Re: Mouse not working via KVM switch
Dear Nick, I have now installed Linux on the same computer in place of openBSD and the mouse works fine via the KVM switch. This despite possible broken capacitors, wrong voltages and malfunctioning computers. Note that not all computers connected to the KVM switch will work at the same time. There appear to be other problems with openBSD's X-window system. The X session on openBSD is started manually with "startx". After stopping such a session with ctrl + alt + backspace I get the following error messages: WARNING: Kernel has no file descriptor comparison support: No such file or directory (EE) Failed to open authorization file "/root/.serverauth.xx": Permission denied (xx has different characters at each session) xterm: fatal IO error 35 (resource temporarily unavailable) or KillClient on X server ":0" I don't know what these error messages mean and how to fix them. Maybe someone can help me with that. It looks like it's not just a problem with the mouse, but there's more to it. Op 19-08-2023 om 03:58 schreef Chris Bennett: On Fri, Aug 18, 2023 at 07:58:03PM +0200, Karel Lucas wrote: Dear Nick, For more than ten years I have been working with an ATEN brand KVM switch together with several computers, including linux and openBSD (version 4.1). In all these years I have had no problems, not with my KVM switch, nor with any degree of disconnection. The keyboard works flawlessly via the switch, it's only the mouse that I have a problem with, and only with openBSD. This is not very clear at all. You have used the same KVM switch for ten years, but haven't considered it having hardware degradation over that time? Capacitors are well known for having limited lifetimes and are *usually* the first item looked at in repairs. Switches also fail due to dirty contacts. Or, are you saying that everything worked fine for OpenBSD 4.1, but not for OpenBSD 7.3? The changes over that time have been enormous. Op 17-08-2023 om 13:56 schreef Nick Holland: First of all, does your mouse work directly plugged into the OpenBSD computer? Yes, it does. If so, it's your KVM switch. As I mentioned above I have been working with my KVM switch and openBSD for over ten years with very good results. Second...if you boot the OpenBSD machine with the KVM pointed at the OpenBSD machine, does it work? No, even then it won't work. Have you swapped ports on the KVM switch to rule out a partial hardware failure on the switch? Have you also disconnected the other hardware and OS inputs to rule out them as the source of the problem? Have you checked that the other machines are producing the correct supply voltages? Power supply failures are a consistent problem with computers. High or low voltages don't mix well. Have you checked with your switch manufacturer to make sure there wasn't a problem with your switches model? It happens a lot. After ten years of service, if you insist that the switch isn't the problem, (Prove it) then you need to also prove that the other hardware is functioning properly. Do not believe what the BIOS or sensors say that the voltage is. A bad voltage will cause those readings to fail. Get a good voltmeter with excellent probes for this kind of work and check *everything*. Please use a great deal of care. You will need to measure voltages on the motherboards in addition to what the power supply puts out. Everything is running and you will need to check in many spots. Also, there are high voltages inside the power supply. Don't get electrocuted. Drain the voltages off the capacitors in there with a suitable tool for that purpose if you go inside there. Yes, even with the power off and power cable disconnected. And it's tricky. I have a power supply cable for two hard drives. Two connectors crimped across the same cable. One of the crimps is bad. Recognizing that saved me a trip to hell after about an hour. Easy to fix, damned hard to locate. Chris Bennett You might be able to improve how OpenBSD deals with KVM switched mice, because yes, it does seem to be a little more touchy than some other OSs, but someone with good programming and HW trouble shooting skills AND a cheap-*** POS KVM switch would have to care. Most people that skilled generally just buy a better KVM switch and move on. That more than ten years of loyal service proves that my KVM is of good quality. What does the dmesg show as you switch the KVM around? That would tell us how the KVM works. Some are equiv. of plugging and unplugging the mouse/keyboard/monitor, some do some kind of "keep alive" so the computer thinks the mouse is still there. Both can cause problems of different types (my "good" one seems to plug/unplug the mouse/keyboard, but has a great keep-alive for the monitor). What I've learned about my KVM switch over the past ten years is that both the mouse and keyboard are emulated when they are switched to another computer.
