gpm: Mouse Types
2.4 Mouse Types
===============
This section of the gpm documentation manual describes the various
pointer types currently available in gpm. If you look at the source
code, you'll find that pointer-specific code is confined to 'mice.c'
(while it used to only include mouse decoders, gpm now supports tablets
and touchscreens as well).
The mouse type is specified on command line with the '\-t' option.
The option takes an argument, which represents the name of a mouse type.
Each type can be associated to different names. For old mouse types,
one name is the old selection-compatible name, and another is the XFree
name. After version 1.18.1 of gpm, the number of synonyms was made
arbitrary and the actual name being used is made available to the
function responsible for mouse initialization. Therefore it is possible
for a mouse decoder to behave slightly differently according to the name
being used for the device (if this feature was already present, we
wouldn't have for example ms+ and ms+lr as different mouse types).
The initialization procedure of each mouse type can also receive
extra option, by means of the \-o command line option. Since
interpretation of the option string is decoder-specific, the allowed
options are described in association to each mouse type. When no
description of option strings is provided, that means the option string
is unused for that mouse type and specifying one generates an error.
When the document refer to "standard serial options" it means that one
of \-o dtr, \-o rts, \-o both can be specified to toggle the control
lines of the serial port.
The following mouse type are corrently recognized:
'bare Microsoft'
The Microsoft protocol, without any extension. It only reports two
buttons. If your device has three, you should either try running
the mman decoder or msc. In the latter case, you need to tell the
mouse to talk msc protocol by toggling the DTR and RTS lines (with
one of \-o drt, \-o rts or \-o both) or invoking 'gpm \-t msc'
while keeping the middle button pressed. Very annoying, indeed.
This mouse decoder accepts standard serial options, although they
should not be needed.
'ms'
This is the original Microsoft protocol, with a middle-button
extension. Some old two-button devices send some spurious packets
which can be misunderstood as middle-button events. If this is
your case, use the 'bare' mouse type. Some new two-button devices
are "plug and play", and they don't play fair at all; in this case
try \-t pnp. Many (most) three-button devices that use the
microsoft protocol fail to report some middle-button events during
mouse motion. Since the protocol does not distinguish between the
middle button going up and the middle button going down it would be
liable to get out of step, so this decoder declares the middle
button to be up whenever the mouse moves. This prevents dragging
with the middle button, so you should probably use '\-t ms+lr'
instead of this decoder, especially if you want to use X. This
mouse decoder accepts standard serial options, although they should
not be needed.
'ms+'
This is the same as '\-t ms' except that the middle button is not
reset during mouse motion. So you can drag with the middle button.
However, if your mouse exhibits the usual buggy behaviour the
decoder is likely to get out of step with reality, thinking the
middle button is up when it's down and vice versa. You should
probably use '\-t ms+lr' instead of this decoder. This mouse
decoder accepts standard serial options, although they should not
be needed.
'ms+lr'
This is the same as '\-t ms+' except that there is an additional
facility to reset the state of the middle button by pressing the
other two buttons together. Do this when the decoder gets into a
confused state where it thinks the middle button is up when it's
down and vice versa. (If you get sick of having to do this, please
don't blame gpm; blame your buggy mouse! Note that most
three-button mice that do the microsoft protocol can be made to do
the MouseSystems protocol instead. The "3 Button Serial Mouse
mini-HOWTO" has information about this.) This mouse decoder
accepts standard serial options, although they should not be
needed.
'msc MouseSystems'
This is the standard protocol for three-button serial devices.
Some of such devices only enter MouseSystem mode if the RTS, DTR or
both lines are pushed low. Thus, you may try \-t msc associated
with \-o rts, \-o dtr or \-o both.
'mman Mouseman'
The protocol used by the new Logitech devices with three buttons.
It is backward compatible with the Microsoft protocol, so if your
mouse has three buttons and works with \-t ms or similar decoders
you may try \-t mman instead to use the middle button. This mouse
decoder accepts standard serial options, although they should not
be needed.
