Desperate sub-newbie

[GUIGirl]

I am an NT chick who is nearly useless in X Windows and beyond useless without. I needed to change the mouse on a Redhat 6.2 box from generic PS/2 to generic serial. A task that sounded simple enough even for me. But just to be safe I made a backup copy of my XF86Config file in case I messed my current one up. Next I ran mouseconfig and changed my mouse type and allowed the system to change my config file. When I rebooted, it wouldn't run X at all. So revert to my original config file, right? But I can't! I can't do *anything* outside of the GUI. I know no Linux, Unix commands at all. HELP!!!

[ascend]

well, you didn't say what distro of linux this is so i'm gonna guess some. i'm using slackware so this may not quite match up as far as file locations.

first, to put back the original file at the command prompt you do

#mv /etc/XF86Config.bak /etc/XF86Config (sub in the name of you backup file)

k, now you're back where you started. then i'd simply edit XF86Config....try editing with pico...look for the pointer section. you should be able to change the protocol line from
Protocol "PS/2"
to
Protocol "Serial"

and i think thats all there is to it.
good luck.

[This message has been edited by ascend (edited 13 December 2000).]

[ethereal]

I'm guessing X doesn't load up with the error no core pointer detected. What's happened is, you've configure linux to use the serial mouse, but not X. you need to edit the file /etc/X11/XF86Config

In case you dont know how to edit via console, I like to use the program pico. eg

pico XF86Config

Remember to be root. Scroll down to where it says Core Pointer, and change the protocol from PS/2 (or possibly IMPS/2) to Serial.

Now the problem is, you also need to change the device from /dev/mouse to the correct device, and I don't know what that is. hopefully someone mentions that, or you can find it. I'll look and see if I can.

You may need to find the com port it's on.

Hope this helps

-Ethereal

[ethereal]

I should have been paying more attention, to go to a dirctory you use the same command as dos, cd. eg

cd /etc/X11

then you are in the directory /etc/X11/