Re: Mouse not working via KVM switch
On Fri, Aug 18, 2023 at 07:58:03PM +0200, Karel Lucas wrote: > > Dear Nick, > > For more than ten years I have been working with an ATEN brand KVM switch > together with several computers, including linux and openBSD (version 4.1). > In all these years I have had no problems, not with my KVM switch, nor with > any degree of disconnection. The keyboard works flawlessly via the switch, > it's only the mouse that I have a problem with, and only with openBSD. > This is not very clear at all. You have used the same KVM switch for ten years, but haven't considered it having hardware degradation over that time? Capacitors are well known for having limited lifetimes and are *usually* the first item looked at in repairs. Switches also fail due to dirty contacts. Or, are you saying that everything worked fine for OpenBSD 4.1, but not for OpenBSD 7.3? The changes over that time have been enormous. > Op 17-08-2023 om 13:56 schreef Nick Holland: > > > > First of all, does your mouse work directly plugged into the OpenBSD > > computer? > Yes, it does. > > If so, it's your KVM switch. > As I mentioned above I have been working with my KVM switch and openBSD for > over ten years with very good results. > > > Second...if you boot the OpenBSD machine with the KVM pointed at the > > OpenBSD machine, does it work? > No, even then it won't work. Have you swapped ports on the KVM switch to rule out a partial hardware failure on the switch? Have you also disconnected the other hardware and OS inputs to rule out them as the source of the problem? Have you checked that the other machines are producing the correct supply voltages? Power supply failures are a consistent problem with computers. High or low voltages don't mix well. Have you checked with your switch manufacturer to make sure there wasn't a problem with your switches model? It happens a lot. After ten years of service, if you insist that the switch isn't the problem, (Prove it) then you need to also prove that the other hardware is functioning properly. Do not believe what the BIOS or sensors say that the voltage is. A bad voltage will cause those readings to fail. Get a good voltmeter with excellent probes for this kind of work and check *everything*. Please use a great deal of care. You will need to measure voltages on the motherboards in addition to what the power supply puts out. Everything is running and you will need to check in many spots. Also, there are high voltages inside the power supply. Don't get electrocuted. Drain the voltages off the capacitors in there with a suitable tool for that purpose if you go inside there. Yes, even with the power off and power cable disconnected. And it's tricky. I have a power supply cable for two hard drives. Two connectors crimped across the same cable. One of the crimps is bad. Recognizing that saved me a trip to hell after about an hour. Easy to fix, damned hard to locate. Chris Bennett > > You > > might be able to improve how OpenBSD deals with KVM switched mice, > > because yes, it does seem to be a little more touchy than some other > > OSs, but someone with good programming and HW trouble shooting > > skills AND a cheap-*** POS KVM switch would have to care. Most people > > that skilled generally just buy a better KVM switch and move on. > That more than ten years of loyal service proves that my KVM is of good > quality. > > What does the dmesg show as you switch the KVM around? That would tell > > us how the KVM works. Some are equiv. of plugging and unplugging the > > mouse/keyboard/monitor, some do some kind of "keep alive" so the > > computer thinks the mouse is still there. Both can cause problems of > > different types (my "good" one seems to plug/unplug the mouse/keyboard, > > but has a great keep-alive for the monitor). > What I've learned about my KVM switch over the past ten years is that both > the mouse and keyboard are emulated when they are switched to another > computer. Never have I had any problems with my computers when switching > with my KVM switch. > > >
Re: Mouse not working via KVM switch
Dear Nick, For more than ten years I have been working with an ATEN brand KVM switch together with several computers, including linux and openBSD (version 4.1). In all these years I have had no problems, not with my KVM switch, nor with any degree of disconnection. The keyboard works flawlessly via the switch, it's only the mouse that I have a problem with, and only with openBSD. Op 17-08-2023 om 13:56 schreef Nick Holland: First of all, does your mouse work directly plugged into the OpenBSD computer? Yes, it does. If so, it's your KVM switch. As I mentioned above I have been working with my KVM switch and openBSD for over ten years with very good results. Second...if you boot the OpenBSD machine with the KVM pointed at the OpenBSD machine, does it work? No, even then it won't work. You might be able to improve how OpenBSD deals with KVM switched mice, because yes, it does seem to be a little more touchy than some other OSs, but someone with good programming and HW trouble shooting skills AND a cheap-*** POS KVM switch would have to care. Most people that skilled generally just buy a better KVM switch and move on. That more than ten years of loyal service proves that my KVM is of good quality. What does the dmesg show as you switch the KVM around? That would tell us how the KVM works. Some are equiv. of plugging and unplugging the mouse/keyboard/monitor, some do some kind of "keep alive" so the computer thinks the mouse is still there. Both can cause problems of different types (my "good" one seems to plug/unplug the mouse/keyboard, but has a great keep-alive for the monitor). What I've learned about my KVM switch over the past ten years is that both the mouse and keyboard are emulated when they are switched to another computer. Never have I had any problems with my computers when switching with my KVM switch.
