Discussion:
psaux port and 2.6 kernels - Mouse doesn't work?
(too old to reply)
Fred
2005-10-31 12:13:36 UTC
Permalink
Hi,
Been on 2.4 a long time, upgrading to 2.6.14. Everything works now but the
PS/2 style mouse, plugged into the socket similar to and just above the
keyboard socket.

I have the mouse configured as a PS/2 mouse and
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV=y
CONFIG-INPUT_MOUSEDEV_PSAUX=y

gpm reports no errors to stderr or the syslog and mev reports no events as I
tap the buttons and slide the mouse.

gpm -t ps/2 -m /dev/psaux

The mouse works fine under the 2.4 kernels and windoze xppro.

Thanks in advance for all assistance,
Fred
Dances With Crows
2005-10-31 14:04:47 UTC
Permalink
["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.hardware.]
On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 07:13:36 -0500, Fred staggered into the Black Sun
Post by Fred
Been on 2.4 a long time, upgrading to 2.6.14.
It's about time, eh?
Post by Fred
Everything works now but the PS/2 style mouse. I have
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV=y
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_PSAUX=y
OK, PS/2 mouse built-in. What protocol does this mouse speak? Most
mice with wheels speak imps or exps. Only in rare cases (really old
hardware, or some IBM Thinkpads) will you use the bare PS/2 protocol.
You typically feed a kernel command-line option like so:

kernel /boot/2.6.14 root=/dev/hda6 psmouse.proto=exps

...adjust for LILO; that's part of a GRUB stanza.
Post by Fred
gpm reports no errors to stderr or the syslog
gpm -t ps/2 -m /dev/psaux
The mouse works fine under the 2.4 kernels and windoze xppro.
Your mouse is probably not using the PS/2 protocol. Adjust the kernel
command line for IMPS/2 or EXPS/2, depending on whether your mouse has
more than 5 buttons or not. This change to mouse handling is only one
of many little differences between 2.4 and 2.6, so make sure you've read
the Changes file in /usr/src/linux/ and Googled for "2.4 to 2.6 upgrade"
so you know what else might go wrong.
--
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin / mail: TRAP + SPAN don't belong
http://www.brainbench.com / "He is a rhythmic movement of the
-----------------------------/ penguins, is Tux." --MegaHAL
Fred
2005-11-02 12:18:05 UTC
Permalink
Hey,
The mouse is a 4-button Logitech MouseMan connected to the mouse port on the
motherboard through a Belkin KVM switch.

I added 'append="psmouse.proto=bare"' to the line in my lilo.conf pointing
to the bzImage file containing the kernel image. No Changes file in
/usr/src/linux/devices/input, no reference to changes in mice configuration.
I did google 2.4 to 2.6 upgrade, learned a bit, but not much help in getting
the mouse working.

Thanks in advance for all help.

Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.hardware.]
On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 07:13:36 -0500, Fred staggered into the Black Sun
Post by Fred
Been on 2.4 a long time, upgrading to 2.6.14.
It's about time, eh?
Post by Fred
Everything works now but the PS/2 style mouse. I have
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV=y
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_PSAUX=y
OK, PS/2 mouse built-in. What protocol does this mouse speak? Most
mice with wheels speak imps or exps. Only in rare cases (really old
hardware, or some IBM Thinkpads) will you use the bare PS/2 protocol.
kernel /boot/2.6.14 root=/dev/hda6 psmouse.proto=exps
...adjust for LILO; that's part of a GRUB stanza.
Post by Fred
gpm reports no errors to stderr or the syslog
gpm -t ps/2 -m /dev/psaux
The mouse works fine under the 2.4 kernels and windoze xppro.
Your mouse is probably not using the PS/2 protocol. Adjust the kernel
command line for IMPS/2 or EXPS/2, depending on whether your mouse has
more than 5 buttons or not. This change to mouse handling is only one
of many little differences between 2.4 and 2.6, so make sure you've read
the Changes file in /usr/src/linux/ and Googled for "2.4 to 2.6 upgrade"
so you know what else might go wrong.
--
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin / mail: TRAP + SPAN don't belong
http://www.brainbench.com / "He is a rhythmic movement of the
-----------------------------/ penguins, is Tux." --MegaHAL
Dances With Crows
2005-11-03 15:13:24 UTC
Permalink
["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.hardware.]
On Wed, 2 Nov 2005 07:18:05 -0500, Fred staggered into the Black Sun and
said:

