Bug#481514: Poor mouse configuration with debian-installer
Package: installation-reports
Boot method: CD-ROM
Image version: etch 4.0r1
Date: May 3, 2008
Machine: Dell Inspiron 4400
Processor: Intel Pentium 4
Memory: 512M
Partitions: 4 (1 Windows NTFS, 1 Linux swap, 1 root
(/), 1 home (/home))
Output of lspci -nn and lspci -vnn: N/A
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] =
didn't try it
Initial boot: [O]
Detect network card: [O]
Configure network: [ ]
Detect CD: [O]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Clock/timezone setup: [O]
User/password setup: [O]
Install tasks: [O]
Install boot loader: [O]
Overall install: [O]
Comments/Problems:
I took the default for priority (i.e. no boot
parameters) and in tasksel I selected only "standard
system" and "desktop environment". The mouse was a
PS/2-style mouse, was detected, and was installed for
use in the X Window System. But the X server was
configured to drive the mouse directly rather than
through the gpm daemon. In my opinion, gpm should
have been installed automatically and the X server
should have been configured to use /dev/gpmdata as the
mouse device. This would allow the mouse to be used
both in X and in regular virtual consoles. This
provides maximum flexibility.
In my opinion, the user has everything to gain and
nothing to lose by using gpm instead of direct control
of the mouse by the X server. Even if the user does
not ever use the mouse in a virtual console, using gpm
provides more flexibility in the X server. For
example, when using gpm, one can unplug the mouse and
plug in a different one without restarting the X
server. Simply restart the gpm daemon. All the X
aplications keep running without missing a beat.
gpm should be installed by default when the user
requests a desktop environment, and the X server
should be configured to use gpm. Indeed, one could
even make a case that gpm should be installed by
default even when the user requests only a "standard
system", if a mouse is detected.
gpm should also be on CD number 1, particularly if it
is going to be installed by default.
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