Hi,
I've a lattitude which is very similar to the inspiron.
The problem with the touchpad/stick combo is that each set of two buttons is for each device, so you don't get 4 buttons (unfortunately).
Connecting a 3 button mouse will work, only you've got the XF86Config file setup to emulate 3 buttons so you can't use the wheel button of the MS Mouse.
There are 2 ways I can think of to do what you want.
1. You can configure the X setup to have 2 mice configs, with two server layouts. When starting X you would specify the default layout you wish to choose. When you log in, you can set the mouse to the 3 button variety by xmodmap (I think!!!).
2. This is the method I use. Write some scripts to detect what you've got plugged in to the laptop, and set the XF86Config accordingly before you start X. This is the method I use, so I'll describe it a bit further.
When the external mouse is connected you can check the /proc/interrups for a PS/2 Mouse. When no mouse is connected then it's not there. Look at it with X shutdown, as it will be there for X.
Using this you can modify the xdm start script to detect this and modify your XF86Config script accordingly (maybe copy 1 of two versions of the XF86Config).
I've gone one step further, such that I detect an external monitor (a DELL P1110), a USB Mouse, Docking Station, etc... I'm running SuSE so I modified the /etc/init.d/xdm script to call my script and setup the XF86Config before X is even started.
If you want I can email you my scripts (it's about 4k archived).
RikD.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Niall O Broin [mailto:niall at linux.ie]
> Sent: 02 October 2001 00:47
> To: ilug at linux.ie> Subject: [ILUG] Intellimouse and Inspiron
>>> I have a Dell Inspiron which has a touchpad AND a stick pointer and 4
> buttons (2 each) to go with them. Despite this surfeit of
> buttons, however,
> I still have to have Emulate 3 Buttons in my X config because
> the psaux
> driver can't distinguish between the two sets of butons. As
> it's a notebook,
> I live with it.
>> However, I'd been meaning to pick up a three button mouse and
> today I did
> just that (though in fairness, its legitimate owner does know
> I picked it
> up - I don't know if he thought I put it back down though.)
> so now I have a
> MS Intellimouse. Interestingly, it just plugs in and goes, so
> know with the
> mouse I have three independent ways of moving the mouse
> pointer, not to
> mention various kinds of keyboard mouse movement. My
> question, however, is
> if it's possible to configure X in such a way that the
> Intellimouse works
> (for the best value of work - i.e. recognises a press of the
> wheel as a
> third mouse button, and the wheel does something useful) when
> it's plugged
> in, but if it's not there, the box just reverts to using
> either stick or pad
> and Emulate 3 Buttons. At the moment, in the plug in and go
> situation, it
> just appears to be a two button mouse.
>>>> Yours intelliMOUSEgently,
>>> Niall
>> --
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