From a5b58a605353837a5626d477fe544e5d0ec770b3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: darksun Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2018 15:08:02 +0800 Subject: [PATCH] =?UTF-8?q?=E9=80=89=E9=A2=98:=20How=20To=20Configure=20Mo?= =?UTF-8?q?use=20Support=20For=20Linux=20Virtual=20Consoles?= MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit --- ...ouse Support For Linux Virtual Consoles.md | 124 ++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 124 insertions(+) create mode 100644 sources/tech/20180912 How To Configure Mouse Support For Linux Virtual Consoles.md diff --git a/sources/tech/20180912 How To Configure Mouse Support For Linux Virtual Consoles.md b/sources/tech/20180912 How To Configure Mouse Support For Linux Virtual Consoles.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..c8b495cebe --- /dev/null +++ b/sources/tech/20180912 How To Configure Mouse Support For Linux Virtual Consoles.md @@ -0,0 +1,124 @@ +How To Configure Mouse Support For Linux Virtual Consoles +====== + +![](https://www.ostechnix.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/GPM-1-720x340.png) + +I use Oracle VirtualBox to test various Unix-like operating systems. Most of my VMs are headless servers that does not have graphical desktop environment. For a long time, I have been wondering how can we use the mouse in the text-based terminals in headless Linux servers. Thanks to **GPM** , today I learned that we can use Mouse in virtual consoles for copy and paste operations. **GPM** , acronym for **G** eneral **P** urpose **M** ouse, is a daemon that helps you to configure mouse support for Linux virtual consoles. Please do not confuse GPM with **GDM** (GNOME Display manager). Both serves entirely different purpose. + +GPM is especially useful in the following scenarios: + + * New Linux server installations or for systems that cannot or do not use an X windows system by default, like Arch Linux and Gentoo. + * Use copy/paste operations around in the virtual terminals/consoles. + * Use copy/paste in text-based editors and browsers (Eg. emacs, lynx). + * Use copy/paste in text file managers (Eg. Ranger, Midnight commander). + + + +In this brief tutorial, we are going to see how to use Mouse in Text-based terminals in Unix-like operating systems. + +### Installing GPM + +To enable mouse support in Text-only Linux systems, install GPM package. It is available in the default repositories of most Linux distributions. + +On Arch Linux and its variants like Antergos, Manjaro Linux, run the following command to install GPM: + +``` +$ sudo pacman -S gpm +``` + +On Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint: + +``` +$ sudo apt install gpm +``` + +On Fedora: + +``` +$ sudo dnf install gpm +``` + +On openSUSE: + +``` +$ sudo zypper install gpm +``` + +Once installed, enable and start GPM service using the following commands: + +``` +$ sudo systemctl enable gpm +$ sudo systemctl start gpm +``` + +In Debian-based systems, gpm service will be automatically started after you installed it, so you need not to manually start the service as shown above. + +### Configure Mouse Support For Linux Virtual Consoles + +There is no special configuration required. GPM will start working as soon as you installed it and started gpm service. + +Have a look at the following screenshot of my Ubuntu 18.04 LTS server before installing GPM: + +![](https://www.ostechnix.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Ubuntu-18.04-CLI.png) + +As you see in the above screenshot, there is no visible Mouse pointer in my Ubuntu 18.04 LTS headless server. Only a blinking cursor and it won’t let me to select a text, copy/paste text using mouse. In CLI-only Linux servers, the mouse is literally not useful at all. + +Now check the following screenshot of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS server after installing GPM: + +![](https://www.ostechnix.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/GPM.png) + +See? I can now be able to select the text. + +To select, copy and paste text, do the following: + + * To select text, press the left mouse button and drag the mouse. + * Once you selected the text, release the left mouse button and paste text in the same or another console by pressing the middle mouse button. + * The right button is used to extend the selection, like in `xterm’. + * If you’re using two-button mouse, use the right button to paste text. + + + +It’s that simple! + +Like I already said, GPM works just fine and there is no extra configuration needed. Here is the sample contents of GPM configuration file **/etc/gpm.conf** (or `/etc/conf.d/gpm` in some distributions): + +``` +# protected from evaluation (i.e. by quoting them). +# +# This file is used by /etc/init.d/gpm and can be modified by +# "dpkg-reconfigure gpm" or by hand at your option. +# +device=/dev/input/mice +responsiveness= +repeat_type=none +type=exps2 +append='' +sample_rate= +``` + +In my example, I use USB mouse. If you’re using different mouse, you might have to change the values of **device=/dev/input/mice** and **type=exps2** parameters. + +For more details, refer man pages. + +``` +$ man gpm +``` + +And, that’s all for now. Hope this was useful. More good stuffs to come. Stay tuned! + +Cheers! + + + +-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +via: https://www.ostechnix.com/how-to-configure-mouse-support-for-linux-virtual-consoles/ + +作者：[SK][a] +选题：[lujun9972](https://github.com/lujun9972) +译者：[译者ID](https://github.com/译者ID) +校对：[校对者ID](https://github.com/校对者ID) + +本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出 + +[a]: https://www.ostechnix.com/author/sk/