changing my mouse without restarting

kamagurka

i have purchased a new mouse. i am not yet sure how i'm gonna hook it up (usb or ps/2), but 'd like to switch without rebooting and preferrably also without restarting the xserver.

1. how do i make linux (or the xserver) reload the ps/2 port should i choose to put my new mouse there (my old one is there too).
2. how do i switch X over to taking the mouse input from the usb port instead of the ps/2 port (without restarting it)? can it be done?
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rmalolepszy · Apprentice Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 167

Be careful doing this. Old motherboards would short if you pulled the mouse while it was powered on. Any non-hotplug device really has this issue because of the sudden change in voltage (although a mouse doesn't use much).

I'm not really sure about kililng x and restarting it (without looking - i'm at work). That's in essence what you need to do. I know in X you can ctrl-alt-backspace to restart x (re-reading the config).
_________________
Cheers,
Ryan

kamagurka · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 4:19 pm Post subject:

well, this mobo isn't *that* old.
good tip about the ctrl+alt+backsp. didnt know that.
_________________
If you loved me, you'd all kill yourselves today.
--Spider Jerusalem, the Word

hermes_jr · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 4:32 pm Post subject:

rmalolepszy · Apprentice Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 167

BTW, you should just be able to kill your X process then start it back up with 'startx' or something similar to re-read your config.
_________________
Cheers,
Ryan

kamagurka · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 5:36 pm Post subject:

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 6:19 pm Post subject:

Kamagurka,

Connect your new mouse as USB and leave your old mouse connected too. Then configure X to use both. whichever one you pick up will work.

PS/2 ports are not hot pluggable by design. Tou may break your port and/or mouse if you try.
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NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

474 · l33t Joined: 19 Apr 2002 Posts: 714

On a similar note, X will handle the hotplugging of USB mice provided that you choose to use the /dev/input/mice node in the configuration file. Otherwise, if you unplug the mouse then plug one back in again then the pointer will remain motionless until X is restarted!

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:12 pm Post subject:

kerframil,

If you use /dev/input/mouse0 for your USB mouse rather than /dev/input/mice you have to wait for the system to dectect that the mouse has been uplugged before you plugit back in again, or it will be detected as /dev/input/mouse1 (mouse0 still exists). That can be 20 seconds or more.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

474 · l33t Joined: 19 Apr 2002 Posts: 714

Interesting. I've not been struck by that phenomenon but I'll certainly check it out. Presumably /dev/input/mice maintains a valid link to the most recently activated mouse device.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:23 pm Post subject:

kerframil,

/dev/input/mice gets all the commads from all connected mice.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

474 · l33t Joined: 19 Apr 2002 Posts: 714

Well, how about that (crosses off "learn something new" on the list of things to do) ...

forbjok · Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:01 am Post subject:

I switch my usb mice (yeah, I have several, depending on where i am) between my laptop and other computers all the time, and I've never had to restart X because of it. With 2.6 kernels, /dev/mouse (-> /dev/psaux?) seems to merge all connected ps2/usb mice into a single device, so you don't even have to have seperate X configurations for them.

I don't remember having trouble with X detecting PS/2 mice on unplug/replug either (in fact, in one case re-plugging it fixed the "cursor-jumping-randomly-all-over-the-screen" problem without restarting X), but then again I rarely use PS/2 mice.

Supposedly, hotplugging PS/2 devices can damage the motherboard and/or devices, but I've done it a hundred times myself with both keyboards and mice, and nothing ever happened :lol: