X11 and optional input devices
 

On my laptop I sometimes use an external mouse which has its own InputDevice section. So i have it set in the ServerLayout and set to send core events, when the mouse is connected all is fine. However, when it is disconnected X starts but the screen is garbled and then locks up, this afaik, is due to it trying to "load" the external mouse but cannot find it.

Is is possible to get X11 to ignore the second mouse if it is not found rather than breaking?

have you tried using gpm?

i thought gpm was to do with the console? and does it allow the extra buttons on a mouse? (its a logitech g7)

at the moment the touchpad and the G7 have their own udev rules and the inputdevice sections use the respective file for the mouse/touchpad, i could use the generic /dev/psaux but then i can't use the extra buttons on the g7

the webpage is amazingly unhelpful. I do not use it currently, but I recall it and X having some sort of interaction - I think one of the options involves pointing X at gpm. I suggest checking out the documentation (you will probably have to download and untar it).

I think it should be possible to use xmodmap (with .Xmodmap) to use the extra buttons on the g7, rather than through xorg.conf.