[ale] OT:Hardware but it is running Linux

[JK]

Hi Scott,

I have exactly the same issue with a wireless mouse going through
a PS2->USB adapter.  A previous query on the list implied that
it is something about the multiple layers of mouse emulation (in
hardware) that causes the problem - eg when the kernel tries to
initialize the hardware, it depends on whether the PS2->USB
adapter or the wireless->PS2 adapter responds first, whether
things will work (or some race condition of that nature -- I
don't have the definitive explanation, but it's probably something
along those lines).  I've resigned myself to doing the USB-unplug/
plug dance when I boot the machine :-(

Nice thing is, the wireless keyboard doesn't seems to suffer
this problem at all.

-- JK


On 5/24/2010 7:42 AM, Scott Castaline wrote:
> Ok, I've had this USB wireless trackball by Logitech connected through
> as PS/2 adapter for quite some time, since my then Logitech keyboard was
> PS/2. Recently the keyboard died so I bought a new Logitech keyboard not
> realizing that it was a USB type of keyboard. I decided to hook the
> trackball up as USB also. The keyboard is fine, although at first was
> intermittent until I enabled in the BIOS for USB keyboards/mouse, which
> I had forgotten to do. The trackball however at first boot will not be
> there and I'll get an error something about unable to open USB port 2
> for whatever reason. If I unplug the transceiver and plug it back in all
> will be fine except I'll get a warning after logging in that the battery
> is low and needs to be replaced even though it's a brand new fresh
> battery. The trackball works fine after that, but of course it'll get
> erratic when I really do need to replace the battery. Am i missing
> something on the Linux side for the wireless trackball? Maybe I need to
> replace it with a wired one?
>
> TIA
> Scott C.
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