# USB Optical Mouse Doesn't Work

## Panick007

I got all the way through the Gentoo install and got X and Enlightenment installed (over dial up, no less) and got everything functioning perfectly except my optical mouse. It's a Logitech USB wheel mouse. I have all the correct USB stuff compiled in the kernel and I've tried at least half a dozen different ways of compiling them as modules and into the kernel proper and nothing helps. When Gentoo first boots the light inside the optical mouse flashes as USB is detected and loaded then goes out again. The installer detected and loaded the mouse properly (I know this because the light stays on when booted from the install disc), and I have had this mouse working in Mandrake and SuSE before so I know it's workable. So can anybody tell me what I am missing or doing wrong to fix the problem? I'd really appreciate it!

----------

## inukshuk

i am having major mouse problems myself so i am not sure i am the right person to help you, but anyways...

is the symlink /dev/usbmouse created? or /dev/input/mice? if it is, try a

```
cat /path/to/mouse/device
```

also, i am not sure which modules you need for the usb mouse... input? hid? you can 

```
cat /proc/modules
```

 to see if they are loaded.

by the way, *which* are the modules you need to load for usb mice anyway?

another thing you could try is to plug the mouse into your ps2 port, maybe that works?

----------

## inukshuk

after you run cat with your mouse device, you need to move the mouse of course -- you should see all kinds of symbols on the screen if it works...

----------

## inukshuk

okay, i second Panick007's request... i tried to install my mouse through usb for a change and it doesn't work either.

i load modules input.o hid.o mousedev.o plug in the mouse and do not get a kernel message. /dev/input/mice is created however, but if i do cat /dev/input/mice and move the mouse nothing happens.

for me too, the light in the optical mouse is on, when it's plugged in.

what am i doing wrong?

----------

## Danielb

These are the USB related modules loaded in my system (Logitech USB cordless optical mouse working smoothly).

gondor root # lsmod

	Module                  Size  Used by    Tainted: P

	  hid                    14152   0  (unused)

	  mousedev           4436   1

	  input                   3744   0  [hid mousedev]

	  usb-uhci            24204   0  (unused)

	  usbcore             64608   1  [hid usb-uhci]

----------

## Panick007

For the record, I have an MSI motherboard that has USB 2.0 as well as 2 USB 1.1 interfaces (1 in the normal spot on the back and another through a panel that blocks a PCI slot). I have now tried the mouse in both 1.1 interfaces and the USB 2.0 interface (just to check). In either of the 1.1 interfaces the mouse blinks when USB is loaded by the kernel, then goes dark again. It then blinks once in awhile but never stays on. Plugged into the USB 2.0 interface the mouse comes on and stays on but I have never been able to make it work in X or anywhere else.

Like I said, I know the mouse works and it has been made to work with other Linux distros, even the Gentoo install CD detects it properly. So what haven't I thought of that needs to be done to make it work? I've symlinked /dev/mouse to the /dev/input/mice alright but since the mouse is "dead" (i.e. the optical light doesn't work) the symlink won't work.

----------

## pilla

I don't know if it applies here, but do you have "hotplug" installed in your system?

----------

## Panick007

I have installed hotplug as well as the usbutils. Neither does much of anything for my problem as far as I can tell.

----------

## inukshuk

i find this really strange... just to get this straight, in theory if i want to get my usb mouse (or any other usb hardware) working under gentoo i

1) load the appropriate kernel modules (e.g. input.o hid.o mousedev.o)

2) the devfs should automatically create the nodes in /dev

3) plug in the mouse

4) the mouse should now be available under /dev/usbmouse

is that the scenario in a perfect world? or am i missing something?

thanks.

;

----------

## Vann

I think you have to compile the echi or uhchi module.  I have a hotpluggable USB mouse right now, so I know it works.  Any USB port I stick it into works fine.  Ua ha ha.

----------

## inukshuk

alright, Vann, DanielB, thanks, you guys pointed me to the right direction... i loaded the usb-ohci module and all is well now.

even better, connecting the mouse through usb magically solves my problems with the weird mouse behaviour!

finally! =)

----------

## Panick007

I think my problem is in the USB 2.0 ports. For some reason the box wants to use those instead of the USB 1.1 ports on the system. The mouse stays "alive" when plugged into the 2.0 ports but not on the 1.1 (I still can't make use of it though).

Back the the PS/2 adaptor I guess.   :Sad: 

----------