Please don't top-post, and *trim* your posts. Message rearranged and
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 07:13:36 -0500, Fred staggered into the Black Sun
Post by Fred
Everything works now but the PS/2 style mouse. I have
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV=y
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_PSAUX=y
OK, PS/2 mouse built-in. What protocol does this mouse speak? Most
mice with wheels speak imps or exps. Only in rare cases (really old
hardware, or some IBM Thinkpads) will you use the bare PS/2 protocol.
I added 'append="psmouse.proto=bare"' to the line in my lilo.conf
pointing to the bzImage file containing the kernel image.
"Only in rare cases" means "you probably don't want to do this". Did
you make sure to rerun LILO after changing /etc/lilo.conf ? (Remember
that you don't have to do that with GRUB.)
Post by Fred
no reference to changes in mice configuration.
...other than the 2.4->2.6 upgrade info says "put the right thing in for
psmouse.proto=". That parameter is listed in
/usr/src/linux/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt as well.
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
The mouse works fine under the 2.4 kernels and windoze xppro.
kernel /boot/2.6.14 root=/dev/hda6 psmouse.proto=exps
Your mouse is probably not using the PS/2 protocol. Adjust the
kernel command line for IMPS/2 or EXPS/2, depending on whether your
mouse has more than 5 buttons or not. This change to mouse handling
is only one of many little differences between 2.4 and 2.6, so make
The mouse is a 4-button Logitech MouseMan connected to the mouse port
on the motherboard through a Belkin KVM switch.
4 buttons? Weird. Usually, it breaks down like so:

1 button (Apple only, obsolete, useless)
2 buttons (obsolete)
3 buttons (usable, but obsolete--found on older Thinkpads, etc.)
5 buttons (standard 2 buttons + wheel)
6+buttons (2 buttons + wheel + other buttons, usually exps protocol)

...so are you sure you should be using "bare"? imps is a de facto
standard, and more and more mice are supporting exps, because more and
more mice have more buttons than the typical 5 these days. (Eventually,
there will be a mouse with a miniature QWERTY keyboard on it, to satisfy
the 31337 g4m3rz.) What's your xorg.conf use as its protocol? I'm
betting it's IMPS/2 or EXPS/2, and you should switch the kernel command
line parameter to match.

KVMs sometimes screw things up. Look in the kernel-parameters.txt file
for additional things you can feed the kernel, like the
psmouse.resetafter= thing.
--
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin / mail: TRAP + SPAN don't belong
http://www.brainbench.com / "He is a rhythmic movement of the
-----------------------------/ penguins, is Tux." --MegaHAL
Fred
2005-11-05 12:03:58 UTC
Permalink
Hi Dances With Crows,
Post by Dances With Crows
["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.hardware.]
On Wed, 2 Nov 2005 07:18:05 -0500, Fred staggered into the Black Sun and
Please don't top-post, and *trim* your posts. Message rearranged and
I hope I am not top-posting, been a good number of years since using
netnews.
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 07:13:36 -0500, Fred staggered into the Black Sun
Post by Fred
Everything works now but the PS/2 style mouse. I have
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV=y
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_PSAUX=y
OK, PS/2 mouse built-in. What protocol does this mouse speak? Most
mice with wheels speak imps or exps. Only in rare cases (really old
hardware, or some IBM Thinkpads) will you use the bare PS/2 protocol.
I added 'append="psmouse.proto=bare"' to the line in my lilo.conf
pointing to the bzImage file containing the kernel image.
"Only in rare cases" means "you probably don't want to do this". Did
you make sure to rerun LILO after changing /etc/lilo.conf ? (Remember
that you don't have to do that with GRUB.)
Yes, I did run lilo after adding parameters to the kernel, been a linux user
since 1.2.8 early 90's.
Also, I made it a module, and loaded the module with various combinations of
parameters. The kernel reports, after adaptec scsi controllers are loaded
"mice: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice." This is before I load the
psmouse.ko module. I load the module with

modprobe psmouse proto=ImPS/2

a tail on /var/log/messages shows
[date/time/hostname snipped] kernel: input: ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse on
isa0060/serio1

