Problems configuring PS/2 Mouse

[tnemeth]

Hello, I'm a super-newbie with linux. I use Redhat 7.2/7.3 (Enigma/Valhalla)

when I try to startx, it fails because it can't init the mouse. Is there a script I can run to config my mouse? I have no /dev/mouse entry. What terminal does a PS/2 mouse use? /dev/tty0? Any help would be greatly appreciated and I apologize for the rambling. I am a technician so I can pick up on things fairly quickly, I'm just a linux newbie, I've got years of experience in other areas. So feel free to lay it on.

[Hayl]

go into the /dev/directory and look around

it could be /dev/input/mouseX (x=0 or 1 or whatever)

you can test by doing:

cat /dev/input/mouse0

and then moving the mouse around. if it prints garbage to the screen then that is the correct device.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by tnemeth
Hello, I'm a super-newbie with linux. I use Redhat 7.2/7.3 (Enigma/Valhalla)

when I try to startx, it fails because it can't init the mouse. Is there a script I can run to config my mouse? I have no /dev/mouse entry. What terminal does a PS/2 mouse use? /dev/tty0? Any help would be greatly appreciated and I apologize for the rambling. I am a technician so I can pick up on things fairly quickly, I'm just a linux newbie, I've got years of experience in other areas. So feel free to lay it on.

you could try ruunning /usr/sbin/mouseconfig command from a shell prompt, be sure you are at a root user prompt before you run this command. This may attempt to launch a gui tool so it may not work, but give it a shot

[bwkaz]

/dev/psaux is what you want. ;)

/dev/input/mice and /dev/input/mouseX are for USB mice. /dev/tty0 is a virtual console device, but you can't get at it (if you write stuff to tty1, using something like "echo randomstring >/dev/tty1", then ctrl-alt-f1 (or alt-f1 if X isn't running on your current virtual console), then you will see "randomstring" printed at the end).

I don't know if mouseconfig will work or not, as I haven't tried it myself (never used RH 7.2 or 7.3).

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by tnemeth

when I try to startx, it fails because it can't init the mouse. Is there a script I can run to config my mouse? I have no /dev/mouse entry. What terminal does a PS/2 mouse use? /dev/tty0? Any help would be greatly appreciated and I apologize for the rambling. I am a technician so I can pick up on things fairly quickly, I'm just a linux newbie, I've got years of experience in other areas. So feel free to lay it on.

Have a look at your X config (/etc/X11/XF86Config or -4) and look in the Mouse or InputDevice section to see the device it is using.

It should be '/dev/psaux' or '/dev/mouse' though you will need to have a symlink pointing from the actual device (psaux) to mouse.

If required and as root

ln -s /dev/psaux /dev/mouse

[mengle]

My "friend" talked me into installing Gentoo. Wow, that's been rough. Anyway, I'm now into my X windows system but I'm having the same problem. Unfortunately there's no /dev/psaux; it doesn't exist. I've also tried setting it to /dev/mouse, /dev/input/mice, and /dev/tty0 but none of them work. Any suggestions?

FYI. I have a Logitech Trackball (not USB).

I tried running mouseconfig but I don't have it installed. I'm still trying to build my basic system. Thanks.

[bwkaz]

Does Gentoo use devfs?

If not, you have to create /dev/psaux yourself.

mknod /dev/psaux c 10 1

ought to accomplish that.

If Gentoo does use devfs, then you will have to load the PS/2 mouse driver. I think its module is named "psmouse", but that might be in kernel 2.6, not 2.4...