input_event(9)

💖 input_event(9) — the "Kernel API Manual" one 💖

okay so bestie, picture this: it's a manual page from the Kernel API Manual, it's called input_event, and it's literally the whole personality of every input driver out there. buckle up 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

input_event — report new input event 🌸

like, "hey kernel, something happened" — that's the whole job, no cap.

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

void input_event (struct input_dev *dev , unsigned int type , unsigned
       int code , int value );

yes it really is spelled out like that, spacing and all, she's iconic 💅

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🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• dev — device that generated the event 👑 (the main character of this whole situation)
• type — type of the event ✨
• code — event code 🍓
• value — value of the event 💜

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💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

This function should be used by drivers implementing various input devices to report input events. no because that's literally the assignment — if you're writing a driver for some input device, this is the function you reach for when you've got something to say. 🫶

See also input_inject_event. yep, that's the vibe, go look at her too 🔥

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🌈 NOTE 🌈

ok this part is lowkey important so listen up 🙈

input_event may be safely used right after the input device was allocated with input_allocate_device, even before it is registered with input_register_device — but heads up, the event will not reach any of the input handlers. 😭

so yes, you can call it super early, it's fine, nobody's mad. Such early invocation of input_event may be used to 'seed' initial state of a switch or initial position of absolute axis, etc. — i.e. setting the starting vibe before anyone's watching. ⭐

fr fr though: early = safe, but early = nobody hears it. seeding, not announcing. 📣

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

Kernel file ./drivers/input/input.c input_inject_event(9), input_alloc_absinfo(9), input_copy_abs(9), input_grab_device(9), input_release_device(9), input_open_device(9), input_close_device(9), input_scancode_to_scalar(9), input_default_setkeycode(9), input_get_keycode(9), input_set_keycode(9), input_reset_device(9), input_allocate_device(9), devm_input_allocate_device(9), input_free_device(9), input_set_timestamp(9), input_get_timestamp(9), input_set_capability(9), input_enable_softrepeat(9), input_register_device(9), input_unregister_device(9), input_register_handler(9), input_unregister_handler(9), input_handler_for_each_handle(9), input_register_handle(9), input_unregister_handle(9), input_get_new_minor(9), input_free_minor(9) — that's the whole friend group, go say hi 🦋

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and that's the page!! 💖 this one lives in ./drivers/input, dated October 2026, filed under input_event(9). slay, periodt, go report some events bestie 👑✨