MS intellimouse explorer USB (AKA: What is usbmouse?)

ninmonkeys · 11-06-2004, 06:02 PM

I finally got my MS intellimouse explorer (USB) mouse to work in x.

My question is, what is the kernel module "usbmouse"? Do I need it? Should I update my kernel or modules? I have slackware10 and I haven't ever updated the kernel, its what it came with.

Some reason when I removed it "rmmod usbmouse" my mouse worked in X. With the same config with the module running, I had very strange mouse movement, as if it was the wrong protocol. (IMPS/2 acted the same way)

My current config is:

Code:

Section "InputDevice"

    #Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer (had to rmmod usbmouse to get it to work)
    Identifier   "MouseUSB"
    Driver   "mouse"
    Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
    Option "Device"      "/dev/input/mice"
    Option "Buttons" "7"
    Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7"
    Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no" #not needed?
EndSection

Bruce Hill · 11-07-2004, 04:05 PM

Welcome to LQ!

Mine's a Micro$loth Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer and this
is what I have in xorg.conf and in my 2.6.7 kernel - btw,
I used the same options in 2.4.26.

Code:

mingdao@james:~$ less /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Section "InputDevice"

# Identifier and driver
    Identifier  "Mouse1"
    Driver      "mouse"
    Option "Protocol"    "IMPS/2"
    Option "ZAxisMapping"  "4 5"
    Option "Device"      "/dev/mouse"

Code:

mingdao@james:~$ less /usr/src/linux-2.6.7/.config
CONFIG_INPUT=y

#
# Userland interfaces
#
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV=y
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_PSAUX=y

# Input Device Drivers
#
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSE=y
CONFIG_MOUSE_PS2=y

# USB HID Boot Protocol drivers   
#
# CONFIG_USB_MOUSE is not set

I compiled the kernel with a PS/2 mouse and when I later plugged
my USB mouse in, he worked, so I changed nothing.

The emulate three buttons is to be used with a two button mouse,
so you don't need it.

I tried adding Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7" deal, and issued
mingdao@james:~$ xmodmap -e "pointer = 1 2 3 6 7 4 5"
which made my scroll wheel go back and forward in a web page,
and my front left-side button had the same function as right-click,
which opens a menu on the page. The back left-side button opened
a dialog button which says "The URL is not valid and cannot be loaded."

If you've got the two side buttons to work I'd be interested to know
how. IMO they don't work properly in Linux.

It's totally amazing to me that the same hardware can work with
different configurations.

ninmonkeys · 11-09-2004, 02:10 AM

To all: What is usbmouse??

Quote:

Originally posted by Chinaman
Welcome to LQ!
I tried adding Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7" deal, and issued
mingdao@james:~$ xmodmap -e "pointer = 1 2 3 6 7 4 5"
which made my scroll wheel go back and forward in a web page,
and my front left-side button had the same function as right-click,
which opens a menu on the page. The back left-side button opened
a dialog button which says "The URL is not valid and cannot be loaded."

If you've got the two side buttons to work I'd be interested to know
how. IMO they don't work properly in Linux.

You have the wrong protocol. IMPS/2 doesn't rocongnize 7 buttons. Set it to "ExplorerPS/2" then in your ~/.xinitrc add

Code:

xmodmap -e "pointer = 1 2 3 6 7 4 5"

Then in mozilla firefox, 1.0PR it automatically goes foreward/back when I press my side buttons.

If it still doesn't go forward/back, then there is a program you can download. (Supposedly can configure buttons to do whatever, and different things for different apps)

I don't remember the name of the program, but I saw it while trying to fix my mouse.

ilikejam · 11-09-2004, 10:54 AM

The program is 'imwheel'. It lets you use your wheel in the normal way, and have your side buttons bound to things like Alt-Left and Alt-Right for moving back and forwards in browsers.

Dave