Impressions of 2.6 kernel

**tearinghairout** · 07-14-2004, 11:44 AM

Hi All
I finally got around to downloading and HD installing the latest Knoppix 3.4 with the 2.6.6 kernel.
Obviously this is completely subjective, but somehow it does actually "feel" faster. In particular, the mouse seems much more responsive and moves faster than before.
Has anybody else noticed any difference?

**Cuddles** · 07-27-2004, 04:11 PM

tearinghairout,

Yes... I have...

Having GKrellm running on the desktop, I see lots of things that have changed with the new kernel - mostly, I never see the CPU go over 30 to 40% usage, on average, it never goes above 12 to 15%...

Programs tend to appear to run faster, even though the "window" pop-up seems to take a little longer - you get the "bouncing mouse cursor" a little longer than I felt in previous kernel releases...

But, noticable change is in XBoing - the program now goes so fast, the sound is unrecognizable, and the game is completely unplayable - due to excessive speed. I've tried to change the program "speed" to its slowest setting, a 1, and it is still unplayable because it runs too fast. XBoing being a "clone" game of BrickOut (r) - you need to maintain the ball by using your paddle to keep it "breaking up" the bricks in a pattern above you, the ball, paddle, and the bricks, go so fast, you can't keep up with it... I've just settled to not playing the game, because of this, and chocked it up to the speed of the kernel - since I played the game with my old kernel v2.4.22 and it was fine, sounds were fine, and the playing was at a game speed of say, 6...

Other than this, I think the speed is great... I am just worrying about it a little... Way back, in the days of ISA ( 8 bit cards ), if your processor ran too quickly, it could easilly "speed" by a card. It would send a communication to a card, but the speed was so quick, the card never "heard" a word, and thus, you would have device / communication problems. Not sure if this could be the "same" problem here, but, the speed could become an issue... ( just my thoughts )

Ms. Cuddles

**CrashedAgain** · 07-28-2004, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by tearinghairout

Hi All
.... In particular, the mouse seems much more responsive and moves faster than before.

Haven't been using 2.6; no built-in support for wheelmouse. I read somewhere of a workaround to get wheelmouse working but it's easier just to stick with the 2.4 kernel.

**mzilikazi** · 07-28-2004, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by Cuddles

you get the "bouncing mouse cursor" a little longer than I felt in previous kernel releases...

If I'm not mistaken thats just the KDE startup notification that is set by default for somethinhg like 30 seconds!

**Cuddles** · 07-28-2004, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by CrashedAgain

Originally Posted by tearinghairout

Hi All
.... In particular, the mouse seems much more responsive and moves faster than before.

Haven't been using 2.6; no built-in support for wheelmouse. I read somewhere of a workaround to get wheelmouse working but it's easier just to stick with the 2.4 kernel.

I have the kernel 2.6.6, and a mouse with the scroll wheel, and it works fine... And I think the mouse is setup, from the install, as a generic mouse too...

Not sure on "technology" things at the time, is a wheel-mouse what I am talking about, or is it something that has more than one scroll-wheel? A friend has one, it can scroll both up and down, and side to side - mine only has the vertical. But it works fine in the new kernel...

Clueless,
Ms. Cuddles

**mzilikazi** · 07-28-2004, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by CrashedAgain

Originally Posted by tearinghairout

Hi All
.... In particular, the mouse seems much more responsive and moves faster than before.

Haven't been using 2.6; no built-in support for wheelmouse. I read somewhere of a workaround to get wheelmouse working but it's easier just to stick with the 2.4 kernel.

Wheelmice work fine as it is not kernel related. Have a look at /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.

This is for my USB mouse (with scrollwheel).

Code:

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"
	Driver		"mouse"
	Option		"CorePointer"
	Option		"Device"		"/dev/input/mice"
	Option		"Protocol"		"ImPS/2"
	Option		"Emulate3Buttons"	"true"
	Option		"ZAxisMapping"		"4 5"
EndSection

$ uname -a
Linux cromag 2.6.8-rc2 #2 Thu Jul 22 16:13:51 MDT 2004 i686 GNU/Linux

**CrashedAgain** · 08-10-2004, 05:43 AM

This thread is getting old, I should check more often!

What are you doing different than me? Here is my XF86Config-4:

Code:

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "PS/2 Mouse"
	Driver      "mouse"
	Option      "Protocol" "auto"
Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "4 5"
	Option      "Device" "/dev/psaux"
	Option      "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
	Option      "Emulate3Timeout" "70"
	Option	    "SendCoreEvents"  "true"
EndSection

When I boot with the 2.4 kernel, the scroll wheel works. When I boot with the 2.6 kernel, it does not. XFConfig is unchanged.
I have also tried the suggestions in these threads:
http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...ght=wheelmouse
http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtop...ght=wheelmouse
Mouse is a generic PS2 single scroll wheel mouse.

**mzilikazi** · 08-10-2004, 01:17 PM

Here's my /etc/X11/XF86Config-4. The key is:

Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"

Code:

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
        Driver          "mouse"
        Option          "CorePointer"
        Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/mice"
        Option          "Protocol"              "ImPS/2"
        Option          "Emulate3Buttons"       "true"
        Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "4 5"
EndSection

**CrashedAgain** · 08-11-2004, 02:09 AM

Hmmmm. OK, I tried:

Code:

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "PS/2 Mouse"
	Driver      "mouse"
	Option      "Protocol" "auto"
Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "4 5"
#	Option      "Device" "/dev/psaux"
	Option      "Device"  "/dev/input/mice" 
	Option      "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
	Option      "Emulate3Timeout" "70"
	Option	    "SendCoreEvents"  "true"
EndSection

Result: Still no scroll wheel function with the 2.6 kernel but now the mouse is very jumpy & needed to be reconfigured slower.

XF86Config already had:

Code:

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "USB Mouse"
        Driver          "mouse"
        Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/mice"
	Option		"SendCoreEvents"	"true"
        Option          "Protocol"              "IMPS/2"
        Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "4 5"
        Option          "Buttons"               "5"
EndSection

but I'm using a PS2 connection not USB. I don't think you can use 'device=' option twice
ie not comment out the /dev/psaux line can you...maybe I'll try it, worst it can do is freeze up solid!