Support for Apple MagicTrackpad

redm · October 30, 2017 at 11:28 PM

It seems LibreElec is lacking support for Apple MagicTrackpad (the external bluetooth device, first generation; maybe also the current one). The bluetooth pairing of the device seems to work fine, but no /dev/input/mouse device is created. It seems LibreElec is lacking a hid module `hid-magicmouse`. On my Retropie I see:

/lib/modules/4.9.35+/kernel/drivers/hid/hid-magicmouse.ko

While on LibreElec there is no such module:

Code

MediaPi:~ # find /lib/ -name "*magic*"
MediaPi:~ #

I guess it might just a matter of enabling this module in the kernel configuration...

This is with LibreElec 4.2

**chewitt** · November 1, 2017 at 10:29 AM Official Post

CONFIG_HID_MAGICMOUSE needs to be set in our kernels

redm · November 1, 2017 at 9:24 PM

I haven't compiled kernels anymore for years, but yes, sounds reasonable.

This probably applies to a lot of other modules as well. If I look at my Retropie I see quite a bunch of hid modules. Another Apple amongst them, needed to switch default between function and media keys. Might make sense to be more generous with input devices

**chewitt** · November 2, 2017 at 6:03 AM Official Post

LE is not a general purpose distro and we like small un-bloated images. We enable things if they are needed, not in case they might be needed.

**chewitt** · November 2, 2017 at 6:03 AM Official Post

What hardware are you using?

redm · November 2, 2017 at 10:06 AM

I'm using the Apple wireless BT Keyboard+Trackpad combo, 1st generation.

I perfectly understand your point. On the other hand, this is not about exotic large scale SCSI tapedrives or programmable calculators, but about pretty common input devices. If a user wants to use his/her favorite input device with LE and first has to debug, write to the forum and then wait for the next release (in the best case, or give up somewhere on the way), that's not the best user experience

Besides devices that don't work at all, like the Apple trackpad, I'm thinking esp. about all those multimedia keyboards with special keys people might like to use. And if I look at my kernel modules hid folder, it's 1,6M in total. There might be some really obscure stuff which could still be left out, but there is also generic things like hid-logitech, -microsoft, -apple, -cherry etc. To me the cost seems bearable, if more user input devices then "just work".

Fun fact: on my first try to submit I got the error:

The message contains censored words: sci entific.

(had to add a space here)

**chewitt** · November 3, 2017 at 5:39 AM Official Post

I'm asking about which LE image, e.g. Raspberry Pi or Generic? .. not the Apple stuff

redm · November 3, 2017 at 9:49 AM

Oh sorry, misunderstood, I'm using LE on a Raspberry Pi 3. So the Pi2/3 image.