Re: Mouse not working via KVM switch
On 8/14/23 13:37, Karel Lucas wrote: HI all, On a recent install of openBSD I can't get the mouse to work through my KVM switch. I work with various computers via a KVM switch on 1 monitor with a keyboard/mouse combination. Only on the PC with openBSD the mouse does not work, the keyboard on the other hand works fine. Both are connected to the KVM switch via USB, and the switch via USB to the computers. The brand of the mouse is Logitech. Does anyone know why the mouse doesn't work, but the keyboard does? Good thing Logitech only makes one kind of mouse. HA! HAHAHaHahahaha!!! I am so funny. Really, though -- you thought mentioning just the brand name of one of the more diverse makers of mice over 40+ years is all we needed to know? KVM switches are like a lot of other things -- tested with Windows, MAYBE Linux. And there are widely differing qualities and designs, some probably weren't tested at all. I can assure you, OpenBSD has no intrinsic issue with KVM switches. I regularly use a dual HDMI monitor 4-way KVM switch on OpenBSD and Windows machines, works great in spite of being shockingly cheap (until it seems two of the USB input ports died...but fortunately, it had two extras, and I wouldn't be surprised if a complete powerdown fixed it). That one replaced an even cheaper single monitor switch which was almost useful, but had a lot of issues (including keyboard/mouse just dying from time to time). First of all, does your mouse work directly plugged into the OpenBSD computer? If so, it's your KVM switch. Replace it. If not, it is your mouse. Replace it. Second...if you boot the OpenBSD machine with the KVM pointed at the OpenBSD machine, does it work? If so, your KVM switch is cranky. You might be able to improve how OpenBSD deals with KVM switched mice, because yes, it does seem to be a little more touchy than some other OSs, but someone with good programming and HW trouble shooting skills AND a cheap-*** POS KVM switch would have to care. Most people that skilled generally just buy a better KVM switch and move on. What does the dmesg show as you switch the KVM around? That would tell us how the KVM works. Some are equiv. of plugging and unplugging the mouse/keyboard/monitor, some do some kind of "keep alive" so the computer thinks the mouse is still there. Both can cause problems of different types (my "good" one seems to plug/unplug the mouse/keyboard, but has a great keep-alive for the monitor). Nick.
Re: Mouse not working via KVM switch
The ghost driver for the mouse receiver of your Aten KVM is not supported by OpenBSD, if you want keep the the switch you have to go for a wired mouse. -- Daniele Bonini Aug 14, 2023 19:39:52 Karel Lucas : > HI all, > On a recent install of openBSD I can't get the mouse to work through my KVM > switch. I work with various computers via a KVM switch on 1 monitor with a > keyboard/mouse combination. Only on the PC with openBSD the mouse does not > work, the keyboard on the other hand works fine. Both are connected to the > KVM switch via USB, and the switch via USB to the computers. The brand of the > mouse is Logitech. Does anyone know why the mouse doesn't work, but the > keyboard does?
Mouse not working via KVM switch
HI all, On a recent install of openBSD I can't get the mouse to work through my KVM switch. I work with various computers via a KVM switch on 1 monitor with a keyboard/mouse combination. Only on the PC with openBSD the mouse does not work, the keyboard on the other hand works fine. Both are connected to the KVM switch via USB, and the switch via USB to the computers. The brand of the mouse is Logitech. Does anyone know why the mouse doesn't work, but the keyboard does?
