Linux 5.10 Receiving New Driver For Chromebook "Vivaldi" Keyboards

For a while now there have been references to "Vivaldi" as a new Chromebook keyboard firmware for future devices. References in Chromium OS repositories have pointed to expanded keyboard layouts and other new features with Vivaldi. Coming with the Linux 5.10 kernel is now a new HID driver for supporting some of the differences with Vivaldi.

This Vivaldi HID driver is for Vivaldi-based keyboards to be able to read and report the top row layout of these keyboards. This top row of keys with expanded function keys support relies on Google-specific HID bits.

Vivaldi keyboards should work fine on pre-5.10 kernels or without this hid-vivaldi driver but the 163 lines of new code is necessary for the top row keys to handle how they are physically ordered.

Details within this commit now part of HID's for-next area ahead of the Linux 5.10 merge window later this month. Another step forward for improving the mainline Linux kernel support for new Google Chromebook devices.