I have a silly question. Is there a way to replace the mouse on a linux server without having to reboot? I have Red Hat Linux 6.0 running as a "live" webserver for my company and I want to change the mouse with a new one. I tried just plugging in the new one, but it didn't work. I don't want to restart the machine if I don't need to since it is running as a live webserver. Can any one tell me how to do this? Thanks
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swapping mice 1
- Thread starter JCrou82
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1
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Hi,
I would have thought that the mouse would work - unless of course you have replaced a PS2 with a serial. If you have done this you will need to edit the X config file to reflect the new device.
However, if the mouse was dead when the machine was started, then the mouse handling system may never have started.
Simplest thing to do would just be to restart X windows (I assume you are referring to a mouse in X rather than a console text mouse). You could do this by changing run levels but you would risk restarting services that run under the GUI run level 5 only that you may have altered from the default. Best way would be to close any applicatins you have running under X, then hit <CTRL><ALT><BACKSPACE> (not <DEL>). This will kill X windows but as you're in run level 5, X would start again - re-reaading the X config file to pick up the new, functioning mouse.
I would have thought that the mouse would work - unless of course you have replaced a PS2 with a serial. If you have done this you will need to edit the X config file to reflect the new device.
However, if the mouse was dead when the machine was started, then the mouse handling system may never have started.
Simplest thing to do would just be to restart X windows (I assume you are referring to a mouse in X rather than a console text mouse). You could do this by changing run levels but you would risk restarting services that run under the GUI run level 5 only that you may have altered from the default. Best way would be to close any applicatins you have running under X, then hit <CTRL><ALT><BACKSPACE> (not <DEL>). This will kill X windows but as you're in run level 5, X would start again - re-reaading the X config file to pick up the new, functioning mouse.
- Thread starter
- #3
Norwich,
Thank you for your post. I figured out how to do it. What I did was I went to a command prompt and typed: /usr/sbin/mouseconfig and selected: Microsoft IntelliMouse (PS/2) instead of what was originally chosen, which was: Generic Mouse (PS/2), and then I switched the mice and it works.
Actually, I would like to ask what is X Windows, and how do I know if I am running it and what version? What is and how do I change run levels? How do I know what level I am running at? Where would I find the X config file?
Once again thank you for your post and if anyone can answer these questions, I'd greatly appreciate it for my own edutainment.
Thank you for your post. I figured out how to do it. What I did was I went to a command prompt and typed: /usr/sbin/mouseconfig and selected: Microsoft IntelliMouse (PS/2) instead of what was originally chosen, which was: Generic Mouse (PS/2), and then I switched the mice and it works.
Actually, I would like to ask what is X Windows, and how do I know if I am running it and what version? What is and how do I change run levels? How do I know what level I am running at? Where would I find the X config file?
Once again thank you for your post and if anyone can answer these questions, I'd greatly appreciate it for my own edutainment.
X-windows is the 'GUI' for Linux and other unices. More correctly, is a network based graphics system. You run window managers on top of a local X-server (window managers like gnome, kde, windowmaker, enlightnment etc). The X11 server implementation on most linux boxes is XFree86 vesion 4. It's config file is usually /etc/X11/XFree86-4.conf or similar which defines the monitor capabilities, graphics card, mouse etc.
As for run levels, think of it as a 'state' the linux box is in - this state is defined by what services and daemons are running. The system has a default run level to boot into o startup - usually 3 or 5 (see /etc/initab).
Run levels are in most distros:
0 halt
1 single user (boots to root user with no password)
2 multiuser no networking
3 multiuser with networking
4 User defined / not used
5 multiuser with X
6 reboot
check out:
As for run levels, think of it as a 'state' the linux box is in - this state is defined by what services and daemons are running. The system has a default run level to boot into o startup - usually 3 or 5 (see /etc/initab).
Run levels are in most distros:
0 halt
1 single user (boots to root user with no password)
2 multiuser no networking
3 multiuser with networking
4 User defined / not used
5 multiuser with X
6 reboot
check out:
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