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HELP! ADB, trackballs and contextual menus (right-clicking)

da9000

Active member
I hooked up a Kensington ADB trackball to my G3 Mac and in both OS9 and OSX when I right click on the desktop (the trackball has two buttons), I don't get a contextual menu, but rather it seems like a random (seemingly) item on the desktop (or inside folders) gets highlighted. When I click a second time, another item (usually to the right of the previously selected one) gets highlighted and nothing else happens (when I'm on the right-most item)

When I right click on the dock's trashcan in OSX, I get a warning sound (froggy for me :) ). No context menu :-(

Any ideas if this is normal?

And if it is, how do I make the right click open contextual menus?

PS. I have 10.2 (Jaguar) on the G3.

PS. I also tried it on OS9.2x and the same thing happens.

PS. I also tried it on a 68k Mac with System7.5.x and the same thing happens.

Cheers

 

Bunsen

Admin-Witchfinder-General
You'll probably need to download the drivers from Kensington to assign the other buttons. They're available for OS X. I have one too; they're great, huh?

 

Anonymous Freak

Well-known member
And if you can't find drivers that work, holding down Control while normal clicking still works just fine. You just have to ignore the extra button(s).

 

da9000

Active member
Hmmm. I see. I thought they were just plug'n'play... But yeah, it's pretty easy to use and nice and big!

As for the Ctrl-click, yeah, I'm aware of that, but wanted to use the right button since it's there.

Thanks guys

 

da9000

Active member
DRATS!

The Kensington MouseWorks software didn't do squat :-(

So seriously, how did people use the 2nd button on these Turbomouse devices?

 

Bunsen

Admin-Witchfinder-General
Mine was working fine in OS X and 9 when I last used it. Did you D/L the right drivers, *and* activate them in the Mouseworks control panel?

There's something else free- or share-ware called USB extreme, or USB helper .... or something.

I'm not much help today, am I?

 

Christopher

Well-known member
My logitech is three button and the middle one is the right click.

~heavymetal4god trying to help with something he knows absolutely nothing about

 

da9000

Active member
Sorry guys, I'm talking about ADB trackballs and MouseWorks says that it can't find a Kensington device :-/ So what gives? Am I not doing something, or is everyone just talking about ADB trackballs?

 

da9000

Active member
Yes, I'm afraid so. Thus the question remains: how did people use the 2nd button (since this was obviously only useful on ADB Macs...) Anyone know? Where there < OS X drivers in the past?

Thanks

 

Bunsen

Admin-Witchfinder-General
If my G4 was up and running I could tell you. There must be some other ADB compatible mouse button programming software out there. Have a look on Kensington for older versions, or go straight to their support page for that model trackball and look for links from there.

 

register

Well-known member
I use a Kensington Orbit with MouseWorks 5.02 attached to the ADB of a LC475 running Mac OS 8.1. I use the left button as a standard mouse click, the right button as a control-click and both buttons clicked together as a click-lock. Application specific setting are possible. For example, in HyperCard I use the right button to open the script of a selected button or field. Similar behaviour can be obtained with a Microspeed MacTRAC, using the appropriate control panel (MacTRAC 3.4).

 

Bunsen

Admin-Witchfinder-General
Not much use to someone running OS X, though, is it?

I can confirm that the ADB Kensington Turbo Mouse trackball was working with OS X 10.2 on my beige.

 

register

Well-known member
The Trackball is supported up to some grade by the Mouse control panel, but is not recognised by the system as a standard mouse. It might work partially on any original ADB equipped Mac without specific software. To take full advantage of the device the Kensington MouseWorks software should be installed, but this software is picky about the system software version you use. Check any version available for your system, beginning with the most recent one. On a beige G3 with Mac OS 9 or 10.2 it should work fine with appropriate software, as this machine is factory equipped with an ADB. On more recent Macs up to Mac OS 10.3.9 the Griffin iMate might be a viable solution as it comes with some software to support devices that lack support from Mac OS X inbuilt drivers. On a Mac Mini running Mac OS 10.4 the system seems not to recognise any ADB pointing device. (Setup with Mac Mini PPC , iMate ADB-USB-adaptor, NO GO with or without Griffin iMate software or USB Overdrive.)

Edit: NO GO with Mac Mini / 10.4.11 / iMate / standard ADB Mouse II, but ADB Keyboard still works. I did not notice the lack of any ADB mouse support as I always use an USB Glidepoint with this machine.

In case you already have installed Kensington MouseWorks check the settings: you can tune the tracking speed within a very wide range and for each application individually. And have a close look at the cable. A broken wire could cause a lot of trouble and randomised response.

 
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Bunsen

Admin-Witchfinder-General
up to Mac OS 10.3.9 the Griffin iMate / comes with some software to support devices that lack support from Mac OS X inbuilt drivers.
Hmm. Try the iMate software then? I have a vague memory there's something you can download from their site for situations like this.

 

fidel

Member
If I'm not mistaken, there were two ADB trackballs from Kensington: the earlier one had a small panel which, when prised off, would reveal a 4-5 switch bus, the configuration of which would allow you to set the trackball's button's behaviours; and the later trackball, which did not have that panel. Unfortunately, the right button on the TurboMouse is not supported in configurations of OS X above some arbitrary point - ISTR it's 10.3 or so - so you might as well let go of that immediately and move on.

However, there's an alternative or two: wire that second button so as to act as a twin for the left button; Install FinderPop and arrange for the contextual menu to appear with a mouse-down-and-hold of the left (one) button; and, both of these together.

 

register

Well-known member
However, there's an alternative or two: wire that second button so as to act as a twin for the left button; Install FinderPop and arrange for the contextual menu to appear with a mouse-down-and-hold of the left (one) button; and, both of these together.
If you have some broken ADB keyboard in the drawer and if you are in the mood to do some hack, you also could include a keyboard controller into the trackball, hard-wiring any key combo as necessary :)

 

Bunsen

Admin-Witchfinder-General
I'm talking about ADB trackballs and MouseWorks says that it can't find a Kensington device :-/
I've just run into the very same problem: 10.2.8 on a Lombard, with an iMate USB ADB adapter.

I just found this article on the Griffin support site.

Do I need software for the iMate?
The iMate needs no software if you're connecting a standard ADB device like a keyboard, mouse, or some bar code readers. More complicated devices such as tablets, software dongles, etc., often have their own drivers. These devices require the iMate driver in addition to their own software.
So I'll try that and report back.

 
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