Attachment 63838 Details for Bug 99490 – guide: gpm.xml

guide: gpm.xml

gpm.xml (text/plain), 5.57 KB, created by nm (RETIRED) on 2005-07-19 19:02:10 UTC

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Created: 2005-07-19 19:02:10 UTC

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><?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
><!DOCTYPE guide SYSTEM "/dtd/guide.dtd">
>
>
><guide link="/foo/bar/gpm.xml" lang="en">
><title>Using a Mouse within the Console</title>
>
><author title="Author">
>  <mail link="jackdark@gmail.com">Joshua Saddler</mail>
></author>
>
><abstract>
>This guide shows you how to set up and use gpm (the general
>purpose mouse server) from within a command line interface. 
>This is especially useful for new Gentoo installations or
>for systems that cannot or do not use an X server.
></abstract>
>
>
>
><license/>
>
><version>1.0</version>
><date>2005-07-19</date>
>
><chapter>
><title>Getting gpm</title>
><section>
><body>
>
><p>
>If you've just installed Gentoo, you almost certainly don't have your mouse 
>set up to work within a command line interface (CLI) yet. Or perhaps you 
>can't use or don't need an X server, yet you still need to use a mouse. The 
>solution is simple: <c>gpm</c>, the general purpose mouse server.
></p>
>
><p>
>First, you will need to get gpm:
></p>
>
><pre caption="Obtaining gpm">
># <i>emerge gpm</i>
></pre>
>
><p>
>You might have noticed a few messages during the compilation that warned 
>about configuring the server. You must do this before starting gpm.
></p>
>
></body>
></section>
></chapter>
>
><chapter>
><title>Configuring gpm</title>
><section>
><body>
>
><p>
>Before you can use gpm, you will need to uncomment the lines 
>corresponding to the location and protocol of your mouse. You do this by 
>editing the gpm configuration file:
></p>
>
><pre caption="Setting up gpm">
># <i>nano /etc/conf.d/gpm</i>
></pre>
>
><p>
>In my case, I have a USB mouse on <path>/dev/input/mouse0</path>. So, I 
>have uncommented <path>/dev/input/mice</path> and the appropriate protocol. 
>Try using <path>/dev/input/mice</path> before <path>/dev/psaux</path>, as 
>the latter is deprecated and can be disabled in the latest 2.6 kernels. If 
><path>/dev/input/mice</path> fails, then fall back to other devices. Here is 
>my example <path>/etc/conf.d/gpm</path>:
></p>
>
><pre caption="Example gpm config">
><comment># Please uncomment the type of mouse you have and the appropriate MOUSEDEV entry</comment>
>
>#MOUSE=ps2
>MOUSE=imps2
>#MOUSEDEV=/dev/psaux
>MOUSEDEV=/dev/input/mice
></pre>
>
><p>
>If you have a wheelmouse, you will want to use the imps2 protocol, so 
>uncomment that line. If imps2 and ps2 both fail to work for you, please
>refer to the gpm info page for other protocols to try. Also, if you want 
>to be able to click on hyperlinks in terminals to navigate to a website, 
>it is a good idea to follow the suggestion in the conf.d file:
></p>
>
><pre caption="Other options">
><comment># Please uncomment this line if you want gpm to understand charsets used</comment>
><comment># in URLs and names with ~ or : in them, etc. This is a good idea to turn on!</comment>
>
>APPEND="-l \"a-zA-Z0-9_.:~/\300-\326\330-\366\370-\377\""
></pre>
>
><p>
>The rest of the conf.d file contains other suggestions for your mouse server; 
>uncomment the various options according to your needs. See <c>man gpm</c> 
>for more information.
></p>
>
></body>
></section>
></chapter>
>
><chapter>
><title>Running gpm</title>
><section>
><body>
>
><p>
>Now that your mouse server is installed and configured, it's time to start 
>using it:
></p>
>
><pre caption="The gpm init script">
># <i>/etc/init.d/gpm start</i>
></pre>
>
><p>
>You should see a block cursor appear. Remember that only root can run the gpm 
>init script. However, to avoid having to <c>su</c> and run the script every 
>single time you begin a new session, why not set gpm to begin every time you 
>turn on your computer?
></p>
>
><pre caption="Adding gpm to the default runlevel">
># <i>rc-update add gpm default</i>
></pre>
>
><p>
>Now, whenever you start your computer, you'll be greeted by the console cursor 
>by the time you get to the login prompt. The mouse server will continue to run 
>even if you're not logged in as root.
></p>
>
></body>
></section>
></chapter>
>
><chapter>
><title>Working with gpm</title>
><section>
><title>Copying and pasting</title>
><body>
>
><p>
>Copying and pasting large blocks of text with a working mouse server is very 
>easy. Simply highlight the text with the left mouse button (it will stay 
>highlighted when you release the button), switch to a different terminal if you 
>wish, position the cursor, and press the middle mouse button to paste the text 
>where you placed the cursor. Note that you can copy and paste without ever 
>leaving the terminal you started. This makes posting the output of error messages 
>to the <uri link="http://forums.gentoo.org">Gentoo forums</uri> extremely simple. 
></p>
>
></body>
></section>
><section>
><title>Text-mode browsing and gpm</title>
><body>
>
><p>
>If you have a message on one screen and a text-mode web browser on the other, you 
>can copy the error message by highlighting it, then change to the other terminal, 
>left-click the appropriate text entry box to select it, and then press the middle 
>mouse button. Voila! Your error message can now be posted to the forums.
></p>
>
><p>
>Though discussion of text-only browsers is somewhat beyond the scope of this guide, 
>inevitably users will need to find a compatible console browser. Though <c>lynx</c> 
>is most likely the oldest and well established browser, its interface has poor 
>mouse support and recognition. Instead, try using <c>links</c>, the same browser 
>included in the Gentoo LiveCDs. <c>links</c> has excellent mouse integration:
></p>
>
><pre caption="Obtaining links">
># <i>emerge links</i>
></pre>
>
><p>
>This concludes the guide to using a mouse within the console. Happy mousing!
></p>
>
></body>
></section>
></chapter>
>
></guide>

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