[lug] X11 mouse config, ExplorerPS/2 protocol?

[Zan Lynx]

On Mon, 2007-02-12 at 08:04 -0700, Matt Thompson wrote:
> The heavens stretched forth and D. Stimits decreed the following on or 
> about 02/11/2007 10:16 PM:
[snip]
> > This is the latest generation, with all kinds of extra bells and 
> > whistles I don't really want...it's a 7 button mouse. Apparently the 
> > protocol is perfectly compatible so far as left and right click goes, 
> > and so far as actual mouse movement. Is the mouse that you have one of 
> > the ones with the extra buttons? If so, do you use the ExplorerPS/2 
> > protocol, or the IMPS/2? Did you have to do extra manual configuration 
> > of the buttons?
> 
> Maybe I missed it, but do you have to use an old version of Xorg and
> the mouse driver/protocol?  I've switched over to evdev on all my boxes. 
>   I started using it to get the tiltwheel working on my MS mouse, but 
> have then carried over the setup to other differing mice.  But, I know 
> that evdev had some problems pre-6.9 and maybe pre-7.0.
> 
> If you really want to get involved, evdev would be able to set it all up 
> and then using revoco, you can even use the search button on the mouse 
> to convert it from free-wheel to click mode and back.

Yeah, use evdev.  So much better!  All the buttons are there, and evdev
works with hotplugged mice.  I use it with my Bluetooth mouse and with
USB mice on my laptop.

This is what I added to xorg.conf for mine.  (And then you add EvMouse
as an input device in the ServerLayout.)

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "EvMouse"
        Driver      "evdev"
        Option      "evBits" "+0-2 -3"
EndSection

The evBits tells the driver what capability bits to match on.  That's
how it knows what's a mouse and what isn't.  This reads the value that
you can see in /sys/class/input/input*/capabilities/ev

I don't know anything about revoco.  I use xbindkeys and xvkbd to handle
browser back/forward and window close on some of the other buttons.

As for glossy surfaces, I have found that the newer laser mice seem to
work on anything.  Other than that, mouse pads still work, and generally
give a smoother glide than a desktop.
-- 
Zan Lynx <zlynx at acm.org>
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