Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting)

From	William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca>
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.misc
Subject	Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting)
Date	2016-03-17 05:13 +0000
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<ncdedg$477$4@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	(1 earlier) <xcqdnZcb6MJYs3XLnZ2dnUU7-aPNnZ2d@giganews.com> <nccbc6$cmr$1@saria.nerim.net> <ol5prcxops.ln2@goaway.wombat.san-francisco.ca.us> <nccttc$ucs$1@news.xmission.com> <wbqdnbnmi4nAk3fLnZ2dnUU7-a3NnZ2d@giganews.com>

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On 2016-03-17, Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> wrote:
> At Thu, 17 Mar 2016 00:31:40 +0000 (UTC) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) wrote:
>
>> 
>> In article <ol5prcxops.ln2@goaway.wombat.san-francisco.ca.us>,
>> Keith Keller  <kkeller-usenet@wombat.san-francisco.ca.us> wrote:
>> ...
>> >> Indeed. You can even fry a PS/2 port or device if you plug or unplug it
>> >> while the power is on.
>> ...
>> >I know this is true in theory, but I have plugged/unplugged PS/2 devices
>> >with the power on probably hundreds of times over the past 20 years, and
>> >have had one device and one port fry in that time (in unrelated separate
>> >incidents).  If you can power down, great.  If not, the risk is low,
>> >just be very very sure that you can make alternate arrangements in case
>> >you do fry something.
>> 
>> Yeah, I was about to question the, er, if not veracity, shall we say,
>> relevance of the previous poster's post.  I'd like to know if he could say
>> more about what conditions (actions) would actually cause the noted
>> "frying".  My guess is that it would be if you "bounced" the connection -
>> that is, sorta made contact, then broke contact, etc - enough times (and in
>> just the "right" way).
>> 
>> I say all this because, back in the day, I had a PS/2 KVM at my office
>> desk, switching happily between several computers.  Obviously, this was
>> hot-swapping a PS/2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard around, and it all worked fine.
>> I'm sure this was because the makers of the KVM knew what they were doing
>> and knew how to do it safely.  Nowadays, we all have USB KVMs, of course,
>> but those were the days...
>
> My guess is the KVM switch had enough inner 'logic' to cause the 'diconnected' 
> machine to believe a keyboard & mouse were in fact still connected.
>
>> 
>> So, in conclusion, it seems pretty clear that the previous poster's advice
>> was much more in the category of "This is what we must tell beginners" than
>> in the "This is what is actually true" category.
>
> Oh, it is really true.  If the PS/2 keyboard or mouse is not plugged in at 
> boot time, it *will not work* if plugged in later.  *Really*.  If your PS/2 
> mouse or keyboard dies, *you must reboot* when you replace it.
>
> USB mice/keyboards can be swapped amoungst live running computers with totall
> impunity.

Yup. I guess I better hope that this message does not get transmitted to
my keyboard and mouse, since I just hot swapped then and they work. Must
be imagining things. 

>
>> 
>

Thread

Cursor while booting Helge <w4hw4h.hh@gmail.com> - 2016-03-12 02:54 -0800
  Re: Cursor while booting Andreas Kohlbach <march.10.ankman@spamgourmet.net> - 2016-03-12 15:08 -0500
  Re: Cursor while booting w4hw4h.hh@gmail.com - 2016-03-13 00:26 -0800
    Re: Cursor while booting William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-13 16:26 +0000
    Re: Cursor while booting Andreas Kohlbach <march.10.ankman@spamgourmet.net> - 2016-03-13 17:05 -0400
      Re: Cursor while booting w4hw4h.hh@gmail.com - 2016-03-15 02:48 -0700
        Re: Cursor while booting Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2016-03-15 06:25 -0500
          Re: Cursor while booting gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2016-03-15 13:32 +0000
            Re: Cursor while booting Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2016-03-15 22:12 +0800
            Re: Cursor while booting Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2016-03-15 10:48 -0500
              Re: Cursor while booting gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2016-03-16 09:20 +0000
              Re: Cursor while booting Pascal Hambourg <boite-a-spam@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2016-03-16 20:15 +0100
                Re: Cursor while booting Keith Keller <kkeller-usenet@wombat.san-francisco.ca.us> - 2016-03-16 16:09 -0700
                Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2016-03-17 00:31 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Robert Riches <spamtrap42@jacob21819.net> - 2016-03-17 01:10 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-17 05:11 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2016-03-16 20:54 -0500
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-17 05:13 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Keith Keller <kkeller-usenet@wombat.san-francisco.ca.us> - 2016-03-17 09:37 -0700
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-17 16:42 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2016-03-17 10:02 -0700
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@invalid.es> - 2016-03-17 20:11 +0100
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-18 01:55 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Robert Riches <spamtrap42@jacob21819.net> - 2016-03-18 03:21 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2016-03-18 12:10 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-18 15:33 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@invalid.es> - 2016-03-18 20:21 +0100
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-17 19:14 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2016-03-17 13:03 -0700
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-18 01:57 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2016-03-17 19:11 -0700
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2016-03-17 14:30 -0500
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Keith Keller <kkeller-usenet@wombat.san-francisco.ca.us> - 2016-03-17 14:59 -0700
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2016-03-17 18:16 -0500
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Keith Keller <kkeller-usenet@wombat.san-francisco.ca.us> - 2016-03-18 11:07 -0700
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2016-03-18 13:49 -0500
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-03-18 22:13 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-18 19:55 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2016-03-18 15:13 -0500
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices Andreas Kohlbach <march.10.ankman@spamgourmet.net> - 2016-03-18 14:35 -0400
                Re: Cursor while booting Pascal Hambourg <boite-a-spam@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2016-03-17 13:31 +0100
                Re: Cursor while booting William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-17 15:04 +0000
                Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2016-03-17 00:33 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-17 05:09 +0000
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Aragorn <thorongil@telenet.be.invalid> - 2016-03-17 14:15 +0100
                Re: Hot-swap-ability of PS/2 devices (Was: Cursor while booting) Pascal Hambourg <boite-a-spam@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2016-03-17 15:05 +0100
      Re: Cursor while booting w4hw4h.hh@gmail.com - 2016-03-15 02:49 -0700
        Re: Cursor while booting w4hw4h.hh@gmail.com - 2016-03-15 02:57 -0700
  Re: Cursor while booting Teemu Likonen <tlikonen@iki.fi> - 2016-03-13 11:36 +0200
    Re: Cursor while booting w4hw4h.hh@gmail.com - 2016-03-15 02:47 -0700
      Re: Cursor while booting William Unruh <unruh@invalid.ca> - 2016-03-15 19:45 +0000
    Re: Cursor while booting w4hw4h.hh@gmail.com - 2016-03-15 02:53 -0700
      Re: Cursor while booting The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2016-03-15 10:02 +0000
  Re: Cursor while booting Chick Tower <c.tower@deadspam.com> - 2016-03-15 16:52 +0000

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