[gentoo-user] KVM mouse and keyboard recognition

[gentoo-user] KVM mouse and keyboard recognition

[Harry Putnam]

KVM: Keyboard Video Mouse switch

Summary:
    Runing a KVM switch between 4 machines, my gentoo desktop is not
    recognizing the usb based keyboard and mouse connections thru the 
    the KVM switch.

Details:

I've run a:

  Model: GCS-138
  8-Port Iomega MiniView Ultra KVM Switch (ps/2 based)

for at least 3 yrs and had no problems with gentoo recognizing mouse
and keyboard, along with several PCs running windows.  It was a ps/2
model of KVM.

That KVM switch gave up the ghost and I've replaced it with a newer
  model: Model: GCS-1774 4-Port Iomega miniview `Symphony' (usb2
  based)

The specialized cables merge 2 usb, 1 mic, 1 speaker wires with the vga
cable.

On my windows PCs I can plug the KVMs keyboard and mouse usb plugs
anywhere I have USB ports on the machine, but only the vga plugs into
the Iomega (disregarding the audio cables for now)

Then of course the monitors vga cable and a usb mouse and keyboard
must be plugged into the Iomega as well.

With that in place all windows PCs work thru the kvm switch but trying
the same connections on my gentoo desktop I get the vga signal but no
mouse or keyboard.

That was with the KVMs usb cables plugged into two built in usb ports
on the machine.  I even tried converting the ps/2 keyboard and mouse
ports on the machine to usb with adapters and plugging the KVM usb
cables into that but still no soap.

I don't know if I've ever really seen what keyboard or mouse
recognition looks like in dmesg but looking there I see nothing I
recognize as related to mouse or keyboard.

Maybe I have to do something special regarding USB recognition?

Anyone have an idea how I might debug this.  Or that can tell me what
I should be looking for in dmesg output?

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Re: [gentoo-user] KVM mouse and keyboard recognition

[Neil Walker]

Harry Putnam wrote:
> Maybe I have to do something special regarding USB recognition?
>   

I have a similar device - a StarTech StarView SV831HD 8-port KVM. It 
supports both PS/2 and USB, depending on the cables used but both types 
terminate in just a VGA-type connector at the KVM end. I'm using the USB 
option and didn't have to do anything, it just worked. I do have USB HID 
support compiled into the kernel, though. Do you?

Be lucky,

Neil


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[gentoo-user] Re: KVM mouse and keyboard recognition

[Nikos Chantziaras]

Harry Putnam wrote:
> KVM: Keyboard Video Mouse switch
> 
> Summary:
>     Runing a KVM switch between 4 machines, my gentoo desktop is not
>     recognizing the usb based keyboard and mouse connections thru the 
>     the KVM switch.

Make sure you have USB Hid support compiled into the kernel (along with 
any other relevant options you see like "USB Keyboard/Mouse support".

Also, see if the BIOS setup of your mainboard has a "USB Keyboard 
support" option and if enabling it/disabling it makes a difference.

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[gentoo-user] Re: KVM mouse and keyboard recognition

[Harry Putnam]

Neil Walker <neil@ep.mine.nu> writes:

> Harry Putnam wrote:
>> Maybe I have to do something special regarding USB recognition?
>>   
>
> I have a similar device - a StarTech StarView SV831HD 8-port KVM. It
> supports both PS/2 and USB, depending on the cables used but both
> types terminate in just a VGA-type connector at the KVM end. I'm using
> the USB option and didn't have to do anything, it just worked. I do
> have USB HID support compiled into the kernel, though. Do you?

No.  I did not.  I guess I haven't had need of it until now.
However compiling that in desn't seem to have helped (see below)

Nikos Chantziaras <realnc@arcor.de> writes:

> Harry Putnam wrote:
>> KVM: Keyboard Video Mouse switch
>>
>> Summary:
>>     Runing a KVM switch between 4 machines, my gentoo desktop is not
>>     recognizing the usb based keyboard and mouse connections thru
>> the     the KVM switch.
>
> Make sure you have USB Hid support compiled into the kernel (along
> with any other relevant options you see like "USB Keyboard/Mouse
> support".

