[lug] startx failing

[D. Stimits]

The best I can tell you in that case is that you know your mouse was
working, and it must be either the config file CorePointer, ServerLayout
(related to CorePointer), or something changed the mouse itself. In the
case of changing the mouse itself, it doesn't sound like you made any
machine configurations, but if you did anything even slightly different,
it is possible irq could have changed on something (unlikely, but
possible), causing the mouse to actually fail. The fact that it says "No
core pointer registered" does not say enough (with what I know) to
decide whether it thinks config did not set it up, or whether it says it
tried to but failed. In console mode, does gpm work...does the mouse
function? If so, then it has to be config file failure.

I can give you one very primitive means of testing if your mouse is
connected correctly (don't laugh when I mention this). There is a file,
/proc/interrupts, that lists the number of interrupts a given hardware
IRQ has seen since bootup. The ps/2 style mouse on a psaux port probably
does not share IRQ with anything else (mine doesn't, IRQ 12). For what
I'm about to tell you, do not bother using "tail -f" to view, it won't
work, this is not a regular file. Type "cat /proc/interrupts | grep
Mouse". You can use something like control-p on most shells (maybe not
the exact combo, but something like it) to get your prior command back
onto the command line for repeating it. If you do not move the mouse
(even a shaking table will move it), the "PS/2 Mouse" entry should not
increment (the keyboard entry will, since you have to enter the
command). Now move the mouse back and forth a short amount, and see the
count again...if it went up, then the hardware sees it, and the port
itself is active and connected correctly to the mouse. If after moving
the mouse it did not go up, double check that the mouse is plugged into
the connector (I've had one partially seated that only appeared to be
plugged in). That should at least give you a guarantee of whether it is
a hardware or software issue (not possible to do this with shared IRQ
devices, or devices that you can't control their hardware IRQ
generation).

D. Stimits, stimits at idcomm.com

luke p wrote:
> 
> It is actually typo free(how'd i do that?;) compaired to what u mentiond and
> to the similar file on another linux box i have.
> 
> >From: "D. Stimits" <stimits at idcomm.com>
> >Reply-To: lug at lug.boulder.co.us
> >To: lug at lug.boulder.co.us
> >Subject: Re: [lug] startx failing
> >Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 00:16:27 -0600
> >
> >luke p wrote:
> > >
> > > Hey,
> > > This problem as seemed to have 'just happened.' Not sure where it came
> >from,
> > > but when I boot up, login as either root or as a user, then startx, it
> > > fails, giving me this msg in the XFree86.log file:
> > > ((near the end))
> > > (
> > > WW) No core pointer registered
> > > No core pointer
> > >
> > > Fatal server error:
> > > failed to initialize core devices
> > >
> > > I'm running RH 7.1, what shall I do?
> > > Thanx,
> > > -Luke
> >
> >I recently had the same error after making a typo while testing
> >something (a capital letter had changed to a non-cap letter...took all
> >night to find it). But here is a sample to test against in your
> >/etc/X11/XF86Config-4. ServerLayout needs an InputDevice for
> >CorePointer. Here is generic:
> >
> >Section "ServerLayout"
> >         Identifier "XFree86 Configured"
> >         Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
> >         InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
> >         InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
> >EndSection
> >
> >Then somewhere below it needs an InputDevice section to describe Mouse0.
> >Here is a minimal version (it assumes a PS2 mouse on /dev/mouse, which
> >is a sym link to /dev/psaux on my system):
> >Section "InputDevice"
> >         Identifier  "Mouse0"
> >         Driver      "mouse"
> >         Option      "Device" "/dev/mouse"
> >         Option      "Protocol" "PS/2"
> >         Option      "Emulate3Buttons" "off"
> >EndSection
> >
> >
> >Note that the word "CorePointer" will fail if "Pointer" is not
> >capitalized, i.e., this will fail: "Corepointer".
> >
> >D. Stimits, stimits at idcomm.com
> >_______________________________________________
> >Web Page:  http://lug.boulder.co.us
> >Mailing List: http://lists.lug.boulder.co.us/mailman/listinfo/lug
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