If gpm is run as gpm -t ms and we have /dev/mouse -> /dev/psaux and there is
no mouse attached, the console driver doesn't receive keystrokes. If gpm is then
killed with gpm -k the console driver receives the keystrokes which were typed
while gpm was running, which obviously have been buffered somewhere (doesn't the
keyboard have a hardware/BIOS buffer ? I seem to remember stuffing keystrokes in
there many years ago). This is on a machine running gpm-1.13.8 but I got the latest
gpm (1-17.5) and it had the same results. Now obviously this is anomalous behaviour
from a wrongly configured system (because it should have used gpm -t ps2) but as
the box is a server, we never noticed this misconfiguration as we have no mouse on
it and it took a long time before we even noticed the problem as we rarely use the
keyboard on the machine. In fact, what brought it to light was that fact that on a
few occassions the machine started to scream i.e. emit a continuous beep from its
speaker, which I guessed to be keyboard related, and investigations went on from
there.
[3.] Keywords : gpm mouse keyboard kernel
[4.] Kernel version (from /proc/version):
Linux version 2.2.5 (root@linux1.sced.esoc.esa.de) (gcc version 2.7.2.3) #1 Wed Mar 31 15:28:38 EST 1999
Also observed on 2.2.3 - does not occur with 2.0.36
[5.] N/A
[6.] N/A
[7.] Environment
[7.1.]
-- Versions installed: (if some fields are empty or looks
-- unusual then possibly you have very old versions)
Linux linux1.sced.esoc.esa.de 2.2.5 #1 Wed Mar 31 15:28:38 EST 1999 i586 unknown
Kernel modules 2.1.85
Gnu C 2.7.2.3
Binutils 2.9.1.0.15
Linux C Library 2.0.7
Dynamic linker ldd (GNU libc) 2.0.7
Linux C++ Library 2.8.0
Procps 1.2.9
Mount 2.8a
Net-tools (1998-06-29)
Kbd 0.96
Sh-utils 1.16
[7.2.] Processor information (from /proc/cpuinfo):
processor : 0
vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
cpu family : 5
model : 8
model name : AMD-K6(tm) 3D processor
stepping : 12
cpu MHz : 332.765442
fdiv_bug : no
hlt_bug : no
sep_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 1
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr mce cx8 sep pge mmx 3dnow
bogomips : 663.55
[7.3.] No modules loaded
[7.4.] SCSI information
Attached devices: none (aha1542 driver compiled in, no SCSI disks)
[X.] Other notes, patches, fixes, workarounds:
The fix/workaround is to run gpm with the correct mouse type definition.
BTW I don't subscribe to linux-kernel so if anyone needs clarification,
email me directly.
Kindest regards,
Niall O Broin
UNIX Network Administrator nobroin@esoc.esa.de
Ground Systems Engineering Department Ph./Fax +49 6151 90 3619/2179
European Space Operations Centre, Darmstadt, Germany
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