Key repeat request to kernel

[mikethebos]

I would like to know how the repeat=enable feature is implemented (https://github.com/gvalkov/python-evdev/issues/192).

I see a reference to EVIOCGREP in your libevdev binding, but that is a read syscall.

(I hope to implement this feature in my own application soon using python-evdev. Thanks! If you want my code to be licensed in a specific manner due to this inspiration, let me know.)

[KarsMulder]

The kernel will automatically generate repeat event when the the capabilities for the EV_REP-type events are enabled on the virtual output device. In C terms, it would require the following libevdev calls:

libevdev_enable_event_type(dev, EV_REP);
libevdev_enable_event_code(dev, EV_REP, REP_DELAY, &250);
libevdev_enable_event_code(dev, EV_REP, REP_PERIOD, &33);

Based on my personal tests:

• The kernel just ignores whatever value for delay/period you pass to it; the kernel will always use a delay of 250 and a period of 33 regardless of what value you pass to it;
• The repeat events you write to the output device will show up no matter whether you enable EV_REP or not. This means that you can write repeat events to a device that is not capable of EV_REP, and conversely, if you do write repeat events to an EV_REP capable device, the device will have double the usual amount of repeat events (the ones you wrote + the autogenerated ones.)

(I hope to implement this feature in my own application soon using python-evdev. Thanks! If you want my code to be licensed in a specific manner due to this inspiration, let me know.)

I do not think that the above info passes the threshold for being copyrightable; you're free to use it however you want to.

[mikethebos]

Thanks for your help!