On Wed, 2002-10-30 at 15:42, Guy.Bormann wrote:

> > No, actually, I think he was right. From my understanding, the concept
> > of middle-click pasting in *nix OSes predates KDE. Anyone know for sure?
> No, this is X behaviour (and gpm on Linux) in combination with
> three-button mice, common hardware until Microsoft started pushing
> two-button mice (i.e. one more than one-button Mac mice, "We have
> more!"). It has nothing to do with Linux per se. This predates both KDE
> and Linux.
> 
> 
> Guy
> 
> PS: There was a transition period in the late eighties/early nineties of
> last century when some mice (like Genius) carried a switch to change
> between PC-AT three-button and MS two-button mode (disabling the middle
> button (and protocol)). And for some time three-button mice where very
> hard to come by. Some software on DOS used the middle button, but
> Microsoft didnot use (read : require) it for Windows. Although it could
> be used, the middle button only made a big comeback with the advent of the
> scroll wheel.

Hmm, interesting. I must admit I'd completely forgotten you could get
three-button mice that far back, but now you mention it, you're quite
right. :)
-- 
adamw


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