'sun'
The protocol used on Sparc computers and a few others. This mouse
decoder accepts standard serial options, although they should not
be needed.
'mm MMSeries'
Title says it all. This mouse decoder accepts standard serial
options, although they should not be needed.
'logi Logitech'
This is the protocol used by old serial Logitech mice.
'bm BusMouse'
Some bus devices use this protocol, including those produced by
Logitech.
'ps2 PS/2'
The protocol used by most busmice.
'ncr'
This 'type' is able to decode the pointing pen found on some
laptops (the NCR 3125 pen)
'wacom'
The protocol used by the Wacom tablet. Since version 1.18.1 we
have a new Wacom decoder, as the old one was not working with new
tablets. This decoder was tested with Ultrapad, PenPartner, and
Graphire tablets. Options: \-o relative (default) for relative
mode, \-o absolute for absolute mode.
'genitizer'
The \"Genitizer\" tablet, in relative mode. This mouse decoder
accepts standard serial options, although they should not be
needed.
'logim'
Used to turn Logitech mice into Mouse-Systems-Compatible.
Obviously, it only works with some of the Logitech mice.
'pnp'
This decoder works with the new mice produces by our friend Bill,
and maybe with the old ones as well. The Pnp protocol is hardwired
at 1200 baud and is upset by normal initialization, so this is a
\-t bare decoder with no initialization at all. This mouse decoder
accepts standard serial options, although they should not be
needed.
'ms3'
A decoder for the new serial IntelliMouse devices, the ones with
three buttons and a protocol incompatible with older ones. The
wheel is currently unused.
'imps2'
"IntelliMouse" on the ps/2 port. This type can also be used for a
generic 2-button ps/2 mouse too, since it will auto-detect the
type.
'netmouse'
Decodes the "Genius NetMouse" type of devices on the ps/2 port.
For serial "Netmouse" devices, use the "ms3" decoder.
'cal'
A decoder of the "Calcomp UltraSlate device.
'calr'
Same as above, but in relative mode.
'twid'
Support for the twiddler keyboard. As of gpm-1.14 this decoder
includes a char generator for the text console, but doesn't yet
support X keycodes. If used with '\-R', 'gpm' will anyway repeat
mouse events to the X server. More information about twiddler
support can be found in 'README.twiddler', in the gpm distribution.
'syn synaptics'
A decoder for the Synaptics TouchPad connected to the serial port.
This mouse decoder accepts standard serial options, although they
should not be needed.
'synps2 synaptics_ps2'
Same as above, but for the devices attached to the ps2 port.
'brw'
A decoder for the Fellowes Browser, a device with 4 buttons and a
wheel. This mouse decoder accepts standard serial options,
although they should not be needed.
'js Joystick'
This mouse type uses the joystick device to generate mouse events.
It is only available if the header 'linux/joystick.h' is found at
compile time. The header (and the device as well) has been
introduced only during 2.1 development, and is not present in
version 2.0 of the kernel.
'summa'
This is a decode for the Symmagraphics of Genius tablet, run in
absolute mode. A repeater is associated to this decoder, so it can
\-R summa can be used to generate X events even for other
absolute-pointing devices, like touchscreens. To use the repeated
data from X, you need a modified xf86Summa.o module.
'mtouch'
A decoder for the MicroTouch touch screen. Please refer to the
file 'README.microtouch' in the source tree of gpm for further
information. In the near future, anyways, I plan to fold back to
this documentation the content of that file.
'gunze'
A decoder for the gunze touch screen. Please refer to the file
'README.gunze' in the source tree of gpm for further information.
In the near future, anyways, I plan to fold back to this
documentation the content of that file. The decoder accepts the
following options: smooth=, debounce=. An higher smoothness
results in slower motion as well; a smaller smoothness gives faster
motion but, obviously, less smooth. The default smoothness is 9.
The debounce time is express in milliseconds and is the minimum
duration of an up-down event to be taken as a tap. Smaller bounces
are ignored.
'acecad'
The Acecad tablet in absolute mode.
'wp wizardpad'
Genius WizardPad tablet
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