X (core input device) probs under Debian unstable

X (core input device) probs under Debian unstable

[James Miller]

Some new problems have cropped up since I dist-upgraded my Debian unstable 
install. Odd that they did not show up immediately after the dist-upgrade, 
but only now after having rebooted several times. The most recent reboot 
was necessitated by a momentary power failure.

So, here's the problem: X won't start. It has a problem finding a core 
input device--the mouse. I haven't touched XFConfig-4 for a couple of 
months, which deepens the mystery. Here is some relevant output from 
/var/log/XFree86.0.log:

XFree86 Version 4.3.0.1 (Debian 4.3.0.dfsg.1-14 20050601051219 fabbione@fabbione.net)
<snip>
(II) Keyboard "Generic Keyboard" handled by legacy driver
(**) Option "Protocol" "PS/2"
(**) Configured Mouse: Protocol: "PS/2"
(**) Option "CorePointer"
(**) Configured Mouse: Core Pointer
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
(EE) xf86OpenSerial: Cannot open device /dev/psaux
 	No such file or directory.
(EE) Configured Mouse: cannot open input device
(EE) PreInit failed for input device "Configured Mouse"
(II) UnloadModule: "mouse"
(WW) No core pointer registered
No core pointer

Fatal server error:
failed to initialize core devices

This newly-discovered failure seems to have to do with the 2.6.x kernels, 
and possibly udev. I say this because, in order to get a working gui, I've 
had to boot using an older 2.4.27 kernel I have on the system. When I boot 
using that kernel, everything works fine: no failure of core input devices 
or X refusing to start. But when I try booting with either of the other 
two 2.6.x kernels (2.6.10 or 2.6.12), I get the failure message above.

For further reference, let me include an excerpt from my XF86Config-4 
file:

# XF86Config-4 (XFree86 X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.
# (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xfree86 package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xfree86
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following commands as root:
#
#   cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.custom
#   md5sum /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 >/var/lib/xfree86/XF86Config-4.md5sum
#   dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86
<snip>

Section "InputDevice"
 	Identifier	"Generic Keyboard"
 	Driver		"keyboard"
 	Option		"CoreKeyboard"
 	Option		"XkbRules"	"xfree86"
 	Option		"XkbModel"	"pc104"
 	Option		"XkbLayout"	"us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"
 	Driver		"mouse"
 	Option		"CorePointer"
 	Option		"Device"		"/dev/psaux"
 	Option		"Protocol"		"PS/2"
 	Option		"Emulate3Buttons"	"true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
 	Identifier	"ATI Rage 3D"
 	Driver		"ati"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
 	Identifier	"MAG 765"
 	HorizSync	63.98
 	VertRefresh	60.02
 	Option		"DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 	Identifier	"Default Screen"
 	Device		"ATI Rage 3D"
 	Monitor		"MAG 765"
 	DefaultDepth	24
 	SubSection "Display"
 		Depth		1
 		Modes		"1280x1024"
 	EndSubSection
 	SubSection "Display"
 		Depth		4
 		Modes		"1280x1024"
 	EndSubSection
 	SubSection "Display"
 		Depth		8
 		Modes		"1280x1024"
 	EndSubSection
 	SubSection "Display"
 		Depth		15
 		Modes		"1280x1024"
 	EndSubSection
 	SubSection "Display"
 		Depth		16
 		Modes		"1280x1024"
 	EndSubSection
 	SubSection "Display"
 		Depth		24
 		Modes		"1280x1024"
 	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
 	Identifier	"Default Layout"
 	Screen		"Default Screen"
 	InputDevice	"Generic Keyboard"
 	InputDevice	"Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
 	Mode	0666
EndSection

Any ideas what I might do to get this situation rectified? The mouse is a 
ps2 for sure. It's a little unusual--sort of a mini-trackball type thing. 
But I've never before had any problem with it when specifying it as a 
generic ps2 mouse. It's worked fine for a few months on this same machine 
prior to the dist-upgrade mentioned. When I took Chuck Gelm's advice and 
used smartd to look for problematic hard drive output, I did see some 
output related to the mouse. I can't recall the specifics, unfortunately.

