com port mouse

Forum: HD Install
Topic: com port mouse
started by: reveille

Posted by reveille on July 30 2004,21:43

okay, i finally found out how to install dsl on my hd, but now my mouse doesnt work. it boots up to the gettingstarted page, and i can use the arrow keys to move down on my keyboard, but the mouse doesnt move. if there any easy way for a linux newbie like me to get my mouse to work?

Posted by roberts on Aug. 01 2004,01:08

Which version of DSL? Newer versions have a prompt during X setup for serial mouse. If you serial mouse is say com1 then in Linux it is /dev/ttyS0 if it is com2 then it is /dev/ttyS1

Try this:
1. exit X windows by press Ctrl-Alt-Backspace
2. at the system prompt $ type the following
sudo ln -s /dev/ttyS0 /dev/mouse
3. then restart X windows by typing startx

If this works for you, then let us know. If not then exit X windows as above and type the command

cat .xserverrc

and then post that here so we may try to help further.

Posted by reveille on Aug. 01 2004,01:41

okay, first, thanks for replying. the first thing didnt work, so heres what it says
exec /usr/bin/X11/Xvesa -2button -screen 1024x768x24 -shadow -nolisten tcp -I &> /dev/null

Posted by reveille on Aug. 01 2004,01:47

lol, well i decided to try and change the resolution, and it let me choose my mouse there, odd. it didnt let me chose it when i installed it to my harddrive.
but now i have another question, the colors are all messed up. i know my monitor can support 1024x768x32 in windows, but when i chose 32 or 24 in dsl, it shows it all messed up. is it my very old video card, or is there a way to fix it? thanks for your help

Posted by libretto on Aug. 01 2004,02:06

The only way ive found to set a com port mouse, is Ctrl-Alt-backspace out of X, then run xsetup.sh (assuming Im looged in as 'dsl' using DSL 0.7.3), then typing 'startx'. This gets me back to the dekstop with working serial mouse. Only thign to do now is getting it to stay after a reboot (I have a HDD install)

Posted by ke4nt1 on Aug. 01 2004,02:20

You can use "dsl xsetup" at boottime to avoid the automagically
detected usb/ps2 mouse setup in DSL 0.7.3..
You will need to answer xsetup's questions, then it goes into X

73
ke4nt

Posted by roberts on Aug. 01 2004,06:25

reveille, did you ever run DSL as a liveCD? It is easier to try to experiment with liveCD than when installed to hard drive.
With colors, messed up you could require framebuffer instead of xvesa. Or if you have an i810 or relative, as has been discussed many times, you could end up using 800x600 with xvesa as your only choice. I would boot off the CD like this:
boot: fb1024x768 and see if the colors look better. Or if you know you have an i810, i845 or such video card then try using 800x600 resolution.

Posted by roberts on Aug. 01 2004,06:29

libretto, I am very curious about your situation. I could understand if this was liveCD and the link to the serial mouse is not backed up, but with hard drive install?

Please post before and after snapshots for me to see.
before:
ls -la /dev/mouse
cat .xserverrc
after:
ls -la /dev/mouse
cat .xserverrc

Posted by libretto on Aug. 01 2004,12:30

I admit I was trying the whole recreating /dev/mouse thing but since then I managed to get a normal HDD install of 0.7.3 (what I'm on now). The setup process seemed to go OK, being asked for passwords and first run of xestup.

Righe heres what you asked for:

Before:
No such file or directory (on both)

After:
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Aug 1 13:19 /dev/mouse -> /dev/ttyS0
exec /usr/bin/X11/Xvesa -3button -screen 1024x768x16 -shadow -nolisten tcp -I &>/dev/null

So I presume Ive somehow inadvetanly deleted the /dev/mouse link file :S If so where can I place a fix to keep the change permanent?

EXTRA:
Following on from ke4nt1's comments, just redid a hdd install, followed the xsetup when first loaded live CD, then ran the hdinstall script, its did its things. Rebooted and asked for root and dsl passwords. But again its gone to the desktop assuming a PS/2 or USB mouse.

Extra EXTRA:

After extensive reinstalls, I have concluded that 0.7.3 doesnt like serial mice when doing HDD installs. I grant that the xsetup boot option, means serial mice can be used on the liveCD. But, the serial mouse I was using was pretty old and crap. Borrowed a PS/2 mouse from my main PC and everythign is fine, so will be buying another PS/2 mouse tomorrow! :cool:

Hope other people have more successes!

Posted by roberts on Aug. 01 2004,16:23

libretto, try placing the command

ln -s /dev/ttyS0 /dev/mouse

into /opt/bootlocal.sh

Then when you reboot, it should have your serial mouse link.

Posted by ke4nt1 on Aug. 01 2004,16:25

Here's what I did to fix it for good on a HD install.

1. exit the X server ( ctrl-alt-bksp ) ...takes you to the shell..
2. "sudo su" to root
3. "rm -rf /dev/mouse"
4. "ln -sf /dev/ttyS0 /dev/mouse" ( assuming your using com1 )
5. "startx" ( now you should have serial mouse )

roberts suggestion for adding these 2 lines into your
bootlocal.sh works too..

Once you've added these two lines to your opt/bootlocal.sh,
it should survive a reboot..

For a live CD , or frugal install,
add a line for the "/dev/mouse" file into your filetool.lst
It will restore before X starts ..

73
ke4nt

Posted by libretto on Aug. 01 2004,16:43

Tried one last time both your and roberts suggestions (even at the same time). With both fixes done, after a reboot the serial mouse still doesnt work

Right, I am still getting a PS/2 mouse tommorrow :;):

hope other people have better luck than I.

Otherwise enjoying 0.7.3 and thanks very mcuh for the help, much like the Elecraft service :;):

Posted by reveille on Aug. 01 2004,16:59

yea, i ran livecd and with framebuffer, the screen was just blank, i tried all the resolutions at 32, but none of them run it with nice color

Posted by roberts on Aug. 01 2004,18:38

reveille, I am betting that you have an i845 video.
Would you post the results of this command.

cat /etc/sysconfig/xserver

That will tell us your detected video.

I have an old SONY with i810 video and am limited to 800x600. But we have heard that i845 is most difficult.

Posted by reveille on Aug. 01 2004,20:26

no such file or directory it says

Posted by reveille on Aug. 04 2004,21:28

so im stuck with ugly pictures and color?

Posted by ke4nt1 on Aug. 04 2004,23:08

If your making it to the X desktop, no matter what the colors look like,
you've just GOT to have a /etc/sysconfig/xserver file ...

Try using emelfm to get to the file...
See if you can open it, and cut/paste into a post here...
It's only a few fields/lines of info...

73
ke4nt

Posted by reveille on Aug. 05 2004,19:17

i used emelFM, but its not there....
how do i take a screenshot oh my screen? i tried using the image programs, but dont know how to paste it