A Couple Slackware Linux Questions

[SpeedFreak03]

I just installed Slackware 9 on my box, and I installed all packages. But there are a few things I need to *fix*.

1. I have Windows 2000 Pro, and Mandrake Linux 9.1 on my box also. When my box boots up, it has choices for Win2K and Mandrake (im using lilo that I configured in mandrake setup). I want to completly get rid of Mandrake's lilo, and just have slack's bootloader (lilo i think), but I only want Win2K and Slack to be choices. How can I do this? BTW, I have lilo configured the way I want, but its on /dev/hdb6's superblock, not on the MBR. So basically how do I "move" it from /dev/hdb6 to MBR?

2. X11 resolution. It is running at 1024x768@60hz. I want it to be 12xx(whatver the common one is lol - i forget)x960@60hz. How can I change this?

3. Mouse scroll. I have a Logitech Cordless Mouseman Optical, that has a scroll. I am using a USB->PS/2 adapter (because I only have 2 USB ports), and I need to get my mouse scroll working! Both buttons work though, but no scroll anywhere (file manager, Mozilla, Konquerer, XMMS, etc).

I really like Slackware a lot better than Mandrake. I think it is just as easy to use, but it takes up less space, and is MUCH faster! So thanks in advance for any replies that I get!

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
1. So basically how do I "move" it from /dev/hdb6 to MBR?

There's a line in /etc/lilo.conf that says boot=/dev/hdb6. Change that to boot=/dev/hdb and rerun lilo.

2. X11 resolution. It is running at 1024x768@60hz. I want it to be 12xx(whatver the common one is lol - i forget)x960@60hz. How can I change this?

Find the list of modes for your color depth in /etc/X11/XF86Config. Add "1280x960" to the front of that line.

3. Mouse scroll. I have a Logitech Cordless Mouseman Optical, that has a scroll. I am using a USB->PS/2 adapter (because I only have 2 USB ports), and I need to get my mouse scroll working! Both buttons work though, but no scroll anywhere (file manager, Mozilla, Konquerer, XMMS, etc).

At a guess, you might want something like

Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Buttons" "5"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

in your /etc/X11/XF86Config. That works for my Logitech Corded Optical Wheel Mouse. But the protocol may be different for your model. Googling the model name + Linux should help.

I really like Slackware a lot better than Mandrake. I think it is just as easy to use, but it takes up less space, and is MUCH faster! So thanks in advance for any replies that I get!

Few people seem to realize that Slackware is really a very simple distro to use. True, it doesn't try to help you with slick configuration tools. But that means the "infrastructure" for configuration is tremendously simpler. You can browse configuration text files in Slackware and understand what they mean without having to trace out perl and shell constructs for 5 minutes. It is, IMO, the very best distro for learning the OS.

 

[xcript]

Originally posted by: cleverhandle

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
2. X11 resolution. It is running at 1024x768@60hz. I want it to be 12xx(whatver the common one is lol - i forget)x960@60hz. How can I change this?

Find the list of modes for your color depth in /etc/X11/XF86Config. Add "1280x960" to the front of that line.

Also be sure the Vert/HorizRefresh values are set according to your monitors specifications.

Edit: Although, looks like you want 60Hz - so it shouldn't matter.

 

[Nothinman]

Also be sure the Vert/HorizRefresh values are set according to your monitors specifications.

Or just don't set them at all, usually X can get the right values directly from the monitor via DDC.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

About the boot thing, wouldn't I want to type /dev/hda? I'm pretty new to this kind of stuff in linux, so I don't want to mess anything up.

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
About the boot thing, wouldn't I want to type /dev/hda? I'm pretty new to this kind of stuff in linux, so I don't want to mess anything up.

Maybe. I was going with hdb because you said the root partition was hdb6 and I assumed you have only one disk - looks like the primary slave in this case. If the machine is booting to a primary master at hda and you want the boot loader on the MBR, then you'd use hda.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Originally posted by: cleverhandle

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
About the boot thing, wouldn't I want to type /dev/hda? I'm pretty new to this kind of stuff in linux, so I don't want to mess anything up.

Maybe. I was going with hdb because you said the root partition was hdb6 and I assumed you have only one disk - looks like the primary slave in this case. If the machine is booting to a primary master at hda and you want the boot loader on the MBR, then you'd use hda.

I just did that (changed it to hda), then added Windows2000 to the list, typed lilo, then rebooted, and guess what! It worked! I'm typing this from win2K! I'm gonna go into slack in a second, and I'll try the other stuff. So I would be safe to just delete the mandrake partition, right?

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
...and guess what! It worked!

Of course it did. What do you think, that this is some kind of fly-by-night operation here?

So I would be safe to just delete the mandrake partition, right?

