Description of problem: Starting from a text session (no X), I startup X and background it (so that I can go back and lock the session for security). When X has started, I go back to the text session and run vlock, and then switch back to X and continue. Once the text session is vlock'd, the X mouse pointer vanishes. It returns if I un-vlock the text session. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): How reproducible: Every time. Steps to Reproduce: 1. Machine starts at init level3 2. login and: ssh-agent startx & 3. switch back to text login session (eg shift-alt-F1) and vlock session 4. when session vlock'd, switch back to X (alt-F7), and try moving mouse. Actual results: No mouse pointer Expected results: See mouse pointer move Additional info: If you switch back to the text session and unlock, then switch back to X, the mouse pointer is back. This is RHL 8.1Beta3 (or is it 9Beta3 ;) on a Dell C200 laptop
vlock is locking the mouse device, preventing the X server from using it when you switch VTs. What you are attempting to do is not really something supported. It may be able to hack up vlock to do what you wan't, but that's something you'll have to research. This isn't an XFree86 bug.
Hrm - I know this definitely works OK when using RHL6.2 (what I'm writing this on, and XFree86-3.3.6), but I don't remember about the 7 series. I'll try turning off GPM to see if that makes a difference. The (obvious) problem is that, if you run up X (from command-line) and lock the screen for security, it is not secure as someone can "CTRL-ALT-F1", background your X session, and carry on logged in as you. This is the reason I do this. I'm not sure where this "issue" lies (vlock or XFree86) but bearing in mind that it is security-related and used to work in a previous version of RHL, I would like to re-open the "bug". Open to suggestions :)
If you really believe this is a bug in XFree86, please report it directly to XFree86.org in their bugzilla as my official stance on this is that it is not a bug in XFree86. You can report it to them at: http://bugs.xfree86.org I will leave this bug open for now until you have reported it upstream, and an XFree86 developer has commented on it. Please update this report once you've done so, and provide a URL here to your upstream bug report so I can track XFree86.org's official diagnosis. Thanks.
Please update this report to indicate wether you plan on reporting this upstream or not.
Closing bug report as NOTABUG