Mouse stopped working on quit fvwm

[Roger Marsh]

On Sun, 03 Feb 2013 18:36:31 -0000, illoai at gmail.com <illoai at gmail.com>  
wrote:

> On 3 February 2013 04:23, Roger Marsh <roger.marsh at btinternet.com> wrote:
>> The problem was encountered when upgrading to FreeBSD 9.1-RELEASE and a  
>> 18
>> January 2013 portsnap.
>>
>> Steps were:
>>
>> Upgrade to FreeBSD 9.1-RELEASE
>> pkg_delete -a
>> rm -r /usr/local/*
>> Install ports using portmaster
>> Turn on the ttyv8 xdm and reboot
>> Login via the xdm dialog using the user .xsession file containing just
>> /usr/local/bin/fvwm2
>> Do whatever and quit from fvwm back to the xdm dialogue
>>
>> Usually, but not always, the pointer does not move in response to  
>> pointer
>> device.  But it is still possible to login and get the fvwm display  
>> back,
>> but pointless because the pointer still does not move.
>>
>> Only recovery option found was reboot.  For me the most convenient work
>> around is turn xdm off and login at a terminal and use the command  
>> 'startx
>> && exit'.
>>
>> It was quite a while before it occurred to me that the absence of  
>> xorg.conf
>> from all the usual locations might be the problem.
>>
>> It is not a surprise now if X just works without any manual  
>> configuration.
>>
>> The Xorg -configure and X -config /root/xorg.conf.new dance gives a  
>> black
>> screen on the hardware.
>>
>> For both reasons I did not bother with the dance when doing the upgrade.
>>
>> After generating and copying xorg.conf.new to /etc/X11/xorg.conf the  
>> pointer
>> was mobile after quitting from fvwm.
>>
>> Although it works I did not quite trust the generated xorg.conf because  
>> of
>> the black screen and wondered if any of the information in the file was
>> needed.  So I deleted it and replaced it by 'touch  
>> /etc/X11/xorg.conf'.  The
>> pointer is mobile after quitting from fvwm.
>>
>> Maybe the problem was my sloppy configuration management in losing, I
>> assume, an existing xorg.conf file.
>>
>> But maybe it is a bug because it is not a surprise if X just works  
>> without
>> any manual configuration and the problem occurs possibly after hours of
>> successful and varied use of applications via fvwm.
>>
>
> Is your Xorg built with HAL support? You might have to kick
> HAL.  I've not had problems using moused (& Xorg with HAL
> disabled) & an old-fashioned xorg.conf.
>

I rebuilt with HAL support on current oldest hardware.  No problems.

My notes say I tried this when upgrading to FreeBSD 7.2 and the problems  
led to builds being done without HAL support since then.

Thanks for the kick.