Ehh... maybe. It might change your partition numbering, though - I don't exactly how you have everything layed out. That would cause you some booting problems. If you're going to delete the Mandrake partition, do it from Slackware's fdisk/cfdisk and check the partition labels to see if they changed. If so, run lilo again and you should be fine.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

I got the resolution fixed (finally, man it is so annoying to loose all that "real estate")! Also, I deleted the Mandrake partiton using cfdisk and it worked fine, no numbers got changed. But the scroll is what I'm having trouble with. It could be because its 1am and i'm halfasleep, so I'll tackle that tomorrow. Thank you so much for all of your help!

 

[Kroze]

 

[SpeedFreak03]

I still can't get the scroll working! I tried a couple different protocols (IMPS/2, MouseManPlusPS/2, Auto), with no luck, and I tried changing the "Buttons" "5" line to "Buttons" "3" (as suggested in some other guide) with no luck. Do you guys have any more ideas?

 

[cleverhandle]

You are restarting the X server each time after making the changes, right?

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Yeah, I exit X-Windows (Menu-->Logout, which puts me back at the CLI), then I make my changes, then type startx, and see if it worked!

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Can you paste the pointer section of your X config file? Also, try to cat /dev/<yourmousedevice>, and then play with the scroll wheel, and see if any junk comes out.

 

[Spyro]

Try adding a line like this to your mouse config section.

Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

That should fix your problem.

At second glance someone's already recommended that, so are you sure it's in the config file.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey
Can you paste the pointer section of your X config file? Also, try to cat /dev/<yourmousedevice>, and then play with the scroll wheel, and see if any junk comes out.

# **********************************************************************
# Core Pointer's InputDevice section
# **********************************************************************

Section "InputDevice"

# Identifier and driver

Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "imps/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "ZaxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Buttons" "5"
# Mouse-speed setting for PS/2 mouse.

# Option "Resolution" "256"

# When using XQUEUE, comment out the above two lines, and uncomment
# the following line.

# Option "Protocol" "Xqueue"

# Baudrate and SampleRate are only for some Logitech mice. In
# almost every case these lines should be omitted.

# Option "BaudRate" "9600"
# Option "SampleRate" "150"

# Emulate3Buttons is an option for 2-button Microsoft mice
# Emulate3Timeout is the timeout in milliseconds (default is 50ms)

# Option "Emulate3Buttons"
# Option "Emulate3Timeout" "50"

# ChordMiddle is an option for some 3-button Logitech mice

# Option "ChordMiddle"

EndSection

When I go back into slack (i'm in Win2K now lol) ill give the cat thing a try. Thanks for all your help!

 

[SpeedFreak03]

I opened up a Konsole, typed in "cat /dev/psaux" and every button/scroll/movement did something. The scroll made the cursor thing move to the left and right, etc. So all the buttons are "detected". So basically what I'm trying to do is assign the buttons to functions, right? Is there a program or something that can do this?

 

[cleverhandle]

Try capitalizing the "A" in ZAxisMapping.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Originally posted by: cleverhandle
Try capitalizing the "A" in ZAxisMapping.

I just tried that, no go. But I looked around on the net, and was reading about somebody with a microsoft intellimouse with the side buttons (for browsing forward and backward), and they had "ZAxisMapping" "6 7". So I gave that a try, and when I press that (I have one side button on my mouse) on the desktop (I use KDE 3.1), it brings up a small menu that says Unclutter Windows, Cascade Windows, ...Mozilla, Desktop 1, Desktop 2, Desktop 3, Desktop 4. Also, when I press down on the scroll wheel it brings up the same menu. So, does 4 and 5 stand for scroll up and down? I am starting to understand this stuff! I'm gonna keep toying around (I have a backup of XF86Config lol), and see what I come up with.

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
...(I have one side button on my mouse)...

You might have mentioned this earlier. You need Option "Buttons" "6", then - two main buttons, a wheel press, scroll up, scroll down, and the side button. I'm not sure whether the ZAxis should map to 4/5 or 5/6. Play around with it and see what works.

 

[Nothinman]

Or you could run xev and see what buttons produce what events.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Just tried xev, and the scroll does nothing. Like no new lines/characters come up. But when I press on the scroll, it says the last thing I selected/highlighted. Lets say I highlighted "My Mouse Sucks!". Then I go over to the konsole, type in xev, then press on the button, and it will say "My Mouse Sucks!". Same thing happens with the side button.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Do I need imwheel? I think i'm gonna give that a shot.

 

[xcript]

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
Do I need imwheel? I think i'm gonna give that a shot.

Yeah, you may. I had to use imwheel to get the extra buttons and the scroll wheel working on my MX700.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Originally posted by: xcript

Originally posted by: SpeedFreak03
Do I need imwheel? I think i'm gonna give that a shot.

Yeah, you may. I had to use imwheel to get the extra buttons and the scroll wheel working on my MX700.

My mouse the same as the MX700, but no rechargeable batteries. I haven't gotten around to trying IMWheel yet. Could u show me ur mouse config in ur /etc/X11/XF86Config? Cause i might have messed mine up.