Serial mouse in macOS

[Vutshi]

Describe the bug
I attempted to use the mouse in MartyPC while running ELKS, following the provided instructions. However, the mouse does not work.

In QEMU, running the same ELKS setup, the mouse functions correctly.

To Reproduce
I added the following overlays to the standard configuration file martypc.toml:

config_overlays = [ "ibm_ega",
                    "pcxt_2_serial_ports",
                    "microsoft_serial_mouse"]

Expected behavior
Working mouse

Environment (please complete the following information):

• macOS 15.3.2
• MacBook trackpad is the physical mouse

Build info

• Built from source a05a41f

Thanks!

[dbalsom]

That commit is a year old, can you try using the current main?

If that still doesn't work, can you provide instructions on how to use the mouse with ELKS? What version of ELKS are you using? Can you provide the VHD?

[Vutshi]

That commit is a year old, can you try using the current main?

Holly shit! I have messed up some git magic. Now I am on the current commit and get the following compilation error:

Compiling display_backend_trait v0.4.0 (/Users/x2241064/Install/8088/martypc/crates/lib/backend/display_backend_trait)
error[E0554]: `#![feature]` may not be used on the stable release channel
  --> crates/lib/backend/display_backend_trait/src/lib.rs:46:1
   |
46 | #![feature(trait_alias)]
   | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For more information about this error, try `rustc --explain E0554`.
error: could not compile `display_backend_trait` (lib) due to 1 previous error
warning: build failed, waiting for other jobs to finish...

My Rust is rustc 1.85.1 (4eb161250 2025-03-15)

[dbalsom]

You need to switch to nightly
rustup default nightly

[Vutshi]

You need to switch to nightly rustup default nightly

Done.

Now it is compiled but it has lost its configuration file somehow:

Running `target/release/martypc`
[2025-03-27T13:23:22Z ERROR martypc_eframe::app] Failed to build emulator: Configuration file './martypc.toml' could not be found

thread 'main' panicked at /Users/x2241064/.cargo/registry/src/index.crates.io-1949cf8c6b5b557f/winit-0.30.8/src/platform_impl/macos/event_loop.rs:227:13:
`winit` requires control over the principal class. You must create the event loop before other parts of your application initialize NSApplication

The file is where it has always been.

[Vutshi]

Oh, found it. Now I have to execute cargo run -r from the install folder

[Vutshi]

Alright, I’ve got MartyPC running now. It indicates that the mouse is captured—and it really is, since I can’t move it outside of MartyPC. However, it doesn’t actually move the cursor in the ELKS app.

It also says to click the middle button to release, but on a MacBook trackpad, I have no idea where the middle button is… so I end up having to kill MartyPC :)

[Vutshi]

It works!!!

I just had to switch it to port 0 apparently ELKS expects it there.

[dbalsom]

Cool, thanks for checking.

[Vutshi]

So, can we have an alternative way of releasing mouse?

[dbalsom]

So, can we have an alternative way of releasing mouse?

What would you suggest?

[Vutshi]

What would you suggest?

How about Ctrl+Alt+G as in QEMU.

Btw, here is how it works ghaerr/elks#2269 (comment)

[dbalsom]

What would you suggest?

How about Ctrl+Alt+G as in QEMU.

You can customize the mouse capture toggle hotkey

hotkeys = [
    { event = "CaptureMouse", keys = ["ControlLeft", "F10"], scope = "Any", capture_disable = false },

Change the keys array to ["ControlLeft", "AltLeft", "KeyG"]

Btw, here is how it works ghaerr/elks#2269 (comment)

You can try MartyPC's VGA emulation, although it is very incomplete.

[Vutshi]

hotkeys = [
    { event = "CaptureMouse", keys = ["ControlLeft", "F10"], scope = "Any", capture_disable = false },

This actually works very well, I didn't know about it. I like how QEMU tells you how to release mouse in the title bar:

It helps a poor user to get his mouse back without reading the configuration files :)