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ID Category [?] Severity [?] Reproducibility Date Submitted Last Update
03451 DIP/Input Minor Always Sep 23, 2009, 13:24 Sep 27, 2009, 01:12
Tester Firewave View Status Public Platform MAME (Official Binary)
Assigned To Resolution No change required OS Windows XP (64-bit)
Status [?] Closed Driver
Version 0.134 Fixed in Version Build Normal
Fixed in Git Commit Github Pull Request #
Summary 03451: Key presses via VNC are not registered anymore
Description Recently I realized, that MAME doesn't register key presses via VNC anymore. The debugger windows is working fine, just the MAME windows is not getting them anymore. I checked with older versions of MAME and it regressed between 0.117 and 0.118.

I am using the free edition of RealVNC - http://www.realvnc.com/products/free/4.1/index.html - as server and client.
Steps To Reproduce
Additional Information
Github Commit
Flags
Regression Version 0.117 - 0.118
Affected Sets / Systems
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Notes
5
User avatar
No.04977
Firewave
Senior Tester
Sep 23, 2009, 13:27
I assume it's related to this change from 0.117u1:

Reworked input system to push more features into the core. Cleaned
up architecture to properly separate dependencies. Please note that
this change only addresses the lower layer of input handling. The
upper layer (i.e., input port handling at the driver layer) remains
the same. [Aaron Giles]
User avatar
No.04978
Haze
Senior Tester
Sep 23, 2009, 14:43
I don't really see how this can be considered a bug... It's to do with an external program moreso than MAME.
User avatar
No.04980
Firewave
Senior Tester
Sep 23, 2009, 17:05
It worked before, so it's a regression. It also works with any other program I used via VNC so far.

I don't carry my MAME collection with me all the time and sometimes I have to check something (e.g. verifying a crash/error I saw in the regtest results) when I am not at home. With the new behavior I can't even get past the information screens as my "OK" is not recognized. The mouse is working though.

Another solution would be to get rid of the warning and information screens. But that would just be silly. ;)
User avatar
No.04981
Haze
Senior Tester
Sep 23, 2009, 17:31
edited on: Sep 23, 2009, 17:34
Well it's hard to call it a regression, because I doubt it's something that's ever explicitly been supported.

It's entirely possible that the changes made to the input system mean that it fundamentally can't work anymore. MAME has rather odd requirements compared to most other software (needs multi keyboard, multi-mouse, multi-pad, + other random device support)

It reminds me of the people moaning because MAME is 'broken' and is intentionally blacklisting their favourite background input system for coins or whatever else, when in reality it's just due to the way MAME works, and has to work.
User avatar
No.04987
Stiletto
Developer
Sep 26, 2009, 20:03
edited on: Sep 26, 2009, 20:17
I agree. What really needs to happen is to see if the VNC programs (RealVNC/UltraVNC/TightVNC/RAdmin/MS Remote Desktop) can add support for (or already has support for) these stranger input methods.

I've been playing with these at work and if I have nothing better to do, I'll see if one of them supports it. I advise Firewave to do the same.

[EDIT] a little preliminary research seems to indicate that MS Remote Desktop should work. But likely will only expose one mouse and keyboard in RAW input mode, even if you have more than one mouse/keyboard hooked up to your client. Will test later.