# mouse scroll wheel... does it work?

## YourDoom123

First off, let me say that I'm a complete noob when it comes to Linux. I just finished the installation last night, and I compiled kde and went to bed. so today is my first day using linux. i already have a problem.... my mouse scroll wheel doesn't work. I'm not sure if I need a driver, or if its not supported by the browser (konqueror... i haven't figured out how to install mozilla yet). what i do know is, my finger is starting to hurt from having to hold down the left-click button...(wait a sec... to install mozilla all i type in is emerge mozilla? i thought i tried that! sry for goin off topic). how do i get my scroll wheel working?!?!

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## Jerri

What does your /etc/X11/XF86config look like?

here is mine:

```
Section "InputDevice"

    Identifier          "Mouse1"

    Driver              "mouse"

    Option "Protocol"   "ExplorerPS/2"

    Option "Device"     "/dev/input/mice"

    Option "Buttons"    "5"

    Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

                        

EndSection
```

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## YourDoom123

uhhh non-existant...... i can't even create the file because the folder itself doesn't exist.

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## michel_25_32

 *Quote:*   

> uhhh non-existant...... i can't even create the file because the folder itself doesn't exist.
> 
> 

 

check

```
/etc/X11/xorg.conf
```

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## YourDoom123

cool, it worked. thanks!

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## Jerri

Hmm, how did you configure x?

I suppose if your using xorg, it might be a little different.  I have never used xorg, so I can't help you there, but XF86Config is the configuration file for X windows.. thats sorta where it all happens in terms of configuring your video card / keyboard / mouse / screen etc.   So unless your using something other then X windows, I find it most unusual that /etc/X11/CF86Config isn't there.  does X work? stupid question i suppose.

If you are using xorg, I had a brief look at its homepage,  you might want to check it out

x org documentation

I think the config file is called xorg.conf

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## mrice

I have a similar problem; my wheel doesn't scroll. But in /etc/X11 I don't have an xorg.conf file (nor a XF86Config). There is an example file there, xorg.conf.example, but when I copied it to xorg.conf X would no longer start. 

 What does X use if there is no file? 

 Is there a way to generate a default file that will work, which I can then tweak to get my mouse working?

FWIW, I am running on an amd64 which I emerged from 2004.2 using stage3.  My mouse is a basic microsoft usb wheel mouse.  I know the wheel "works" because if I cat /dev/usbmouse and twiddle the wheel, stuff shows up.

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## Jerri

Not quite sure how your able to run xorg without a configuration file.. but there are a few tools you can use to help configure xorg for you system (Im not suprised the default doesn't work for your system, however it can be a good reference).

try these:

X -configure

xorgcfg

xorgconfig

Check out the documentation for help on how to use them.

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## bennettp

mrice: Have a look through the file "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" (this file is for Xorg. I'm not sure about the filename for xfree; it's in the same directory, but probably called something like XF86.0.log or Xfree86.0.log). Anyway there should be a line somewhere near the top that states which configuration file is being used. Copy the configuration file to /etc/X11/ (create the directory it if it doesn't exist). Open it up, and look for 'Section "InputDevice"'. Modify it to look like what Jerri posted: *Jerri wrote:*   

> Section "InputDevice" 
> 
>     Identifier          "Mouse1" 
> 
>     Driver              "mouse" 
> ...

 Note: I can't see why the "ExplorerPS/2" protocol would not work, but if it doesn't, try changing it to "IMPS/2". IMPS/2 supports 2 mouse buttons, a wheel, and the wheel mouse button (for a total of 5 buttons). The ExplorerPS/2 protocol supports a few more buttons (up to 7 IIRC).

For anyone interested: XFree86 and X.org are basically the same thing. XFree86 has been around for a long time, but it recently changed its liscence, making it too restrictive for most distrubutors. So the X.org foundation decided to host a copy of the old Xfree86 source tree, and renamed it to "X.org", and released it under the original, unrestrictive, liscence. Xfree86 still exists, but development is almost dead, since most of the developers are now working on X.org.

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## mrice

bennettp: thank!  I should have known there would be a log file somewhere to help.  I took a look at it and it reported that it was using "default configuration" because no file was found and then listed all the defaults.  I copied those into a new xorg.conf and then added the inputdevice section like you suggested (there wasn't one to start with), but changed /dev/input/mice to /dev/usbmouse.  Restarted X and now it seems to work.  

I noticed a couple other warnings in the log file related to my video setup, which was something I hadn't gotten to debugging yet (doesn't seem to be using the nvidia drivers but is working ok with generic).  But now I can probably figure that out too.  

Also thanks for the background info on XF86 and X, I was wondering what the story was.