Input geared toward resolving this problem will be appreciated.

James
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Re: X (core input device) probs under Debian unstable

[Tobias Hirning]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1010 bytes --]

Hi James!
On Thursday, 18. August 2005 18:13 James Miller wrote:
> [...]
> This newly-discovered failure seems to have to do with the 2.6.x
> kernels, and possibly udev. I say this because, in order to get a
> working gui, I've had to boot using an older 2.4.27 kernel I have
> on the system. When I boot using that kernel, everything works
> fine: no failure of core input devices or X refusing to start. But
> when I try booting with either of the other two 2.6.x kernels
> (2.6.10 or 2.6.12), I get the failure message above.
> [...]
Maybe the 2.6 kernels don't have the
Device Drivers -> Input Device Support -> Event interface option not 
enabled.
I've got a similar problem with my touchpad without this option.
Tobias


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X (core input device) probs under Debian unstable; solution?

[James Miller]

I finally got around to trying more earnestly to tackle this problem. 
The motivation was that I lost CD burning capability by reverting to the 
2.4.27 kernel (the kernel that actually gave me a working mouse and thus a 
working X) and I finally needed to get it back.  Searching the internet I 
was able to find some information that got the mouse, and thus the gui, 
working again.

Before searching the 'net, I actually decided I might try upgrading the 
xserver to xorg. I did that, and ran dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg, trying 
various mouse options, but the core pointer still was not found and the 
gui wouldn't start.  That's when I started searching the 'net.

I found a message on the debian-users list that mentioned modprobing or 
adding to /etc/modules psmouse and mousedev. I tried modprobing them in 
that order and then running startx and, sure enough, the gui fired up and 
I had a working mouse. I decided to add mousedev to /etc/modules and 
reboot to see if that would do the trick. Having done that, the gui 
started but the mouse wasn't working (cursor did not respond to mouse 
movements). So I added psmouse before mousedev in /etc/modules and 
rebooted.  After this, the gui fired up fine plus I had a responsive mouse 
cursor.  So, the problem I had is pretty much solved (for now, at least).

Why did this happen?  My guess is that since the mouse module wasn't 
getting loaded, no device node was created for it.  Just a guess: I'm not 
techie enough to say for sure.  But one of the tests I ran when I was 
searching out this problem, which involved running od -tx1 /dev/psaux and 
od -tx1 /dev/input/mice, did indicate that these device nodes were 
non-existent.  Maybe more experienced brains than mine on this list can 
figure out why this happened.  At least I've found a solution.

James

On Thu, 18 Aug 2005, James Miller wrote:

