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[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

We have three mice that don't work with drmouse (one is logitech, they are 
all serial) but work with ctmouse and mouse.com.  Also a serial trackball 
that won't work with drmouse.  So we tried ctmouse and mouse.com, which 
prevented BL3 from booting (it goes right into X).  We then tried a mouse 
which works with drmouse and again Xvesa comes out blank (you can't even 
switch terminals, the othe terminals go blank too).

The fix is to put in the booting file one of the following, if you load a 
mouse driver whenever you boot into dos and then boot with loadlin:

ctmouse /u
mouse /u 
drmouse /u

I loaded all three drivers in DOS then unloaded them all in the boot.bat 
file and Xvesa is working again.

Presumably the conflict is due to Xvesa using a mouse driver that wants 
the same RAM as the DOS ones.

We are setting up three linux internet computers with dos games for my 
neighbor and two of her daughters (for their kids to play the games).
The small linux games don't seem to come with onscreen help and are too 
complicated for kids, and/or don't work in BL3, except hangman.  For DOS 
we found three typing programs, several math and spelling programs, 
various sports games to practice with a mouse (volleyball, basketball...) 
and the usual shoot the monster types.  DOS loderunner and digger and 
various castle and snake games.  Did not find as nice a freecell game as 
for linux.

Opera does a bit better with more than 32MB RAM (even a swap file did not 
stop it from suddenly exiting).  I switched to 8.52 because I can't find a 
way to make 7.23 identify as IE and the city code is at a site that 
refuses to admit Opera.

We used 120MB to 200MB drives, half linux, half DOS.  More memory 
eliminates the need for a swap file.  16MB Simms are free around here.

I am charging them for the computers - $10 for just DOS and 32MB RAM and 
1MB video RAM, $25 for 33K modem, 128MB RAM, 2MB video ram and XVESA 
capability and CD-ROM drive with headphones.

The serial mice are so they don't plug the mice into the keyboard ports.
And they are easier to plug in without bending the pins, as are the large 
plug keyboards.



keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org