USB Mouse Configuration in Linux

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  • USB MOUSE CONFIGURATION FOR X11 KDE and Console
  • DUAL MOUSE OPERATION ON LAPTOP (touchpad + usb)
  • S/2 + USB

USB Mouse Notes for Debian, Knoppix (and many distributions)

After installing Knoppix on a Dell laptop with a touchpad pointer and then later connecting a usb mouse, the use mouse did nto work. I was able to get the usb mouse to work, and here is the process!

1. First I verified that the appropriate modules were loaded with 'lsmod'. Those modules that are required are: usbcore, usb-uhci, and input. Note however that usbmouse is not required, I suspect it is in the kernl.

2. Next I checked /etc/X11/XF86Conf-4 to see if both identifiers exist.

3. As the start of the XF86Conf-4 I noticed under Section "ServerLayout" the only pointer was PS/2 Mouse. A text remark below this said "# USB Mouse not detected". I didn't have the USB mouse connected when I did the install. To fix this I added the line: 

InputDevice    "USB Mouse" "CorePointer"

4. It is possible to get both working at the same time. I remarked out the PS/2 Core Pointer line and restarted with successful USB mouse operation but the touchpad disabled. This is ok because I hate touchpad. However, if the USB mouse is not present, then X will fail. The 'CorePointer' really needs to be the one that is there all of the time.

5. To get both working, enable the PS/2 and set it to CorePointer, enable the USB Mouse also (both referring to the ServerLayout section). Make sure on both InputDevice entries there is 'Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"' and under the ServerFlags section a line that says 'Option "AllowMouseOpenFail" "true" EndSection'

That will get both the touchpad and USB mouse working at the same time.

Excerpts from XF86Conf-4 file for getting Touchpad + PS/2 Mouse Available:

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