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## angstycoder

Hi folks,

Been through many a thread here and elsewhere. I just cannot get this mouse to scroll!

PS/2

Made by HP

2 buttons, scrollwhellbutton, scroll up, scroll down.

I am running kernel 2.6.9r4

Here is my xorg.conf section relevant to this:

```
Section "InputDevice"

        Identifier  "Mouse0"

        Driver      "mouse"

        Option      "Protocol" "IMPS/2"

        Option      "Device" "/dev/input/mice"

        Option      "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

```

I have tried ExplorerPS/2, PS/2, IMPS/2

I haev added option "Buttons" "5"

I have tried /dev/mouse /dev/psaux /dev/input/mice

This is the only mouse connected to my system.

Any thoughts, please? Help! Must....scroll......!!

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## Shopro

Have you tryed to follow these guides?

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/desktop.xml

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## angstycoder

 *Shopro wrote:*   

> Have you tryed to follow these guides?
> 
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/desktop.xml

 

Yes, for Xorg config and KDE.

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## machineghost

 *angstycoder wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Here is my xorg.conf section ...  Any thoughts, please? Help! Must....scroll......!!

 

I spent an hour or so editing every option possible in my XF86config file with no luck.  I tried all the z axis stuff and driver changes and whatever.  Then I realized I was editing the wrong file   :Shocked:  .

You might be in the same boat, so I recommend that you take a quick sanity check and go to /var/log/Xorg.0.log.  Near the top there should be a line:

(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"

This will tell you which file your xwindows is actually using for config info, and if it isn't xorg.conf then that would explain why all your edits to xorg.conf produce no results.  Hope this helps.

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## mindmaster

I would like to add my particular problem to this list. It seems if you are hotplugging and doing genkernel the default configuration puts the ohci and uhci usb modules in the kernel configuration. The kernel docs strictly forbid these two modules from being loaded together, but they are. Basically, they're two different ways of accessing usb host controllers and the one you likely have (uhci) is being jacked up by the very fact that ohci is loaded. Check your lsmod and make sure you don't have that crap in there, because my xorg configuration, etc... were perfect...

"lspci -v "should also tell you what standards your host controllers are using and each one will be marked "ohci" or "uhci".  Do an lsmod and see if you have ohci_hcd or uhci_hcd loaded. You can have one or the other, but not both... Both is wrong! You can manually rmmod all the usb modules, then load back in the right modules (either ohci_hcd or uhci_hcd) and try again... It will work at this point if it has any bearing on your situtaion.

Hope this helps, I was spending ten minutes too long figuring out how the gentoo disto jacked the mouse up (I've been doing x11 for years) and this might be your problem.... Hope it helps!  :Smile: 

To totally solve this problem, if you have it.: You will have to alter your kernel configuration and remove either the ohci or uhci from the usb devices, or they'll continue to be a problem. Just remember both of those modules cannot be loaded at the same time, or you will have problems.

- Mind

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## danizmax

My mouse doesn't work too. I have experimented. Here's my xorg.conf

```
Section "InputDevice"

        Identifier  "Mouse0"

        Driver      "mouse"

        Option      "Protocol" "IMPS/2"

        Option      "Device" "/dev/mouse"

#       Option "Buttons" "5"

        Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

        Option          "Emulate3Buttons" "0"

EndSection

```

NOTE:  have argumented the  Option "Buttons" "5" !

And her's my greped /var/log/Xorg.0.log :

```
(**) |-->Input Device "Mouse0"

(**) Mouse0: Device: "/dev/mouse"

(**) Mouse0: Protocol: "auto"

(**) Mouse0: Core Pointer

(==) Mouse0: Emulate3Buttons, Emulate3Timeout: 50

(==) Mouse0: Buttons: 3

(**) Mouse0: SmartScroll: 1

(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Mouse0" (type: MOUSE)

(--) Mouse0: PnP-detected protocol: "ExplorerPS/2"

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

(II) Mouse0: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded

```

It looks like xorg doesn't use Section "InputDevice" from xorg.conf. But I'm shure it uses xorg.conf

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## danizmax

Oh yeah it work it youst needet to reboot. So for all that still doesn't work load modules :

compile kernel as following:

Input device support 

[*] Mice

 <M>   PS/2 mouse  

 <M>   Serial mouse

USB support

<M> Support for Host-side USB 

<M>   EHCI HCD (USB 2.0) support

<M>   OHCI HCD support

<M>   UHCI HCD (most Intel and VIA) support

<M>   USB Human Interface Device (full HID) support

[*] HID input layer support

```
usbcore

ohci_hcd

usbhid

```

I hope it will work for you as it works for me  :Smile: 

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