MOUSE SET UP
There are two environments in which you can utilize a mouse within Monkey, console (command line) and X Window. Use in either environment requires proper configuration of the pointing device’s type, mode, port, and buttons. Take a good look at your mouse and write down how many buttons it has, what kind it is (serial, ps/2, etc.), which port it’s connected to (COM1, COM2, PS/2, etc), and which protocol it uses (MS or PC). Here’s some bad news for you USB mouse owners, Monkey does not support USB devices.
The first part of setting up your mouse is figuring out which port it’s connected to. Does the connector at the end of the mouse’s tail have nine holes, possibly even 25, lined up in two rows? If so, then it’s a serial mouse that connects to a COM port in DOS/Windows and a ttySx port in Monkey. Maybe the mouse has a round six-socket connector. If that’s the case, then what you have is a PS/2 mouse that connects to what is known as a PS/2 port in DOS/Windows and the psaux port in Monkey. A little hint for laptop users, touchpad devices often utilize the psaux port. Lastly, if the connector is round with nine sockets then you’ve got a bus mouse that connects to the bus mouse port in DOS/Windows. Monkey is not set up with bus mouse support, but you can compiling it into the kernel.
Now it’s time to tell Monkey which port the mouse is attached to. If the mouse is a serial device then it’s most likely connected to either COM1 or COM2 in DOS/Windows. These ports correspond to the ttyS0 and ttyS1 ports respectively. If you have a PS/2 mouse then it connects to the psaux port in Monkey. The follow directions demonstrate how to set up a serial mouse connected to COM1 in DOS/Windows and ttyS0 in Monkey. If your mouse is connected to the COM2 or PS/2 port in DOS/Windows then substitute ttyS0 with ttyS1 or psaux, respectively.
cd /dev CHANGE TO /dev DIRECTORY
ls -la mouse LOOK AT THE DEFAULT MOUSE CONNECTION
rm mouse DELETE OLD LINK
ln -s ttyS0 mouse CREATE NEW LINK
One more thing we need to figure out before we get our mouse working is which protocol it uses. On the bottom of some serial pointing devices there’s a switch with two values to choose from, MS (Microsoft mode) or PC (mouse systems mode). If those options aren’t available then it’s safe to assume that the serial mouse runs under Microsoft mode (MS). PS/2 pointing devices simply run under the ps2 mode. You’ll be ready to configure your pointing devices as soon as you create your mouse soft-link (so Monkey knows where it is) and figured out which protocol the mouse uses.
In the console, Monkey uses a program called GPM to set up the mouse for cut-and-paste operation, as well as, point-and-click operation in the MC (Midnight Commander) file-menuing program. Read the man pages on GPM to learn more about GPM’s functionality. Also, read the 3 Button Serial Mouse mini-HOWTO from the Linux Documentation Project. This example illustrates how I set up my three-button Dexxa serial mouse.
1. Open rc.local in the joe text editor
joe /etc/rc.d/rc.local
2. Press Ctrl+K then H to display the Help Box
3. Place a # in front of the old mouse configuration
# /usr/bin/gpm -t bare
4. Add the new configuration
/usr/bin/gpm -t ms -3 -B 123
5. Press Crtl+K then X to save changes and exit joe text editor
6. Initiate changes to mouse configuration
gpm -k; gpm -t ms -3 -B 123
Here’s an explanation of my new mouse settings. The rc.local file is a configuration file that runs when Monkey is booted. It starts up GPM for us. The line that I added tells GPM all it needs to know about my pointing device.
/usr/bin/gpm WHERE THE gpm BINARY IS LOCATED
-t ms TELLS GPM THAT MY MOUSE RUNS MICROSOFT MODE
-3 SETTING FOR A THREE BUTTON MOUSE
-B 123 RIGHT-HANDED BUTTON SETTING
Configuring the mouse for use in X Window is just a matter of altering a file. Specifically, the /etc/XF86Config file. Make sure you get the mouse working in the console first. In the X configuration we only need to specify which protocol the mouse uses (Microsoft, Mouse Systems, PS/2, etc). By default, X is configured for a serial mouse running under Microsoft mode, so I didn’t need to alter /etc/XF86Config to use my Dexxa mouse. For the sake of an example, here’s how I configured the touchpad mouse on my Compaq Presario 1210 laptop:
1. Open XF86Config in joe text editor
joe /etc/XF86Config
2. Comment out the default mouse type setting
# Protocol "Microsoft"
3. Add the correct mouse type setting
Protocol "PS/2"
4. Press Ctrl+K then X to save changes and exit joe
If you’re anything like me you’re using Monkey on an old machine that doesn't run X in a practical fashion so you do the bulk of your Linuxing in console mode. I rarely ever need cut-and-paste functionality and I don't like the idea of running a process (gpm) that I don't use, so I commented out the gpm-related lines from /etc/rc.d/rc.local. This way I free up a serial port for use with other devices, like a modem. When you need to use you’re mouse you can start gpm manually at the command prompt. If you don’t like typing out long commands then learn how to create aliases.
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