[Klug-general] Belkin Switch2 problems

[Michael E. Rentell]

G'day all,

And now to something completely different.... (oh good!)

A colleague has been asking my advice about a Linux problem but it is 
beyond my limited experience. So he has written out the detail which 
appears below:

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Further to our phone chats, as you know I have now got a Belkin
Switch2 that allows me to use two computers with one screen, one
keyboard and one mouse. However, there are two irritating problems
with it and I wonder if you could kindly ask your Linux advisers if
they might have a solution?

Firstly, I have two computers - a) runs PCLinuxOS 2009.2 and b) runs
Windows XP. The problem is that when I first switch on either computer
at the start of a day, the two amber lights on the Belkin Switch2 come
on and the screen lights up and then proceeds to show that it is
loading as normal. But the mouse - which has a light in it - stays
dark and when the installation is complete the cursor will not move
and no keystrokes appear to be recognised. At this point, if I pull
out the relevant USB where it enters the computer from the Belkin
Switch and wait a few seconds, all the lights go out and screen goes
dark. But, as soon as I plug the line back in everything lights up and
everything immediately works perfectly. I then proceed to start the
second computer which invariably works perfectly as soon as it comes
on. Is this normal for the Switch2 or is their someway of getting
Linux to go look for the mouse etc., earlier in the set up process?

The second problem may be related. It occurs after I have been using
both computers and switching happily back and forth for a while.
Suddenly the Linux machine will not recognise  the mouse. It sulks and
will not respond at all so all I can do is shut it down by hitting the
on/off switch. The only factor that seems to guarantee this happening
is if I use a memory stick in the USB ports. Taking it out of the
Windows machine following the Safe to Remove regime, which I always
do, makes it virtually certain, (but not 100%) that the Linux machine
will not respond. It just refuses to pick up the mouse/keyboard signal
even though the screen changes as normal. Significantly, when this
happens, pulling out either or both USB lines that come from the
Switch2 does not cause any lights to go out and plugging them back in
again also has no effect.

Sorry this is a bit long and must be very confusing for you never
having even seen the device but any help/suggestions your group can
offer would be very welcome.
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He is using PCLinuxOS 2008.1. Anyone with any ideas? Any advice would be 
most welcome.
MikeR