vkbd Makefile

[Maksim Yevmenkin]

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 12:05:51 -0700, Scott Long <scottl at freebsd.org> wrote:
> Maksim Yevmenkin wrote:
> 
> 
> > Guys,
> >
> >
> >>I appreciate the work here, but we are starting to grow too many
> >>independent keyboard abstractions that don't seem to work together and
> >>don't seem to solve the primary problem that we have right now.  What
> >>we really need is a single unified keyboard and mouse virtualization
> >>layer that allows bluetooth, usb, and at/ps2 devices to plug in at the
> >>bottom and talk to the one or more console interfaces at the top.  It
> >>should allow devices to be plugged in at runtime and should insulate
> >>the real console interface from caring which keyboard is plugged in at
> >>boot, if any are at all.  And yt _does_ need to work in single user mode
> >>and in DDB.
> >
> >
> > i did sent email to current asking for comments. did not get much feedback.
> >
> > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/htdig/freebsd-current/2004-August/034020.html
> >
> >
> >>I know I'm saying a lot of 'shoulds' right now, but the rise of these
> >>non-at/ps2 keyboards is causing us lots of problems and we need to fix
> >>it.  Brooks had talked about working on something similar to what I've
> >>described above, so please work with him to mold your vkbd work into
> >>that model.
> >
> >
> > very well. i touched it. might as well try and fix it :) anyone has
> > any ideas? code? anything?
> >
> > oh, one more thing, would you like me to back vkbd(4) out?
> >
> > max
> 
> I guess I'm having a hard time picturing how a bluetooth keyboard works.
> Is it something that you attach in place of a normal PS2 or USB
> keyboard, or is it something that merely augments the real keyboard?  If

the bluetooth keyboard is very much like the wireless keyboard. the
only difference is that you need a what they call 'bluetooth
receiver'.  bluetooth receiver is a standard bluetooth usb dongle
(usually) which you plug into the usb port. then both keyboard and
dongle talk bluetooth. in fact bluetooth is used to tunnel usb hid
packets. in this setup you *don't* plug anything into ps/2 ports.
everything goes over bluetooth. the only thing required is it to
convert hid codes to at scancodes and somehow feed at scancodes to the
kernel.

> there is no chance that the BT device could be needed for DDB or
> single-user mode then I guess that your driver is a good thing, though
> the 'vkbd' name is a bit misleading since it really only applies to BT.
> But if you're interested in working with Brooks on a more unified
> abstraction, please don't let me stop you =-)

bluetooth keyboard definitely not needed in ddb and single mode (imo).
 but vkbd is not bluetooth specific. you could write an application
that will tunnel at scancodes over the network say. thus you have a
network attached keyboard :)

max