[CLUE-Tech] Simple Keyboard Question

[Dave Price]

On Thu, Sep 19, 2002 at 07:03:00AM -0600, Dale Hawkins wrote:
> 
> Doesn't the mouse/keyboard need to support both?  For example, if I
> were to buy a strictly USB mouse, and tried to use one of these
> adapters, I would be surprised if it worked.  Then again, I seeking
> enlightenment on the issue.  (I, too, have a USB mouse with an
> adapter, but it came with the adapter...)
> 
A PS2 mouse will appear as /dev/psaux, whereas when you set up your USB
mouse it will appear as /dev/usb?.  The default linux kernel should
detect a mouse on /dev/psaux out of the box. 

To use either you can symlink the appropriate device to /dev/mouse, or
configure gpm or X to read from the /dev/whatever directly.

Hardwarewise, there is not much difference between a (single) USB
device and a PS/2 (or serial for that matter) device.  They are all
basically serial interfaces - with slight variations in handshaking.
The USB->PS2 adapter is decidedly simple.  (On the other hand, an
RS-232->USB adapter is quite a complex active device, in order to
handle the added compexity of USB's bus-sharing.)

aloha,
dave