Subject: How do I get GATEWAY2000 PS/2 mouse to work ? (fwd)

From: Mark Edward Johnston <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 16:39:54 +0100 (BST)

I have installed Linux (Debian 1.1) on a friend's computer, 
but can't get X to work as it complains about not being able to 
find the mouse.

The system is a Gateway 2000 DX2/66  with Cirrus Logic 5434
and what seems to be a "PS/2" mouse.

I have linked /dev/mouse -> /dev/psmouse (-> /dev/psaux)
and set Protocol and Device in XF86Config to "PS/2" and
"/dev/mouse" respectively.

Any help would be appreciated, 

Mark Johnston ([email-masked])

PS: Does anybody know if PS/2 mouse support is in the default kernel in 
Debian 1.1.3 ?? Is this a valid question ?

---

From: "David M. Cooke" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 1996 15:42:42 -0400

> Debian 1.1.3 ?? Is this a valid question ?

As I and a friend frieend with a Gateway 2000 have finally
discovered, that is a very good question.  No, PS/2 mouse
support is not in not compiled in and doesn't appear to be
available as a module.  You'll need to reconfigure and
recompile.  Once you have installed the kernel-source
package you want, follow the directions in
/usr/src/linux/debian.README.

I hope this helps.

---

From: Mike Taylor <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 1996 21:21:15 -0400 (EDT)

> Debian 1.1.3 ?? Is this a valid question ?
PS/2 support is not there for 1.1.2.  I suspect it is not there for 1.1.3.
To get it you will have to use a special kernel or compile one yourself.

Lots of people seem to have problems getting PS2 mice up.  My Gateway +
PS2 worked fine under Slackware 3.0, but I still can't get it to work
under Debian.  I have tried all the stuff that you tried plus
compiling a custom kernel (with the Debian source package) but no dice.
My (admittedly cowardly) solution: cheap serial mouse.

Mike

---

From: "Susan G. Kleinmann" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 09 Aug 1996 06:20:52 -0400

> On Thu, 8 Aug 1996, Mike Taylor wrote:

My experience is that there are a couple of good hardware reasons for 
getting serial mice instead of PS/2 mice:
-- we accidentally fried a BIOS chip by delivering a static charge through 
   a PS/2 mouse.  This has never happened with a serial mouse,
   and leads me to suspect that the PS/2 connector (or at least the connector 
   we used to have on our R.I.P. Asus '486 motherboard) is less robust against 
   static than an serial connector.
-- removing the PS/2 mouse frees up an IRQ.
-- one never knows if/when PS/2 mouse is going to be available in a 
   downloaded kernel, whereas serial support is virtually always there.

I have had some problems with some serial mice though, particularly those
cheap ones which change their state when the power goes off.

Cheers,
Susan Kleinmann

---

From: Mark Eichin <[email-masked]>
Date: 09 Aug 1996 12:04:05 -0400

on the other hand, most laptops with builtin mouse or trackball or
force stick or glidepoint seem to use the PS/2 interface... which is
an argument (polite request :-) for having it in the default kernel.
Can't free up the IRQ in that case either...

---

From: [email-masked] (Digge � �)
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 1996 01:07:20 PST

Hey,

I had trouble with a PS/2 mouse to.. As many have.. I dont know if this
will work, but it did for me. ( I even got this advice from this list a
few weeks ago ).

In the XF86Config file, edit it... And where it says " Device Pointer "
Or somthing of that matter, it might say " /dev/mouse ".. Delete that
and enter in its place " /dev/psaux "

Hope this helps b4 you go through the work of re-compiling...

Lata Gata
Aron
[email-masked]

---

From: Jim Worthington <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 09 Aug 1996 14:40:48 -0400

> > Debian 1.1.3 ?? Is this a valid question ?

The debian 1.1.x kernel as distributed supports the PS/2 mouse as a
Module.  The only problem is that the binary distribution does not
contain a complete set of modules.

I got the required module by compiling the kernel using the existing
debian configuration file.  This generated a full set of modules.  I
manually added the missing module to my configurating and the mouse
started working.

NOW The Greater Question for the Debian package maintainers is:

     Why isn't a complete set of modules distributed with the binaries? 

I've seen the same PS/2 mouse question over and over again.  It's a very
simple problem to solve, but a pain in the butt for someone that's never
compiled a kernel.

MY SUGGESTION:

     Add a complete set of modules to the distribution package.

Jim <[email-masked]>

---

From: [email-masked] (Gilbert Ramirez Jr.)
Date: Fri, 09 Aug 1996 15:58:47 -0500 (CDT)

> -- removing the PS/2 mouse frees up an IRQ.

Perhaps I am wrong, but a serial mouse also requires an IRQ... and a serial
port! With my PS/2 mouse I don't waste a serial port, so I can easily have a
modem and a dumb terminal connected to my computer.

Or is there a way to share IRQ's between a serial device and a serial mouse
on the same port?
 
> Susan Kleinmann

--gilbert

______________________________________________________________________
Gilbert Ramirez Jr.                     [email-masked]
University of Texas                     http://merece.uthscsa.edu/gram
Health Science Center at San Antonio    University Health System

---

From: Todd Tyrone Fries <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 11:28:18 -0500 (CDT)

>    and leads me to suspect that the PS/2 connector (or at least the
>    connector  we used to have on our R.I.P. Asus '486 motherboard) is less
>    robust against  static than an serial connector.
This sounds like the only hardware reason to me.

> -- removing the PS/2 mouse frees up an IRQ.
Perhaps for you.  I cannot put ANYTHING on the irq used by my ps/2 mouse
because my p60 does not let me disable it.

>    downloaded kernel, whereas serial support is virtually always there.
Oh give me a break.  If you are not experienced enough to compile your own
kernel for your own custom hardware you should never be giving advice to
other linux users until you are.  SHEESH.  It is not that hard.  Do a
'make config' once, cp .config to some safe place, then if you must remove
your kernel source tree or upgrade or compile someone else's kernel, you can,
and the copy the file back and say 'make oldconfig'.  IT IS NOT THAT HARD
PEOPLE!!!!!  I personally have 14 different 'configurations' for different
people in my 'safe place' away from the kernel tree.  So I can compile for
14 different people if they ask me to.

That said, I have a ps/2 port and am using a serial mouse.  Why?  Because
before I had this pentium motherboard I did not have a ps/2 port and thus
had a serial mouse.  I am too cheap to go buy a ps/2 mouse, but when I
borrowed one from a friend to verify the port worked (easily compiled as
a module...no reboot) I experienced a much more responsive mouse than the
three serial mice I have tried since.  I for one intend to get a ps/2 mouse
when I have the extra money.
 
> cheap ones which change their state when the power goes off.

Hehehe, you mean the cheez-ball 3 button mice that when initialized must have
the right button pressed or they go into 2 button mode? <grin>

--
Todd Fries .. [email-masked]