Using a Kensiko 3-button serial mouse under X11
Back in 2000, I bought a Kensiko 3 button mouse with a serial adapter from Staples for about $6 (U.S.).I couldn't get it to work with the middle button -- which is the whole reason I bought it -- under XFree86. I tried several protocols, including Microsoft, Logitech, and Mouseman.
Then I downloaded the "Programmable 3rd button S/W" from http://www.kensiko.com/. (This software is NOT needed for X.) It has a README.TXT that says: "... while setting the switch to the 'PC' position will cause the Mouse to emulate a three-buttoned Mouse Systems Mouse." and "...Mouse Systems Mouse operates with all three buttons." (This README also says for "None mode switch": if any of the buttons are depressed during the power-on initiation then it will emulate a Mouse Systems mouse. If none are depressed then it will emulate a Microsoft mouse.)
So I changed to the MouseSystems protocol and changed the physical switch on the underside of the mouse to "PC" and it worked! Now I just need to relearn how to use the middle button to paste!
Here is the relevant portion from my XFree86Config:
Section "Pointer" Protocol "MouseSystems" ## MouseSystems used with mouse selector ## switched to "PC"; "MS" will not work with middle button Device "/dev/tty00" BaudRate 1200 Resolution 100 # Buttons 3 # three buttons is the default EndSection
This config file may be located at /etc/XF86Config or /etc/X11/XF86Config, for example. As far as I know, you need to restart X for the changes to take effect1.
For your information, I am running the XFree86 Version 3.3.6 X Window System under NetBSD 1.4.2 (i386). (Later, I also used it under NetBSD 1.5.1_ALPHA's XFree86 Version 3.3.6 under NetBSD 1.5.3_RC2.)
The mouse has the number "990071915" on the underside sticker. The package UPC has "# 654442" and "18103 65444".
Please do not email me to ask me to send you software or for free assistance for Windows. As you can see from the information above, I only use this mouse with XFree86. Do not email asking me about the downloaded software. Do not ask me about Kensiko -- I am not affiliated with Kensiko.
Update: As of July 23, 2002, I stopped using this cheap mouse. It was erratic. For example, it would select text automatically or click buttons by itself. And it started to stop working -- even though it appeared to be clean. Sometimes I had to physically reboot box to get mouse to work again. (Even restarting window manager of X didn't work.)
Updated:
Thu Jul 25 13:22:47 PDT 2002
Wed Feb 13 12:12:16 PST 2002
Wed May 2 12:50:55 PDT 2001
Mon Apr 30 09:46:08 PDT 2001
Tue Aug 22 18:25:09 PDT 2000
effect or affect?
I am a journalism graduate -- but I still don't fully understand what this means. I may be using the wrong word. Strunk and White's The Elements of Style says if "effect" is a noun then it means "result"; if it is a verb then it means "to bring about" or "to accomplish"; the book also says "affect" means "to influence". It sure seems like "to influence" may also work in my sentence. I don't know. Feel free to teach me.