Introduction
This article focuses on the issue of Chrome not being able to access WebHID devices on Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS, specifically on Dell XPS devices. HID (Human Interface Device) is a class of devices that communicate with a computer or another device to provide input. For instance, a mouse or keyboard are common HID devices. WebHID is a new API for web pages to communicate with HID devices directly.
WebHID Devices on Ubuntu
Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS has support for WebHID devices, but there have been reports that Google Chrome cannot access these devices on Dell XPS devices. While GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) devices are not present on WebHID devices, pairing a mouse can be a useful troubleshooting step.
Pairing a Mouse
The first step is to ensure that a mouse is paired with the Ubuntu system. This can be done by accessing the system settings and navigating to the Bluetooth menu. Once a mouse is paired, it should be visible in the output of the bluetoothctl command:
$ bluetoothctl
[NEW] Controller 00:11:22:33:44:55 Dell XPS [default]
[NEW] Device 66:77:88:99:AA:BB Mouse
agent registered
Chrome and WebHID Devices
Google Chrome, the popular web browser, has support for WebHID devices. However, there have been reports that it cannot access these devices on Dell XPS devices running Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS. It is unclear whether this is a bug in Ubuntu, a bug in Chrome, or a compatibility issue between the two.
Verifying Chrome's WebHID Support
To verify that Chrome has support for WebHID devices, it is possible to run a simple test page. This page can be created using the following code:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<script async>
if (navigator.hid) {
console.log("WebHID is supported");
} else {
console.error("WebHID is not supported");
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
This page simply checks if navigator.hid is defined, which indicates that WebHID is supported. If this test passes, it is likely that the issue lies with the specific WebHID device in question.
Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS supports WebHID devices, but there have been reports that Google Chrome cannot access these devices on Dell XPS devices. This may be a bug in Ubuntu, a bug in Chrome, or a compatibility issue between the two. In order to troubleshoot this issue, it can be useful to pair a mouse and verify Chrome's WebHID support using a simple test page.
- WebHID is a new API for web pages to communicate with HID devices directly.
- Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS supports WebHID devices, but there have been reports that Google Chrome cannot access these devices on Dell XPS devices.
- Pairing a mouse can be a useful troubleshooting step.
- It is possible to create a simple test page to verify Chrome's WebHID support.