SuSE Support Database

Title: X-Server is not able to access the mouse device

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X-Server is not able to access the mouse device

Symptom:

  1. You start X by executing startx. However occasionally the X server doesn't start. Apparently it has problems finding the mouse device.

  2. You try to switch to a text console using the keys Ctrl-Alt-< Function key > while X is already running. When switching back to graphics mode the mouse doesn't react anymore.

Cause:

While starting or switching back to X the mouse device is blocked by another application. The X server therefore is not able to access the mouse and you get a message like

Fatal server error:
Cannot open mouse (Device or resource busy)

This behaviour may be triggered by textbased programs that make use of the mouse. The most commonly used application (and therefore most of the time the reason for the mentioned behaviour) seems to be gpm.

Solution:

Please enter the following line in the Section "ServerFlags" in /etc/XF86Config:

            AllowMouseOpenFail 
The mouse may still be blocked by gpm. However if this happens the X server doesn't interpret this as "fatal error" but continues loading. It will emit the following message:

Cannot open mouse (Device or resource busy) - Continuing...

The server will start anyway. Please be aware that you will not be able to use the mouse as it is still blocked by another application. It is therefore necessary to switch back to the text console and then back to graphics mode immediately. With programs like gpm (that don't use the mouse all of the time), it should be possible to use the mouse as usual, when you're back in graphics mode. If you still can't use the mouse, then the only cure of the problem is to terminate the program on the console, that blocks the mouse device.

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Keywords: MOUSE, XSERVER, XWINDOW, POINTER

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Categories: X Applications , X Window System

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SDB-ms_xmaus, Copyright SuSE GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany - Version: 13. Jan 1998
Impressum - Last generated: 24. Feb 1999 15:16:21 by maddin with sdb_gen 1.00.0