and
gpm -t ps/2 -m /dev/psaux
reports no errors (and mouse is non-functioning). 'mev' reports no events
when started.
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
no reference to changes in mice configuration.
...other than the 2.4->2.6 upgrade info says "put the right thing in for
psmouse.proto=". That parameter is listed in
/usr/src/linux/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt as well.
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
The mouse works fine under the 2.4 kernels and windoze xppro.
kernel /boot/2.6.14 root=/dev/hda6 psmouse.proto=exps
Your mouse is probably not using the PS/2 protocol. Adjust the
kernel command line for IMPS/2 or EXPS/2, depending on whether your
mouse has more than 5 buttons or not
4 buttons? Weird. Usually, it breaks down like so [snipped]
Ergonomic (fits in palm), roller ball on bottom, 3 buttons for index,
middle, ring fingers, one button for thumb (I think mirrors middle button).
Post by Dances With Crows
...so are you sure you should be using "bare"? imps is a de facto
standard, and more and more mice are supporting exps, because more and
more mice have more buttons than the typical 5 these days. (Eventually,
there will be a mouse with a miniature QWERTY keyboard on it, to satisfy
the 31337 g4m3rz.) What's your xorg.conf use as its protocol? I'm
betting it's IMPS/2 or EXPS/2, and you should switch the kernel command
line parameter to match.
Not familiar with xorg.conf. xwindows (xfree86) does come up, mouse doesn't
work there either.
Post by Dances With Crows
KVMs sometimes screw things up. Look in the kernel-parameters.txt file
for additional things you can feed the kernel, like the
psmouse.resetafter= thing.
I tried the mouse plugged into the computer, bypassing the KVM switch
(remove an unknown), no effect. Tried '1' on the resetafter parameter with
KVM in the loop, no effect.
Post by Dances With Crows
--
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin / mail: TRAP + SPAN don't belong
http://www.brainbench.com / "He is a rhythmic movement of the
-----------------------------/ penguins, is Tux." --MegaHAL
Dances With Crows
2005-11-05 22:24:47 UTC
Permalink
["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.hardware.]
On Sat, 5 Nov 2005 07:03:58 -0500, Fred staggered into the Black Sun and
Post by Fred
I hope I am not top-posting,
Nope, interleaved posting as you did is the generally accepted way to do
things.
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
Most mice with wheels speak imps or exps. Only in rare cases
I added 'append="psmouse.proto=bare"' to the line in my lilo.conf
Yes, I did run lilo after adding parameters to the kernel, been a
linux user since 1.2.8 early 90's. Also, I made it a module, and
loaded the module with various combinations of parameters.
Nuts. This is weird. OK, ISTR that there were problems with some
distro-patched kernels and some mice, particularly if there was a KVM
involved.
Post by Fred
modprobe psmouse proto=ImPS/2
? In the kernel source for vanilla 2.6.10, that would result in a
"psmouse: unknown protocol type" error. Acceptable values for proto=
are bare, imps, and exps.
Post by Fred
kernel: input: ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse on isa0060/serio1
gpm -t ps/2 -m /dev/psaux reports no errors (and mouse is
non-functioning).
Why are you using -t ps/2 for gpm? The mouse reports itself as an
IMPS/2 mouse, so you should be using -t imps/2 . Anyway, running gpm
can interfere with the mouse working properly in X (unless you set X up
to use gpm's repeater device), so don't use gpm unless you really need
it for some reason.
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
4 buttons? Weird. Usually, it breaks down like so [snipped]
Ergonomic (fits in palm), roller ball on bottom, 3 buttons for index,
middle, ring fingers, one button for thumb
No wheel? Weird.
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
What's your xorg.conf use as its protocol? I'm betting it's IMPS/2
or EXPS/2, and you should switch the kernel command line parameter to
Not familiar with xorg.conf. xwindows (xfree86) does come up, mouse
doesn't work there either.
Try not running gpm. xorg.conf's format is currently exactly the same
as XF86Config's, but that may change in the future.
Post by Fred
I tried the mouse plugged into the computer, bypassing the KVM switch
(remove an unknown), no effect. Tried '1' on the resetafter parameter
with KVM in the loop, no effect.
If the gpm thing fails, I'd suggest getting the latest stable
non-distro-patched 2.6 kernel and compiling it. Distro-patched kernels
tend to have strange bugs in them which aren't present in the vanilla
releases IME.
--
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin / mail: TRAP + SPAN don't belong
http://www.brainbench.com / "He is a rhythmic movement of the
-----------------------------/ penguins, is Tux." --MegaHAL
Fred
2005-11-08 12:41:23 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dances With Crows
Nuts. This is weird. OK, ISTR that there were problems with some
distro-patched kernels and some mice, particularly if there was a KVM
involved.
This is not a patched kernel.
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
modprobe psmouse proto=ImPS/2
? In the kernel source for vanilla 2.6.10, that would result in a
"psmouse: unknown protocol type" error. Acceptable values for proto=
are bare, imps, and exps.
my typo, was imps.
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
kernel: input: ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse on isa0060/serio1
gpm -t ps/2 -m /dev/psaux reports no errors (and mouse is
non-functioning).
Why are you using -t ps/2 for gpm? The mouse reports itself as an
3> IMPS/2 mouse, so you should be using -t imps/2 . Anyway, running gpm
Post by Dances With Crows
can interfere with the mouse working properly in X (unless you set X up
to use gpm's repeater device), so don't use gpm unless you really need
it for some reason.
Again, a typo (my bad). The arguments to gpm are "-t imps2 -m /dev/psaux"
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
What's your xorg.conf use as its protocol? I'm betting it's IMPS/2
or EXPS/2, and you should switch the kernel command line parameter to
Not familiar with xorg.conf. xwindows (xfree86) does come up, mouse
doesn't work there either.
Try not running gpm. xorg.conf's format is currently exactly the same
as XF86Config's, but that may change in the future.
X runs fine. With or without gpm, X comes up fine, but cursor is stationary
as I move mouse.
I'm running Xfree86 4.2.1 using gnome as the window manager.
All of this works fine under 2.4.20.

