Please help a frustrated BCS member with a Linux sysadmin problem

[Albert Cahalan]

> >> The problem is that my mouse doesn't work quite right.
> >> Here are the few things I can say for sure.
> >> 
> >> The following two commands give me responses (but garbage only)
> >> to the mouse.
> >>         test-mouse -m /dev/psaux -t ms
> >>         test-mouse -m /dev/psaux -t ps2
> >>.......
> >> I have a Microsoft Serial mouse 2.0 on a converter plug to RS232 9 pin.
> >> Can you suggest how to make this mouse work?
>
> "test-mouse" must be specific to Slackware 3.0; I don't have that on my 
> systems. Do you have "gpm" on your system? That's the preferred mouse driver 
> for text mode use.

I think test-mouse tries to guess what you have.

> Are you plugging your mouse into a serial port? If your 9-pin serial port
> is COM1: under DOS, then it would be /dev/ttyS0 on Linux. I'm not sure
> what /dev/psaux is offhand, but I'd guess that's for a busmouse. 

/dev/psaux is a PS/2 busmouse

Most people have a /dev/mouse symlink.
For text mode, "gpm -t ms" should do. (if you have the symlink)
For X, I forget but it should be about the same.