Support NDOF devices

[albfan]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

Is it possible to support natively this type of devices:

It is just 6 axis + 2 buttons

Here an analysis from libinput perspective: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/libinput/libinput/-/issues/736

Basically add ID_INPUT_NDOF and define how their axis should be mapped

Describe the solution you'd like

Define and support this devices (that describe itself in a report) so we can use them generically mapping it to any action)

Describe alternatives you've considered

Userspace drivers:

https://github.com/FreeSpacenav/spacenavd

This works out of the box in blender or freecad

The systemd version you checked that didn't have the feature you are asking for

$ systemctl --version
systemd 249 (v249.9-1.fc35)

[poettering]

/cc @whot

[whot]

We discussed this in the linked libinput issue, step one for these devices is the addition of a new ID_INPUT_NDOF and I guess the updates to the hwdb to tag the ... 10? devices out there that match that description. It still won't be supported any more than it is now (anyone who already handles these will have that database already) and how libinput supports it is unclear still.

My general thought is: yes, that's fine, but until we have proper userspace support [1] we shouldn't add that property to systemd yet. Otherwise it's just yet another property we have to maintain when there's no user for it.

[1] doesn't need to be libinput, but at least something that matters

[albfan]

I'm fine with that. If at some point this needs to be implemented this is the way.

Let's close by now