Re: [LIH] gpm problem in debian

[Raju Mathur <raju@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

As far as I can make out, most of the GPM troubles in Debian are due
to the fact that Debian GPM automatically repeats for X since two
programs cannot use the mouse simultaneously.  The way it works is
like this:

- gpm receives mouse input, on (say) /dev/ps2aux (PS/2 mouse)

- gpm uses that input to go whatever it is supposed to: copy, paste,
menu's, etc.

- gpm also writes data into /dev/gpmdata (a named pipe).  Any app
which reads /dev/gpmdata is fooled into thinking that it's receiving
mouse events, whereas it's actually only reading gpm's output.

Debian automatically sets up gpm so that it reads in the raw mouse
protocol (MS, PS/2, Logitech, etc) and writes /dev/gpmdata in MS mouse
protocol.  /dev/gpmdata is linked to /dev/mouse too.  Hence the X in
Debian is configured by default with /dev/mouse as the mouse and MS as
the mouse protocol.

You can change any of these by re-running mouseconfig (IIRC) which
allows you to tell gpm what protocol to repeat the mouse data in.  For
instance, I prefer it to repeat in native PS/2 format since that gives
me 3-button mouse emulation.  Once GPM has been set up with the
repeat protocol, setup X to use /dev/mouse as the mouse device and the
appropriate (repeated) mouse protocol.

man gpm and have a look at the -R option for more information.

Regards,

-- Raju

>>>>> "Rajesh" == Rajesh Fowkar <rfowkar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

    Rajesh> L.V.Gandhi saw fit to inform me that:
    >> I have microsoft intellimouse and installed debian potato
    >> previously also along with gpm. But it didn't create any
    >> problem with X. Now it gives me the problem. I am not sure
    >> which are the packages installed with gpm and which one is
    >> hindering. When i do dpkg-reconfigure i get either gpm is not
    >> installed or debconf is not used. Apt-cache search gives this.
    >> lvghomepc:~# apt-cache search gpm libgpmg1 - General Purpose
    >> Mouse Library [libc6] imwheel - Program to support the "wheel"
    >> on some new mice aview - An high quality ascii-art image(pgm)
    >> browser gpm - General Purpose Mouse Interface libgpmg1-dev -
    >> General Purpose Mouse Library, development files [libc6] Any
    >> solutions please?

    Rajesh> On my machine :

    Rajesh> rajesh@debian:~$ dpkg -l | grep gpm ii gpm 1.19.3-4
    Rajesh> General Purpose Mouse Interface ii libgpmg1 1.19.3-4
    Rajesh> General Purpose Mouse Library [libc6] rajesh@debian:~$

    Rajesh> Write now I am not using gpm since it started giving mouse
    Rajesh> problems in X.  Anyhow I don't need gpm.

    Rajesh> Hope this helps

    Rajesh> Regards
-- 
Raju Mathur          raju@xxxxxxxxxxxxx           http://kandalaya.org/

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