xorg-x11, kernel versions, and sun type5 keyboards, sun mice

Ferris

Every week or so there is a new post here, on Freenode IRC #gentoo-sparc, or in the #gentoo-sparc mailing list expressing frustration with configuring xorg-x11 to play nicely with a sun type5 (or type6, type5C, or so on) keyboard (or with a sun mouse). Part of the difficulties arise because xorg.conf is not compatible between kernels for keyboards and mice. First of all, before posting configuration difficulties, please keep the following points in mind:

With kernel 2.4, xorg-x11 must be built on a kernel 2.4 system.
With kernel-2.4:
- Your keyboard driver must be 'keyboard';
- Your keyboard looks like a sun keyboard to xorg;
- Your mouse is /dev/sunmouse;
- Your mouse's protocol is Mousesystems.
With kernel 2.6:
- It's better to use the 'kbd' driver (although if you build on kernel-2.6, keyboard and kbd are the same);
- Your keyboard uses 'Option "XkbRules" "xorg"';
- Your mouse device is /dev/input/mice, and its protocol is IMPS/2.

Second, there are working xorg.conf files for both kernels at http://dev.gentoo.org/~fmccor/docs/xorg/xorg.conf/xorg.conf.html and if you don't like those, you can find samples at other dev/gentoo.org/~<some-sparc-developer> or by searching. (If you haven't tried it yet , use http://www.mooter.com and search on gentoo sparc xorg.conf for example. :wink:

)

If after reviewing all of that you still have problems, go ahead and ask. But be aware that to get a meaningful response, you should indicate (1) your kernel version; (2) relevant portions of your xorg.conf file; (3) anything that looks interesting or unusual in your /var/log/Xorg.?.log (usually, '?' = 0).

Tip: Aborts (like Signal 11) in the log file are interesting. But the following, while alarming, is expected and normal if you have kernel-2.4:

Ferris · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2005 1:08 pm Post subject:

A brief update: There have been several questions about type6 keyboards, etc. So: I currently have a U60-SMP Linux antaresia.inforead.com 2.4.29-sparc #3 SMP Fri Apr 22 12:30:22 UTC 2005 sparc64 sun4u TI UltraSparc II (BlackBird) GNU/Linux running xorg-x11-6.8.99.3 and using a Sun type(6) keyboard, Elite (afb) framebuffer. The xorg.conf file is unchanged: it calls the keyboard a type(5). Everything works as expected, which is to say, correctly.

If you have a similar setup but are experiencing difficulties, please review carefully your xorg.conf file and your kernel .config file. And make sure that xorg-x11 is using the configureation file you think it should be --- that information is at the top of your /var/log/Xorg.0.log, and if you keep variants of your xorg configuration file around, you might be surprised at which one xorg-x11 decides to use (hint: xorg.conf is not it's first choice; it prefers xorg.conf-6 and who knows what else).

oldan

ThorstenHirsch · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 111

Could you please write something about the requirements concerning the kernel?

Because my mouse is not working anymore since my last portage upgrade. Kernel was 2.6.11-r4 and I had been using the sermouse module, device /dev/input/mouse0 and Protocol "Auto". Now I've tried to use the mouse as you described: Protocol "IMPS/2", device /dev/input/mice and I've loaded the psmouse module instead of sermouse. But it doesn't work either.

edit: hell, I don't know what's wrong with this stuff, but I've checked a lot of combinations of drivers/settings yesterday and today in the morning and at the end I gave up and set everything the way I had it before: sermouse, Protocol "Auto", device /dev/input/mouse0 - and then it worked. Now I'm so confused.

kalisphoenix · Apprentice Joined: 28 Sep 2003 Posts: 211 Location: Ohio

*whips out shotgun and murders Ultra 10*

Ferris · Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 11:53 am Post subject:

The 'deprecated keyboard' requirement is going away thanks to Matthias Muthmann of X.org. The official patch appears to be in CVS version 16. However, there is also available a Gentoo-specific patch at https://bugs.gentoo.org Bug 61940, patchid=63633. If you wish to try this out, please see that Bug and follow the instructions at Comment 24.

