The USB mouse again

[thomas_nj]

Hello

I am reallt having trouble getting my usb-mouse to work on gentoo with the 2.6.7 kernel. Will someone please tell me precise what to choose when I am in make menu config.

I have read (and was toled in here) a lot about modules but what do I need to choose to get these modules? Is't there a guide somewhere someone who will tell me what to choose?

[CoffeeMan]

Make sure that in your menuconfig that you have all of the usb and usbfs options. To be sure, try everything that has to do with usb. Also, if you can, try a PS/2 mouse, to test. Does the xf86config have a usb mouse entry in it?

[thomas_nj]

I test the mouse with cat /dev/input/mice. I am waiting with xorg until it works there.
I have tried with a ps2 and it worked fine

[bwkaz]

You need, at minimum:

CONFIG_PCI
CONFIG_USB
CONFIG_INPUT (which can't be turned off unless you've configured the kernel as embedded)
CONFIG_USB_HID
CONFIG_USB_HIDINPUT

You do not need CONFIG_USB_MOUSE, because that's for HID Boot Protocol support (which is extremely basic; it's basically what your BIOS uses to talk to the mouse when it's emulating a PS/2 mouse for DOS).

You need these features compiled and (if you selected modules for any of them) loaded. You also need a driver for your USB bus (either CONFIG_USB_OHCI_HCD (non-Intel, non-Via chipset) or CONFIG_USB_UHCI_HCD (Intel or Via chipset) for USB 1.1, and/or CONFIG_USB_EHCI (any chipset) for USB 2).

[thomas_nj]

CONFIG_PCI
CONFIG_USB
CONFIG_INPUT (which can't be turned off unless you've configured the kernel as embedded)
CONFIG_USB_HID
CONFIG_USB_HIDINPUT

How do I find out what to enable in menuconfig to get these? Just guessing or is there some kind of list or something?

[coldy]

maybe it will be easyer for you to do:
# vi /usr/src/linux/.config and search for the vars

[XiaoKJ]

Oh, thats make config items.

can you use X? make xconfig (for qt) and make gconfig (for gtk) and you can see both menu and entry based options. you can even get help!

[bwkaz]

Originally posted by thomas_nj
How do I find out what to enable in menuconfig to get these? Just guessing or is there some kind of list or something? There is a list -- the various Kconfig files scattered around the kernel source tree. :D

The menuconfig entries are as follows:

CONFIG_PCI: Bus options (PCI, PCMCIA, EISA, MCA, ISA) ---> PCI support

CONFIG_USB: Device Drivers ---> USB support ---> Support for Host-side USB

CONFIG_INPUT: Don't worry about this one, it won't even show up unless you've gone out of your way to enable it.

CONFIG_USB_HID: Device Drivers ---> USB support ---> USB Human Interface Device (full HID) support

CONFIG_USB_HIDINPUT: Device Drivers ---> USB support ---> HID input layer support

-----

Editing the .config file would work, but you HAVE to run "make oldconfig" after dong that, and you HAVE to make ABSOLUTELY sure you're editing the correct .config file (/usr/src/linux is NOT necessarily your kernel source tree...). It's possible to do, but I think it's easier if I just give you the way to find these options in menuconfig (the same settings apply to either xconfig or gconfig).

[thomas_nj]

I tried enableing:

CONFIG_PCI: Bus options (PCI, PCMCIA, EISA, MCA, ISA) ---> PCI support

CONFIG_USB: Device Drivers ---> USB support ---> Support for Host-side USB

CONFIG_INPUT: Don't worry about this one, it won't even show up unless you've gone out of your way to enable it.

CONFIG_USB_HID: Device Drivers ---> USB support ---> USB Human Interface Device (full HID) support

CONFIG_USB_HIDINPUT: Device Drivers ---> USB support ---> HID input layer support


And it did not work. Actually they where allready enabled in my "old" config. Does that meen that the error is someplace else than the kernel?

[michaeln]

Are you doing:
cat /dev/mouse
or
cat /dev/usbmouse

EDIT:
Nevermind. I need to learn to pay more attention. You said earlier you test it with /dev/input/mice which is what /dev/usbmouse points to.

Hrmm. I am not sure what the problem is then if you have those things compiled into the kernel. Have you tried asking on the gentoo forums?

[thomas_nj]

No not yet. I have seen that a lot in here is using gentoo so i kind og hoped that they knew what my problem was

[bwkaz]

Originally posted by thomas_nj
Actually they where allready enabled in my "old" config. Were they modules, or were they turned on (with a Y)?

If they were modules, then you need the modules loaded (/sbin/modprobe usbcore && /sbin/modprobe hid as root ought to do it, though I'm not sure) when you do the test also. It's easier to just build them right in.

[thomas_nj]

They are not modules. Does anyone have an usb-mouse which work on gentoo?

[michaeln]

Well actually I do.

I have a (I hate to say it) Micro$oft Trackball Explorer working with the two extra buttons set to copy and past things for me.

But, from what I have seen here your setup should be working.

I am running linux-2.6.7-gentoo-r8.

I am not in front of my gentoo box at the moment. Sadly to say I am on a *cough* windows box at my place of work. When I get home tonight I will look at my install again and see if there is anything you missed.