NAME

       mdetect - mouse device autodetection tool

SYNOPSIS

       mdetect [option ...]

OPTIONS

       mdetect may be run without arguments.

       -h     display a help message and exit

       -n     do not search for PnP (Plug 'n' Play) mice

       -r     [not yet implemented]

       -v     be verbose; this option may be specified multiple times for increasing levels of verbosity

       -o     produce output appropriate for XFree86 3.x configuration

       -x     produce output appropriate for XFree86 4.x configuration

DESCRIPTION

       mdetect  is  a tool for autoconfiguring mice and compatible pointing devices; it is typically used as the
       backend to some user-friendly frontend code that, for example, asks the user to  move  the  mouse  for  a
       moment.   mdetect  is  then  run  while  user is producing input on the mouse device.  While mouse motion
       during detection is sometimes unnecessary, it is seldom problematic.

       mdetect writes the autodetected mouse device and protocol to standard output.  Unless either of the -o or
       -x   options  is  given,  mdetect  produces  output  appropriate  for  configuring  the  gpm(1)  program.
       Alternatively, output appropriate for an XFree86 X server configuration file  is  produced.   If  the  -v
       option is given, some information about the program's status is also written to standard output, but this
       is largely unimplemented at this writing.

       If mdetect is unable to find a mouse device, it exits after a few seconds of searching.

NOTES

       Detection of serial and PS/2 devices is often aided by moving the mouse while mdetect runs.

       Terminals connected to serial ports may display a small amount of garbage to  the  screen  while  mdetect
       probes  them,  but  this a harmless side-effect; the terminal's line settings are restored after the port
       has been probed.

DIAGNOSTICS

       mdetect's exit status is used to communicate information.

       0      mdetect found a mouse and exited normally.

       1      An error occurred while attempting to read from the mouse device.

       2      mdetect timed out and gave up searching for a mouse device; this indicates either  that  no  mouse
              device  is  attached  to  the  computer, or that a mouse device exists which mdetect knows nothing
              about.  This also happens if your only mouse device(s) are already open and in use; for  instance,
              by gpm or an X Window System server.

       3      An error occurred while trying to set up mdetect's signal handler.

BUGS

       Please  report  bugs  in  mdetect  to  <submit@bugs.debian.org>.   The  current bug list may be viewed at
       <http://bugs.debian.org/mdetect>.

AUTHORS

       mdetect is copyright 1999 Caldera Systems, Inc.  The actual authors are  unknown.   Branden  Robinson  of
       Progeny   Linux  Systems,  Inc.  and  the  Debian  Project  added  several  enhancements,  including  the
       XFree86-aware code and this manual page.  Richard Hirst wrote  code  to  save  and  restore  serial  port
       settings.

LICENSING

       The    mdetect    source    code    is    licensed    under    the    Q   Public   License   (QPL);   see
       <http://www.trolltech.com/products/download/freelicense/license.html>.

       This manual page is licensed under the GNU General Public License.

SEE ALSO

       gpm(1), XFree86(1)