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nihil39
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 15 Nov 2005
Posts: 97
Location: Italy
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 Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 11:45 am Post subject: Questions about wireless mouse and keyboard |
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Hi all,
In this moment I'm using a USB keyboard and a USB mouse (both wired, each in its port) and they work perfectly. I want to buy a wireless mouse and keyboard kit but first I have a question to ask.
I have noticed that almost all of these kits require one usb or two ps/2 ports in order to connect the receiver with the computer. Look at this, for example (I linked the american Logitech site but the same model is available in Italy, too).
I know (at least, I hope  ) that if I use the two ps/2 ports it should work flawlessly.
My question is about the single usb port. Will it work without further software installation? Will I be able to boot the system without using a wired mouse and a wired keyboard and then connect the wireless kit? I'm asking this because it sounds me strange that two devices are connected in only one USB port.
I'm interested in usb support because nowadays laptops don't have ps/2 connectors anymore (and in desktops they are considered "legacy", as far as I know) and I might use a laptop in the future.
I apologize for my English.
Thank you in advance. |
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thewally
l33t
Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 703
Location: Genova
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flysideways
Guru
Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 501
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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I am typing this using a very inexpensive radio frequency usb keyboard and mouse. I bought it on a clearance sale at a local retailer and it has no name brand on it only says made in China. Point is it works. I may have only gotten lucky, the receiver needs to be supported, I think. The third poster in this review http://ostg.pricegrabber.com/rating_getprodrev.php/product_id=11209329/id_type=M mentions using your linked Logitech keyboard with linux. A more thorough search of other users would probably be in order.
| Code: | dmesg
...
usb 2-3: new low speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 3
usb 2-3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
input: MOSART Semi. Wireless Keyboard & Mouse as /class/input/input2
input: USB HID v1.10 Keyboard [MOSART Semi. Wireless Keyboard & Mouse] on usb-0000:00:02.0-3
input: MOSART Semi. Wireless Keyboard & Mouse as /class/input/input3
input: USB HID v1.10 Mouse [MOSART Semi. Wireless Keyboard & Mouse] on usb-0000:00:02.0-3
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| Code: | lsusb
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 062a:0102 Creative Labs
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0bc7:0004 X10 Wireless Technology, Inc. X10 Receiver
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
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bus 2 device 4 is the rf receiver for my keyboard and mouse, the X10 device is an ATI Remote Wonder that I use to control Mythtv. The mouse is not as smooth as a wired one, that may only be due to the inexpensive nature of the product. I have no other wireless keyboard and mouse experience from which to judge.
It required no extra software to run the wireless keyboard and mouse. I have coldplug installed and am running a 2.6.17 vanilla kernel. Don't remember how usb in the kernel is set up. It recognizes the rf receiver when it is plugged or unplugged. Right now as a matter of fact my ps/2 mouse and keyboard are still plugged in also and they also work. |
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flysideways
Guru
Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 501
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 12:50 pm Post subject: Re: Questions about wireless mouse and keyboard |
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| nihil39 wrote: | My question is about the single usb port. Will it work without further software installation? Will I be able to boot the system without using a wired mouse and a wired keyboard and then connect the wireless kit? I'm asking this because it sounds me strange that two devices are connected in only one USB port.
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Actually there is only one device connected to the usb port and that is the usb receiver, the mouse and keyboard communicate with the receiver.
I tried booting with it on 2 other computers and the wireless keyboard works during the post. I can use the wireless keyboard to get into and edit the bios. However, one of the other computers is a dual boot Gentoo/FC5 with grub on the FC5 side. I cannot control the grub boot screen with the wireless keyboard there but it works fine on the Gentoo based grub. |
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NeddySeagoon
Administrator
Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Posts: 54809
Location: 56N 3W
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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nihil39,
The receiver for these combined USB mouse/keyboard kits contains a USB hub, so each device has its own USB connection and own USB address. You only have one USB wire but linux will see two seperate devices. Well, it may show you three because the hub is a device too.
In short, it should JustWork(tm).
_________________
Regards,
NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
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nihil39
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 15 Nov 2005
Posts: 97
Location: Italy
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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I think it should work fine.
Thank you very much to all.
PS
Gentoo is surely the distribution with the best community support. |
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