Re: mouse not working under X, while ok in gpm

[Kent West <westk@acu.edu>]

Tong wrote:

> #  /etc/gpm.conf - configuration file for gpm(1)
> device=/dev/psaux
> responsiveness=
> repeat_type=ms3
> type=autops2
> append=""
> sample_rate=
>
>  
Assuming you have a PS/2 mouse with a scroll wheel, I'd suggest "imps2" 
for the type in gpm.conf, and "ImPS/2" for the protocol in XF86Config-4.

If that doesn't work, I'd also change the repeat_type in gpm.conf to "raw".

> "InputDevice" section of the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file
>
> Section "InputDevice"
> 	Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
> 	Driver		"mouse"
> 	Option		"CorePointer"
> 	Option		"Device"		"/dev/gpmdata"
> 	Option		"Protocol"		"auto"
> 	Option		"Emulate3Buttons"	"false"
> #	Option		"ZAxisMapping"		"4 5"
> EndSection
>
> There is no error in the xfree log file. I've also tried to change the
> protocol to ps/2. 
>
> Other trial ones:
>
> Section "InputDevice"
> 	Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
> 	Driver		"mouse"
> 	Option		"CorePointer"
> 	Option		"Device"		"/dev/psaux"
> 	Option		"Protocol"		"PS/2"
> 	Option		"Emulate3Buttons"	"false"
> #	Option		"ZAxisMapping"		"4 5"
> EndSection
>
> I think this is what I've been doing in RH, i.e., console and X mouse all
> use dev/psaux. Why can't I do this in Debian? 
>  
>
>  
I'm not sure what RH does, but if you use /dev/psaux in both gpm and X, 
then what happens is that your mouse is moved, the resulting data gets 
put in /dev/psaux, and then gpm or X "pops" that data out of /dev/psaux, 
which means that the other driver misses out on being able to read that 
data. The result is that the mouse is very erratic either in X or a 
terminal, because the X or gpm is only getting part of the data.

The correct solution is to either have the gpm driver read the data from 
/dev/psaux and then repeat it to another device (/dev/gpmdata) for X to 
read, or to use the "new" way of using /dev/input/mice as the place to 
read from, which has the capability to be read from multiple drivers 
without dropping bits (at least, that's how I understand it).

> Please note that there may not be any reasonable explanation for the
> freezing mouse under X, based on the fact that 
>
> 1. startx destroy gpm mouse
> 2. uninstall gpm with purge while XF86Config-4 kept as original won't work
> either -- X is now permanently damaged.
>
> I'm thinking my case is far from a simple quick fix. If you can't figure
> out a  reasonable explanation, please at least tell me how to get out of
> this. 
>  
Oh-h-h-h. What you mean by "permanently damaged" is that your mouse 
doesn't work even when gpm has been purged. That means that the 
InputDevice section of XF86Config-4 needs to be changed; the exact 
change will depend on your mouse.

BTW, did you try the Shift-NumLock method of mousing around; did it work 
for you?

Is this mouse a PS/2 with scroll wheel (ie, not serial, and not USB)? Is 
it perhaps a "broken" ps/2 mouse, in which case you might want to try 
the type "fups2".