Dual pointing device wierdness

[huhmz]

Hello people!
I must admit i do not use Gentoo on this laptop, I use Debian (with the gentoo-sources kernel no less), however I know you people are always helpful.

I have two pointing devices: touchpad and the little stick/nub thingy. They both go to the same device; the ps2 port or /dev/psaux.

Here is the weird thing: The first boot after I compile a new kernel both pointing devices work, however if I reboot then the little stick does not. I have to recompile the kernel if I want to use it again but the "effect" goes away the second time I use the same kernel.
Isn't this a bit weird? How can a kernel compile possibly affect the mouse in such a way that it works only for one boot? Something about the mouse or ps2 port must be saved to the next boot but what could that possibly be?
This is not a problem with X it is something with the device /dev/psaux because after a kernel compile and both pointing devices work I can cat /dev/psaux and get a bunch of garbage from moving either of the mouse devices, however after a reboot the stick gives no such garbage.
This is a Compaq EVO N610C

Any input appreciated

[acidreign]

Firstly, check that there is nothing said about mice in your bios...

And check that you have ps2 support compiled into your kernel, it may sound strange, but sometimes we take the little things for granted. The previous kernel may have had the right "Settings" to enable it, and the next hard boot was enough to stop it from working

Can you get the.config file from your last kernel and maybe do a compare ?