As you will notice, the patch is almost trivial, but it works fine.

And indeed, with xorg-x11-6.8.2-r6, xorg-x11-6.8.99.15-r3, the "fix kbd driver" patch is incorporated into the release itself, and if you run either of these versions of xorg-x11 (or newer versions), the deprecated driver comments are now irrelevant.

Regards,

Turrican · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 2:27 pm Post subject:

Sorry, I have to correct this

The patch is from Alan Hourihane of xorg - I just found it, tested it and posted it on bugzilla.

Bye
Matthias
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Ferris · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 3:14 pm Post subject:

Thanks; out of ignorance, I attributed the patch to the author of the comment announcing it.

ThorstenHirsch · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 111

Just a little info: since upgrading to 2.6.13.2 my mouse problems are gone completely. Before I still had to unplug the mouse while X was starting and than replugged it when it was up. This was the only way to get the mouse working. But now everything's going perfect here.

frankOnPPC · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:51 am Post subject:

well,

I hat a Kernel 2.4.21 running well on my Ultra 5 (512MB, sun5 kbd), a well
runing xorg 6.8.2-r1,
but then I made a mistake : I emerge the last 6.8.2-r6,
well, it needs kernel2.6 for use with a sun5 kbd, thats what I found at the forum.
OK. lets build a kernel 2.6.13...
then I got at boot :
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-175455-highlight-image+fit+destination.html

there are now 2 options for me :
I was happy with Kernel 2.4, can I get xorg 6.8.2-r1 back ?
Or
how big can a kernel become ? Well, I have no glue about this.
I thougt silo was first load an initial loader, which then loads the kernel, due to that a kernel
would be too big.

Any hint welcome,
Cheers,
Frank
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Ferris · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:50 pm Post subject:

A couple things:
First, x11-base/xorg-x11-6.8.2-r6 should run fine with this kernel: 2.4.31-sparc-r2 --- you just don't get the deprecated keyboard driver anymore, because problem with the kbd driver is fixed. I can verify that 6.8.2-r6+kernel 2.4.31-r2 work just fine on U2, U60 systems, and don't see why U5 should be a problem. Here's how I configure a sun type keyboard:

frankOnPPC · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:31 am Post subject:

thanks, runs well with 2.6.13. also xorg-6.2.8 runs well.

The quirks happend at the keymaps. well, without any value it runs...
with a value like sunt5... it won't.

Anyway,
the ultra runs and I experiment how much I can put again into the kernel, like USB.
(I have a usb 2.0 card, well, was for a mac, runs well in the pci - slots of the ultra 5. ;-D)

Cheers
Frank
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always look at yellow site of Linux on the PPC.
Its PPCNUX.

russofris · Apprentice Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 163

Just wanted to add my device section for the PM2 in an E250.

fajensen · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Denmark

[quote="Ferris"]

[*] With kernel 2.6:

It's better to use the 'kbd' driver (although if you build on kernel-2.6, keyboard and kbd are the same);
Your keyboard uses 'Option "XkbRules" "xorg"';
Your mouse device is /dev/input/mice, and its protocol is IMPS/2.

I also found that at least on SUN Ultra 10's the KEYMAP needs to be "us" for 2.6.xx instead of the "sunkeymap" used by 2.4.xx.

frankOnPPC · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:52 pm Post subject: Anything new about ati mach

hi,

according to this https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5825bug,
does somone got xorg 7.1 running on a ultra 5 with an ati mach64 ?

cheers,
Frank
_________________
always look at yellow site of Linux on the PPC.
Its PPCNUX.

gust4voz · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:27 pm Post subject:

Yes, works fine on my u5 after we got the altix patch out of the way for xorg-server-1.1.1.
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Gustavo Zacarias
Gentoo/SPARC monkey

alexbuell · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:53 am Post subject:

With the later xorg-server stuff, keyboard and mouse are no longer necessary. Simply emerge evdev and make sure you set up your keyboards in /etc/hal/fdi/policy/. It's amazing how easy it is to set up nowdays.
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