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Linux Getting Two-Line Patch To Finally Deal With The Quirky Microsoft OEM Mouse

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  • Linux Getting Two-Line Patch To Finally Deal With The Quirky Microsoft OEM Mouse

    Phoronix: Linux Getting Two-Line Patch To Finally Deal With The Quirky Microsoft OEM Mouse

    While Microsoft is self-proclaimed to love Linux, their common and very basic Microsoft OEM Mouse has not loved the Linux kernel or vice-versa... The Linux kernel HID code is finally getting a quirk fix to deal with the Microsoft OEM mouse as it would disconnect every minute when running at run-levels one or three...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    Polling the mouse? Wouldn't that consume extra battery?

    Maybe they love Linux, but they don't love seeing Linux used by "average" people...

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    • #3
      Originally posted by tildearrow View Post
      Maybe they love Linux, but they don't love seeing Linux used by "average" people...
      <snark>"Average" people aren't even aware Linux exists and wouldn't care even if they did know. </snark>

      Polling the mouse? Wouldn't that consume extra battery?
      Yes - with caveat. Without reading the patch justifications in detail, mind you, I'd guess all it's doing is keeping the mouse from going into power saving mode. That wouldn't likely cause a lot of drain overall, on the order of milliwatts at a guess? It may not even be noticeable when compared to a properly behaving (more expensive) mouse.

      There's a similar problem with certain mice with OpenBSD where it'll continuously disconnect and reconnect over the course of roughly a minute. Notably, I've seen it with a basic Logitech M100. With 6.4, it appears to no longer do it if Xorg is running. Absent Xorg, it'll keep that up indefinitely. Basically these cheap rebranded OEM mice are set (broken?) to enter power saving mode if the OS isn't constantly telling it to stay awake.

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      • #4
        Sounds silly. If you can still start systems at runlevel 1, you can compromise anyone's computer easily. Runlevel 1 is the greatest security hole in the history of computing. Having a working mouse at that point is so irrelevant. They should probably patch runlevel 1 instead of the mouse.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by eydee View Post
          Sounds silly. If you can still start systems at runlevel 1, you can compromise anyone's computer easily. Runlevel 1 is the greatest security hole in the history of computing. Having a working mouse at that point is so irrelevant. They should probably patch runlevel 1 instead of the mouse.
          Unless root has a set password, which isn't the case for Ubuntu.

          Oh wait, we also have the init=/bin/sh security hole... (unless the bootloader is locked)

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          • #6
            Not sure if Microsoft have already launched or is launching the new Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer, but it seems promising!

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            • #7
              If someone has unfettered physical access to the machine, you can forget security. True for other OSes, e.g. Windows, too.

              As pointed out you can make it more difficult: Set root password, Set bootloader password and Set a bios password.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by uid313 View Post
                Not sure if Microsoft have already launched or is launching the new Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer, but it seems promising!
                I wish they'd bring back the Optical trackball, best mouse I've ever owned and still using it now after a few microswitch replacements, must be about 18 years old now. Don't know what I'll do when it finally dies.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by tildearrow View Post
                  Polling the mouse? Wouldn't that consume extra battery?

                  Maybe they love Linux, but they don't love seeing Linux used by "average" people...
                  A lot of cheap USB 1.1 mice need that (which is why is defined as a standard quirk), polling once every 60 seconds does not consume significant amounts of power since the USB port is powering the whole mouse already anyway.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by phoronix View Post
                    While Microsoft is self-proclaimed to love Linux, their common and very basic Microsoft OEM Mouse has not loved the Linux kernel or vice-versa
                    Meh, what self-respecting Linux geek uses a mouse with 'Microsoft' written on it? Yuck. You might as well just give up, install Win10, and start playing Solitaire.

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