That was not compiled in no, but I have now done so but seemingly it
has not helped.

Current .config shows:

grep HID /usr/src/linux-2.6.25-r6/.config

CONFIG_HID_SUPPORT=y
CONFIG_HID=y
CONFIG_HID_DEBUG=y
CONFIG_HIDRAW=y
CONFIG_USB_HID=y
# CONFIG_USB_HIDINPUT_POWERBOOK is not set
CONFIG_USB_HIDDEV=y
# CONFIG_USB_PHIDGET is not set

After make modules_install and moving the new kernel to /boot; upon
reboot I see no difference.   Once I get the console prompt I have no
mouse or keyboard

> Also, see if the BIOS setup of your mainboard has a "USB Keyboard
> support" option and if enabling it/disabling it makes a difference.

Hooking the usb keyboard direct to the machines USB ports allows it to
work so that must be set.

Since that is the case it would appear then that the problem is in the
KVM switch.

I just realized I'd left the usb to ps/2 adapters in place from when I
tried that to see if it would help.  

I hooking the KVM usb cables to actual USB ports again now and
rebooting.  Maybe it will be ok... I'll know soon.

[gentoo-user] Re: KVM mouse and keyboard recognition

[Harry Putnam]

Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com> writes:

> I just realized I'd left the usb to ps/2 adapters in place from when I
> tried that to see if it would help.  
>
> I hooking the KVM usb cables to actual USB ports again now and
> rebooting.  Maybe it will be ok... I'll know soon.

Ahh didn't need the reboot even.  So the HID stuff was the problem.
Thanks to both of you for your fine help.

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: KVM mouse and keyboard recognition

[Matt Harrison]

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Hash: SHA1

Harry Putnam wrote:
| Neil Walker <neil@ep.mine.nu> writes:
|
|> Harry Putnam wrote:
|>> Maybe I have to do something special regarding USB recognition?
|>>
|> I have a similar device - a StarTech StarView SV831HD 8-port KVM. It
|> supports both PS/2 and USB, depending on the cables used but both
|> types terminate in just a VGA-type connector at the KVM end. I'm using
|> the USB option and didn't have to do anything, it just worked. I do
|> have USB HID support compiled into the kernel, though. Do you?
|
| No.  I did not.  I guess I haven't had need of it until now.
| However compiling that in desn't seem to have helped (see below)
|
| Nikos Chantziaras <realnc@arcor.de> writes:
|
|> Harry Putnam wrote:
|>> KVM: Keyboard Video Mouse switch
|>>
|>> Summary:
|>>     Runing a KVM switch between 4 machines, my gentoo desktop is not
|>>     recognizing the usb based keyboard and mouse connections thru
|>> the     the KVM switch.
|> Make sure you have USB Hid support compiled into the kernel (along
|> with any other relevant options you see like "USB Keyboard/Mouse
|> support".
|
| That was not compiled in no, but I have now done so but seemingly it
| has not helped.
|
| Current .config shows:
|
| grep HID /usr/src/linux-2.6.25-r6/.config
|
| CONFIG_HID_SUPPORT=y
| CONFIG_HID=y
| CONFIG_HID_DEBUG=y
| CONFIG_HIDRAW=y
| CONFIG_USB_HID=y
| # CONFIG_USB_HIDINPUT_POWERBOOK is not set
| CONFIG_USB_HIDDEV=y
| # CONFIG_USB_PHIDGET is not set
|
| After make modules_install and moving the new kernel to /boot; upon
| reboot I see no difference.   Once I get the console prompt I have no
| mouse or keyboard

If you have only done "make modules_install" and not "make" and/or "make
modules" you will see no effect i think. It looks like you've configured
USB support to be compiled in directly so compiling modules won't do you
any good.

HTH
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