Re: support for ancient peripherals
On November 5, 2022 7:21 PM, I wrote:
>> As you might understand, I'd like to replace my desktop, a 2006 Pentium 4
>> with a 3-GHz processor. It has always run Debian, and so will the new one.
>>
>> My concern is about support for three ancient peripherals that I like better
>> than the modern equivalents:
Thanks to all of you for your helpful replies. It sounds as if, one way or
another, I will be able to accommodate these devices.
>> 2. A Logitech M-MD15L three-button roller-ball serial mouse (from 2006) ...
On November 6, 2022 1:39 AM, Steve Litt replied:
> I understand your wanting to keep the keyboard and printer, but today
> you can buy a much more effective mouse for $18-$30. If you can get a
> BlueTrace mouse, I've found those to be spectacular. Check this out:
> https://us.targus.com/products/wireless-blue-trace-mouse-amw50us
> https://www.walmart.com/ip/Targus-Wireless-BlueTrace-Mouse-AMW50US/14262061
For me a scroll wheel has always been a deal-breaker, and I recently couldn't
find any mice without that. (A few years ago I found just one, from HP, and
I didn't like using it.) I click with the center button a lot, and (maybe at
my skill level) a scroll button often causes jitter in the display. I wonder
if it's possible to turn off the scrolling function of the scroll wheel while
still allowing clicks to be detected. I understand that roller-balls aren't
forever.
Here's a more remedial question. I haven't bought a desktop in 16 years. To
have a custom desktop built with some of the options I've seen recommended
here, where would you go? Would you patronize a local shop, or is there an
online store that is good at discussing and implementing customizations? I
am not an expert when it comes to hardware.
Thanks again.
________________________________________
From: Joe <joe@jretrading.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 6, 2022 7:06 AM
To: debian-user@lists.debian.org
Subject: Re: support for ancient peripherals
External Email: Use Caution
On Sun, 06 Nov 2022 00:30:58 -0400
Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote:
>
> You can find serial to USB adapters, but it will require some manual
> configuration, tho I suspect you already had to do that in Buster, so
> it should keep working pretty much the same (except the serial device
> will have a different name in `/dev/).
>
I have several serial-USB devices, but they are not all the same. All I
have needed for a long time is Tx, Rx and ground, sometimes just Tx or
Rx. But some peripherals will need handshake lines, and serial adaptors
vary in provision of these. None of them provide the full RS-232 set,
of course.
I have one of these in permanent use and three for general purposes. Of
those three, two have only the signal lines and ground, one also has DTR
and CTS, which is the bare minimum for handshaking. I no longer have
any idea of what a serial mouse needs, though possibly only RX and
ground on an adaptor. On the other hand, serial mice were around when
PCs ran at a fraction of the speed of today's and might have provision
for handshaking.
--
Joe
Reply to: