Using non-sun mice on a sparc?

From: Joe <rigdonj_at_cfl.rr.com>
Date: Thu Feb 20 07:39:27 2003

At 07:48 PM 2/20/03 +1000, you wrote:
>I'm trying to get Sparcstation 1 up and running with Redhat Linux, but I
>don't have any sun mice.
>
>I noticed as the install CD boots it looks for a mouse-systems mouse.


  Yes, it's looking for an optical mouse. I believe all the SUN optical mice were made by Mouse Systems.

 I
>have some other workstation mice around here somewhere, and I think at
>least some of them were marked mouse-systems. Has anyone managed adapt any
>other mice for use on a Sparc?
>
>I know there are some commercial sun to ps/2 adapter, but $75 is a bit much
>to spend on an adapter for a $5 computer.


   Have you looked for an original mouse on E-bay? They show up frequently and sometimes sell very cheap. That's probably the easiest and least troublesome way of getting a working mouse.

   FWIW I have a mechanical SUN mouse on E-bay right now. I'm not sure if it will work on the SparkStation 1 but I don't think it will. (It uses a PS/2 type connector with only three pins). But there are plenty of websites on the net that list SUN parts and will tell you if it will work and/or the part number for the correct mouse for your SS 1.

    Joe
Received on Thu Feb 20 2003 - 07:39:27 GMT