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Date:      Wed, 17 Jul 2002 23:32:22 -0700
From:      "Philip J. Koenig" <pjklist@ekahuna.com>
To:        questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Cc:        Steve Wingate <steve@velosystems.net>
Subject:   Re: When is FreeBSD going to work properly with KVM switches?
Message-ID:  <20020718063223241.AAA1041@empty1.ekahuna.com@pc02.ekahuna.com>
In-Reply-To: <1026973383.295.17.camel@daemon.velosystems.net>
References:  <20020718060333533.AAA1067@empty1.ekahuna.com@pc02.ekahuna.com>

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On 17 Jul 2002, at 23:23, Steve Wingate boldly uttered: 

> There are actually more than one issue in this thread, I think. 
> One relates to low-end KVM's that don't have dedicated keyboard/mouse
> microprocessors for EACH port on the unit. If the KVM doesn't have
> dedicated processors then the KVM has to be pointed to a server as it
> boots up, otherwise the server will boot but the keyboard won't be
> active. I have a 4-port Belkin OmniView SE where this is the case.
> The second issue relates to some ps/2 mice freaking out when you switch
> KVM ports. This shows up as countless psmintr errors on the console when
> you switch ports. I had this issue constantly with a Microsoft
> Intellimouse w/Intellieye. I tried every trick in the archives to get
> rid of it and failed. If I switched to an old IBM mouse with the lil
> eraser head wheel the errors went away but I HATED the eraser head.
> Several months ago I switches to a Logitech wheel mouse, with the
> intellieye doohickey, and I haven't seen the errors since. 


I do believe that typically KVM vendors strive to support and emulate 
the baseline, standard keyboard and mouse behavior for the most part.
Any additional features (ie Intellimouse, etc.) is really 'gravy' and 
subject to a particular vendor explicitly supporting it.  Many KVM 
manufacturers will specifically say whether they do or don't support 
ie Intellimouse wheels (fairly common nowadays but didn't use to be), 
etc.

I'm typing this on a nice IBM Trackpoint keyboard (with one of those 
eraser-heads you dislike :-), which I find very handy because I can 
plug my trackball into it and use either pointing device as 
convenient.  However, IBM makes it quite clear that the PS/2 passthru 
port does NOT support anything but standard 2-button mouse 
functionality. (and indeed it doesn't, but I live with it because I 
appreciate the other benefits)


--
Philip J. Koenig                                       pjklist@ekahuna.com
Electric Kahuna Systems -- Computers & Communications for the New Millenium


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