Configuring the Razer Boomslang
CONVENTIONS USED

A few weeks ago I bought a second-hand Razer Boomslang mouse just to see if I can get it working in Linux. I got the 1000 dpi version, and you can buy a 2000 dpi. This tutorial will work with either version.

I was really amazed that it isn't hard to get it working. I use USB instead of PS/2, as the mouse responds better with USB. This tutorial is specific for the Razer Boomslang mouse, but it may work with other mouses that have side buttons. If you know of other special mice that work with this tutorial, please email me.

First of all, connect your mouse on a USB port and start the system. If you don't have USB configured, kudzu or harddrake will configure it, if it is set to run at bootup.

Open a terminal without X by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1. Log in as root.

Now type in mouseconfig and hit Enter. Select USB|Wheelmouse and then OK. This will enable an USB mouse for your system and you can use the mouse in terminals without X.

Now type in modprobe hid and hit Enter. Next, type in modprobe usbmouse and hit Enter.

Next you must modify the InputDevice section of the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file. Type in pico /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 (substitute pico with the name of your favorite editor. vi is a good choice as well) and modify to look like the following:

Section "InputDevice"

Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mouse0"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "Resolution" "1000"
# When you're using a 2000 dpi mouse, choose option "Resolution" "2000"
Option "SampleRate" "200"
Option "Buttons" "7"

# ChordMiddle is an option for some 3-button Logitech mice
# Option "ChordMiddle"

EndSection

When you want to use the side buttons of your Razer Boomslang mouse, you have to make a script what will be executed when you login into X. I put the script in ~/.kde/Autostart/ as KDE will start all programs located in here when you start it.

I named the script pointer.sh, you can use any name you like, just substitute that name and path in the following steps.

Now, as your normal user, type in pico ~/.kde/Autostart/pointer.sh and hit Enter and add:

#!/bin/sh
# Razor Boomslang modifications for buttons
/usr/X11R6/bin/xmodmap -e "pointer = 1 2 3 6 7 4 5"

Now X will recognize the Razer Boomslang mouse, and you can use it for apps and games.

To get this working, now you'll have to restart X. To restart X, press Ctrl + Alt + Backspace when it is running. If you are in a console and don't have X running, you can just run startx. It is not recommended that you run X as root.

Alternately, you can type in init 3 and hit Enter, and then type in init 5 and hit Enter again, if you use a runlevel of 5. If you don't know what this means, you can either ignore it or just try it, as it won't screw up your system. If you are still unsure, you can do the Windows thing and reboot your computer.

Assuming that this works, and you want to load these drivers at system startup, type in pico /etc/modules and hit Enter. At the end of the file, add the two modules:

#This section is for USB-mouse
hid
usbmouse

Also, modify the file /etc/modules.conf by adding a line like this to the end:

alias usb-interface0 usb-uhci

If the lines are already in either of those files, do not add them a second time.

Now, when you reboot, this should all be done automatically for you.

You can now play your favorite games using the Razer Boomslang mouse. For example, RTCW and Quake 3 support the side buttons. I haven't been able to get Unreal Tournament to bind the buttons, so if you know how, please let me know.


© D. Olson 2001-2003 -- Originally found on The Mandrake eXPerience