I really appreciate all help. Fred
Dances With Crows
2005-11-10 14:48:04 UTC
Permalink
["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.hardware.]
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
Nuts. This is weird. OK, ISTR that there were problems with some
distro-patched kernels and some mice, particularly if there was a KVM
This is not a patched kernel.
OK, just making sure.
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
modprobe psmouse proto=ImPS/2
? that would result in a "psmouse: unknown protocol type" error.
my typo, was imps.
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
gpm -t ps/2 -m /dev/psaux reports no errors (and mouse is
IMPS/2 mouse, so you should be using -t imps/2 .
Again, a typo (my bad). The arguments to gpm are "-t imps2 -m /dev/psaux"
Right... maybe check your config files for typos? :-)
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
Post by Fred
Post by Dances With Crows
What's your xorg.conf use as its protocol? I'm betting it's
IMPS/2 or EXPS/2, and you should switch the kernel command line
X runs fine. With or without gpm, X comes up fine, but cursor is
stationary as I move mouse. I'm running Xfree86 4.2.1
OK, that X is ancient. You should be running at least 4.3.0 (which is
itself obsolete), if only for the useful RANDR extension.
Post by Fred
All of this works fine under 2.4.20.
I'm officially out of ideas. The next thing that I'd do would be to
sprinkle printk()s within drivers/input/mouse/psmouse-base.c to see
what's really going on in the 2.6 kernel, and put the same printk()s in
the roughly equivalent spots in the 2.4 kernel. This is *not* normal,
I've never seen it happen, and I don't have any idea what's causing it.
--
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin / mail: TRAP + SPAN don't belong
http://www.brainbench.com / "He is a rhythmic movement of the
-----------------------------/ penguins, is Tux." --MegaHAL
Fred
2005-11-14 11:46:01 UTC
Permalink
Thanks Dances with Wolves,
It works!

I can't explain it. GPM was in the background, and I loaded the module with
proto=bare,
and the mouse cursor appeared in the middle of the screen. I did notice
after loading the
module that the device did appear in the /proc/bus/input/devices file.

proto=imps worked too, but when I used the KVM switch (just for a test, read
the bug reports) and switched back to 2.6.14, the mouse cursor was flying
all over the screen. proto=bare does not have this behavior.

Again,
Thanks for you help.

Fred

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