My setup for the last two months has been 3 computers on a kvm switch. The mouse has always worked fine on the linux box until two days ago. It started jumping around randomly and would wander to one side of the screeen and i couldnt do anything about it.

Google had alot of posts on the issue but nothing that answered it.

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/archive/...p/t-84367.html

that post basicly sums it up but as you see no one answered it. Other mailing lists had similar posts but the only answer was some random kernel patch and adding a line to grub that would disable the scroll wheel which i dont want.

When I plug the mouse into the usb it works fine but I need to be able to use the ps/2 adapter for the kvm switch. People I talked to in irc with the issue all resovled it by just plugging in into usb but I cant do that.

From the mailing list posts it seemed to originate in around 2.6.8 but I am using 2.6.16 and people with other 2.6.12-15 versions said they had this issue also.

If there is no fix that would mean going ot something like 2.6.4 or earlier because thats before the issue had been reported and I would rather not do that.

NOTE:

KDE will not start and a mailing post said a way to fix the issue was not use kde. I also tried fluxbox which starts but the mouse does not respond.

1. Has anything changed in your set up recently? Anything at all.
   
2. What KVM are you using? Please provide a link as well as Mfr. & Model.
3. What kind of mouse are you using?
4. Are you running gdm?
5. What is your normal way of connecting the mouse -- the one that doesn't work, & what do you change when you "plug the mouse into the usb"?
   I especially want to know what adapters are involved since you "need to be able to use the ps/2 adapter for the kvm switch".

BTW, I use 2 KVM's: a USB type for my desktops & a PS/2 based one for my server garden. (I think calling 4 servers a "farm" is a bit pretentious.)

Each works fine as long as I keep then "pure" -- all USB for the one, all PS/2 for the other.

No

http://startech.com/ststore/itemdeta...ID=SV431D&mt=k

Creative usb mouse

No

The mouse is a usb mouse. The normal way of connecting it is into a usb/ps/2 adapter then into the kvm switch.

I simply take the mouse out the kvm switch, take the adapter off, and plug the mouse into one of the usb slots on the computer.

Which usb kvm are you using?

Sorry not to reply a little sooner, yesterday was "girlfriend has Sunday off".

Next, thanks for taking the time to answer each of my Q's. It's unfortunate that none of the things that I have had cause problems in the past seem to be what is plaguing you, except maybe the lowly USB to PS/2 adapter.

Why don't you try a PS/2 mouse? (Or have you already?)
-- I am using an all USB set-up because I couldn't get any PS/2 keyboard to work & my PS/2 mice/trackballs had sporadic problems.

Mine is an IOGear "MiniView™ Extreme Multimedia KVMP"
Model GCS1734
http://www.iogear.com/main.php?loc=p...iewall#display

I bought it for the speaker switching, w/ the microphone & USB switching as added benfits. I have had it almost a year (I think) & really like it. My 2 minor complaints are: (1) I get so used to using the 4 buttons that I can't remember all the keyboard controls for controlling the 3 (KVM, S, & P) things separately. (2) It's so small & light that I have to put a small weight on top it to keep its cables from tilting it up & threatening to drag it off my desk.

I knew when I bought it that it is USB & accepted that as price of getting the other features it offered. As result, I had to switch from a PS/2 wireless optical mouse I really liked, back to the regular USB trackball it had replaced. I also had scrounge a Compaq USB keyboard whose backslash key placement I hate. If I were shopping, I would look for a rechargeable wireless optical trackball w/ at least 1 wheel placed in a friendly relation to the ball & of course a USB ver. of my orig. BTC keyboard.

One thing that is especially nice is power failure recovery: Our local Pwr. Co. seems to be offering a free service to "Winders" usees (we all "know" that their machines "should be rebooted once a week whether they need it or not") -- it periodically sends glitches that reboot everything in my house. So far, when the Pwr. Co. decides that all the computers in my neighbor need this service, my network comes back up fine. However, the various instructions indicate that by rights everything should be shut down & then turned back on sequentially from the wall out.

Perhaps you might try that:
Power down everything & then bring each back up in the order specified by the KVM instructions (& w/ any specified delays betw. boxen).

BTW, I did follow your link & am impressed w/ your choice -- it looks like a really nice piece of equip.

Also, thanks for asking a Q that got me thinking about what I do & don't like about my current set-up.

Summary
1. "Reboot" in KVM specified order.
2. Try a PS/2 mouse.

Well I would like to try the boot in specified order but I only leave one computer and reboot the other ones frequently so if that was the issue then I would need another kvm switch.

This weekend I will go get a ps/2 mouse and try it

thanks

Last time my mouse was jumping around the screen, it was because of a strange difference between /dev/input/mice & /dev/psaux... somehow it worked worrectly only with the second one...
But normally /etc/X11/xorg.conf or the xfree86 config file shouldn't randomly mess up, except if you upgrade something... so this probably won't be the right thing...