> Some new problems have cropped up since I dist-upgraded my Debian unstable 
> install. Odd that they did not show up immediately after the dist-upgrade, 
> but only now after having rebooted several times. The most recent reboot was 
> necessitated by a momentary power failure.
>
> So, here's the problem: X won't start. It has a problem finding a core input 
> device--the mouse. I haven't touched XFConfig-4 for a couple of months, which 
> deepens the mystery. Here is some relevant output from 
> /var/log/XFree86.0.log:
>
> XFree86 Version 4.3.0.1 (Debian 4.3.0.dfsg.1-14 20050601051219 
> fabbione@fabbione.net)
> <snip>
> (II) Keyboard "Generic Keyboard" handled by legacy driver
> (**) Option "Protocol" "PS/2"
> (**) Configured Mouse: Protocol: "PS/2"
> (**) Option "CorePointer"
> (**) Configured Mouse: Core Pointer
> (**) Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
> (EE) xf86OpenSerial: Cannot open device /dev/psaux
> 	No such file or directory.
> (EE) Configured Mouse: cannot open input device
> (EE) PreInit failed for input device "Configured Mouse"
> (II) UnloadModule: "mouse"
> (WW) No core pointer registered
> No core pointer
>
> Fatal server error:
> failed to initialize core devices
>
> This newly-discovered failure seems to have to do with the 2.6.x kernels, and 
> possibly udev. I say this because, in order to get a working gui, I've had to 
> boot using an older 2.4.27 kernel I have on the system. When I boot using 
> that kernel, everything works fine: no failure of core input devices or X 
> refusing to start. But when I try booting with either of the other two 2.6.x 
> kernels (2.6.10 or 2.6.12), I get the failure message above.
>
> For further reference, let me include an excerpt from my XF86Config-4 file:
>
> # XF86Config-4 (XFree86 X Window System server configuration file)
> #
> # This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
> # values from the debconf database.
> #
> # Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.
> # (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)
> #
> # This file is automatically updated on xserver-xfree86 package upgrades 
> *only*
> # if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xfree86
> # package.
> #
> # If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
> # again, run the following commands as root:
> #
> #   cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.custom
> #   md5sum /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 >/var/lib/xfree86/XF86Config-4.md5sum
> #   dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86
> <snip>
>
> Section "InputDevice"
> 	Identifier	"Generic Keyboard"
> 	Driver		"keyboard"
> 	Option		"CoreKeyboard"
> 	Option		"XkbRules"	"xfree86"
> 	Option		"XkbModel"	"pc104"
> 	Option		"XkbLayout"	"us"
> EndSection
>
> Section "InputDevice"
> 	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"
> 	Driver		"mouse"
> 	Option		"CorePointer"
> 	Option		"Device"		"/dev/psaux"
> 	Option		"Protocol"		"PS/2"
> 	Option		"Emulate3Buttons"	"true"
> EndSection
>
> Section "Device"
> 	Identifier	"ATI Rage 3D"
> 	Driver		"ati"
> EndSection
>
> Section "Monitor"
> 	Identifier	"MAG 765"
> 	HorizSync	63.98
> 	VertRefresh	60.02
> 	Option		"DPMS"
> EndSection
>
> Section "Screen"
> 	Identifier	"Default Screen"
> 	Device		"ATI Rage 3D"
> 	Monitor		"MAG 765"
> 	DefaultDepth	24
> 	SubSection "Display"
> 		Depth		1
> 		Modes		"1280x1024"
> 	EndSubSection
> 	SubSection "Display"
> 		Depth		4
> 		Modes		"1280x1024"
> 	EndSubSection
> 	SubSection "Display"
> 		Depth		8
> 		Modes		"1280x1024"
> 	EndSubSection
> 	SubSection "Display"
> 		Depth		15
> 		Modes		"1280x1024"
> 	EndSubSection
> 	SubSection "Display"
> 		Depth		16
> 		Modes		"1280x1024"
> 	EndSubSection
> 	SubSection "Display"
> 		Depth		24
> 		Modes		"1280x1024"
> 	EndSubSection
> EndSection
>
> Section "ServerLayout"
> 	Identifier	"Default Layout"
> 	Screen		"Default Screen"
> 	InputDevice	"Generic Keyboard"
> 	InputDevice	"Configured Mouse"
> EndSection
>
> Section "DRI"
> 	Mode	0666
> EndSection
>
> Any ideas what I might do to get this situation rectified? The mouse is a ps2 
> for sure. It's a little unusual--sort of a mini-trackball type thing. But 
> I've never before had any problem with it when specifying it as a generic ps2 
> mouse. It's worked fine for a few months on this same machine prior to the 
> dist-upgrade mentioned. When I took Chuck Gelm's advice and used smartd to 
> look for problematic hard drive output, I did see some output related to the 
> mouse. I can't recall the specifics, unfortunately.
>
> Input geared toward resolving this problem will be appreciated.
>
> James
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the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
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