PS/2 peripherals

[Les Mikesell]

Tim wrote:
>>
>> I have a feeling the SM mobo would probe the PS/2 ports for a
>> Keyboard/Mouse and if the KVM wasn't selected on that channel when the
>> probe happened, the KVM wouldn't respond properly and the mobo would
>> turn-off the PS/2 ports.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to figure-out
>> whether this was a linux kernel, kudzu or BIOS probe though...  Anyone
>> here have any thoughts on that one? 
> 
> I was under the impression that decent PS/2 KVMs would emulate their
> being a mouse and keyboard connected to each device, all the time,
> albeit one that was doing nothing, to avoid those sorts of problems (PCs
> ignoring PS/2 ports or devices if booted up without anything apparently
> connected;

The KVMs are supposed to do that, but apparently it is more complicated 
than it used to be with auto-detection and maybe even initialization of
different device types. Some older ones don't work with mice with scroll 
wheels and I've always had trouble getting linux and windows to share 
one properly on KVMs that work with a 3-button mouse.

> Windows being unable to cope with you unplugging a PS/2
> device, replugging it, then you wanting to carry on using it, etc.).

Normally you can unplug and replug the keyboard/mouse after the boot has 
completed and windows will still see it.  However since the PS/2 
connectors aren't spec'd for this there is some chance of blowing up the 
motherboard when hotplugging.

I've also had some trouble getting windows to recognize a USB 
keyboard/mouse if it was plugged in for the first time after booting 
with no keyboard/mouse connected.  I always try to boot with one 
attached or plug it in to get the drivers installed before I expect to 
need it.  After it has been recognized once it will work again, even 
after a reboot.  I don't think linux shares this problem.

-- 
   Les Mikesell
    lesmikesell at gmail.com