[gentoo-user] KVM mouse and keyboard recognition

[Harry Putnam]

KVM: Keyboard Video Mouse switch

Summary:
    Runing a KVM switch between 4 machines, my gentoo desktop is not
    recognizing the usb based keyboard and mouse connections thru the 
    the KVM switch.

Details:

I've run a:

  Model: GCS-138
  8-Port Iomega MiniView Ultra KVM Switch (ps/2 based)

for at least 3 yrs and had no problems with gentoo recognizing mouse
and keyboard, along with several PCs running windows.  It was a ps/2
model of KVM.

That KVM switch gave up the ghost and I've replaced it with a newer
  model: Model: GCS-1774 4-Port Iomega miniview `Symphony' (usb2
  based)

The specialized cables merge 2 usb, 1 mic, 1 speaker wires with the vga
cable.

On my windows PCs I can plug the KVMs keyboard and mouse usb plugs
anywhere I have USB ports on the machine, but only the vga plugs into
the Iomega (disregarding the audio cables for now)

Then of course the monitors vga cable and a usb mouse and keyboard
must be plugged into the Iomega as well.

With that in place all windows PCs work thru the kvm switch but trying
the same connections on my gentoo desktop I get the vga signal but no
mouse or keyboard.

That was with the KVMs usb cables plugged into two built in usb ports
on the machine.  I even tried converting the ps/2 keyboard and mouse
ports on the machine to usb with adapters and plugging the KVM usb
cables into that but still no soap.

I don't know if I've ever really seen what keyboard or mouse
recognition looks like in dmesg but looking there I see nothing I
recognize as related to mouse or keyboard.

Maybe I have to do something special regarding USB recognition?

Anyone have an idea how I might debug this.  Or that can tell me what
I should be looking for in dmesg output?

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