Charybdis (keyboard with integrated trackpad)

[mmspl]

Hi. I have a strange problem with my weird keyboard. When I first connect it I see:

Nov 23 21:22:51 voyager kernel: ugen0.2: <Bastard Keyboards Charybdis (4x6) Spletnky> at usbus0
Nov 23 21:22:51 voyager kernel: ukbd0 on uhub0
Nov 23 21:22:51 voyager kernel: ukbd0: <Bastard Keyboards Charybdis (4x6) Splinky, class 0/0, rev 2.00/2.00, addr 1> on usbus0
Nov 23 21:22:51 voyager kernel: kbd2 at ukbd0
Nov 23 21:22:51 voyager kernel: uhid0 on uhub0
Nov 23 21:22:51 voyager kernel: uhid0: <Bastard Keyboards Charybdis (4x6) Splinky, class 0/0, rev 2.00/2.00, addr 1> on usbus0
Nov 23 21:22:51 voyager kernel: uhid1 on uhub0
Nov 23 21:22:51 voyager kernel: uhid1: <Bastard Keyboards Charybdis (4x6) Splinky, class 0/0, rev 2.00/2.00, addr 1> on usbus0

The keyboard works, the trackball does not - both in console and in Xorg.

However, when I disconnect the keyboard and connect a random mouse, then disconnect the mouse (the mose works)

Nov 23 21:25:11 voyager kernel: ugen0.2: <Bastard Keyboards Charybdis (4x6) Splinky> at usbus0 (disconnected)
Nov 23 21:25:11 voyager kernel: ukbd0: at uhub0, port 1, addr 1 (disconnected)
Nov 23 21:25:11 voyager kernel: ukbd0: detached
Nov 23 21:25:11 voyager kernel: uhid0: at uhub0, port 1, addr 1 (disconnected)
Nov 23 21:25:11 voyager kernel: uhid0: detached
Nov 23 21:25:11 voyager kernel: uhid1: at uhub0, port 1, addr 1 (disconnected)
Nov 23 21:25:11 voyager kernel: uhid1: detached
Nov 23 21:25:20 voyager kernel: ugen0.2: <A4Tech USB Optical Mouse> at usbus0
Nov 23 21:25:20 voyager kernel: ums0 on uhub0
Nov 23 21:25:20 voyager kernel: ums0: <A4Tech USB Optical Mouse, class 0/0, rev 1.10/0.01, addr 2> on usbus0
Nov 23 21:25:20 voyager kernel: ums0: 8 buttons and [XYZ] coordinates ID=0
Nov 23 21:25:23 voyager kernel: ugen0.2: <A4Tech USB Optical Mouse> at usbus0 (disconnected)
Nov 23 21:25:23 voyager kernel: ums0: at uhub0, port 1, addr 2 (disconnected)
Nov 23 21:25:23 voyager kernel: ums0: detached

and then I reconnect the Charybdis, the trackball is recogized and works (console and in X)

Nov 23 21:27:14 voyager kernel: ugen0.2: <Bastard Keyboards Charybdis (4x6) Splinky> at usbus0
Nov 23 21:27:14 voyager kernel: ukbd0 on uhub0
Nov 23 21:27:14 voyager kernel: ukbd0: <Bastard Keyboards Charybdis (4x6) Splinky, class 0/0, rev 2.00/2.00, addr 3> on usbus0
Nov 23 21:27:14 voyager kernel: kbd2 at ukbd0
Nov 23 21:27:14 voyager kernel: uhid0 on uhub0
Nov 23 21:27:14 voyager kernel: uhid0: <Bastard Keyboards Charybdis (4x6) Splinky, class 0/0, rev 2.00/2.00, addr 3> on usbus0
Nov 23 21:27:14 voyager kernel: ums0 on uhub0
Nov 23 21:27:14 voyager kernel: ums0: <Bastard Keyboards Charybdis (4x6) Splinky, class 0/0, rev 2.00/2.00, addr 3> on usbus0
Nov 23 21:27:14 voyager kernel: ums0: 8 buttons and [XYZT] coordinates ID=2

I'm using FreeBSD 14.0-RELEASE with all packages up-to date. What can happen after the mouse connection which fixes the trackball?


---- quick update

I can add

ums_load="YES"

to /boot/loader.conf and it works. But how come the driver is loaded for standard mouse but not Charybdis? This was not obvious and could prove problematic for a random new user

 

[tingo]

The difference can be seen in the output you provided - but you have to know what to look for. In this case, it looks like the ums(4) driver got loaded when you plugged in the normal usb mouse. No idea why the combined keyboard / trackball isn't loading that when first plugged in. You can try a verbose boot and and see if the verbose messages gives you a better hint about why the ums driver isn't loaded for the trackball.

 

[sidetone]

It's typical to have to load drivers or unload them in /boot/loader.conf for something to work, if something doesn't load or loading a driver makes something stop working. Use kldload and kldunload to test those HID drivers.


You're also using old drivers. These newer drivers work with more peripherals and peripheral inputs, and have better control of them.

Load hms(4) for the mouse, ums(4) is the old driver. They can be enabled side by side, but if that doesn't work, disable ums. You may also want to do this with the keyboard drivers hkbd(4) and ukbd(4). The newer HID drivers are usually prefixed with an "h" and the older ones usually start with a "u".

If the newer driver doesn't load, you need to add to /boot/loader.conf:

hw.usb.usbhid.enable="1"

These can be loaded, if you're using FreeBSD 13.2 or FreeBSD 14.