Mouse troubles preventing X to load
 

I'm trying to get kde3 on my PII, but for some odd reason every time the x server starts it says that it can't initialize the mouse. Even worse, it tried to find my mouse in /dev/psaux and /dec/input/mice, etc. and it's not there, well the file is, but mousefind and cat don't give anything. Yet, I have kernel 2.6.6 and when I plug in my mouse it tells me it found a Logitec PS/2 mouse on isaserio1. I have the psmouse mod installed and have tried with the options of "auto" "PS/2" and "ImPS/2" in the XFree86 conf and nothing has worked. I tried two mice, both work fine on my windows machines. I do have a USB and have yet to try that, but would like to just use a normal PS/2 mouse. Any insight would be helpful.

Can you post the section that describes your mouse in XF86Config(-4)?

Had the same problem with the mousedriver not loading but by loading two mouse modules I manage to fix it. In my /etc/modules these two lines fixed the problem:

mousedev
psmouse

you could always load them first to see if it works (without rebooting) . As root:
And then startx.

mouse-problems
 

I know this is not a complete fix, but FYI: You can start X with a flag to ignore mouse failure and run anyways, I believe you can set it in the config file as well. I wish I could remember, but it's been awhile since I tweaked X. Try XFree86 -h or similiar to get the proper flag.

Thanks Borjie, the mousedev module let me use my mouse. The only issue is that my mouse is slow, very slow. This isn't an x issue either, as cat /dev/psaux is also horribly unresponsive when I move my mouse around in pure text mode. I've tried both my mice and the older one is slightly faster, but both are unusable. The rest of KDE also seems pretty fast considering my processor. Did you encounter a problem like this at all?

That's what simonjester2424 is likely referring to. TemplaraPheonix, do you need to use the mouse in the console? It has been said that GPM conflicts with X mouse drivers.

Please elaborate on GPM, any possible links to known issues?
Yes, I would like very much to be able to use my mouse on this machine.

I also tried a number of kernels to make sure this was not a function of compiling my own. I tried the default Debian 2.4.26 and 2.6.6 as well as the original 2.2.20. They all have this problem. I had read that 2.6.6 handles input differently and many mice were having problems because of the kernel.

Also, is there anyother way to get the mouse to detect. I have only been able to access the mouse under any kernel with the module mousedev, and possibly another module might work better with my hardware.

Thanks for all the help. After much trouble I fingured out what the problem was...My PII BIOS had USB legacy support on. This was combining my PS/2 mouse and my USB port events in some way which was confusing the kernel and/or X. I turned it off and used an option of psmouse_resolution=200 to the kernel at bootup and now everything works when mousedev is initialized.

Right on! That's something I have not come across. You've taught me, when it was you who had the question. Thatnks for "reporting back" There may be others who have experienced this.