I've inherited pretty old laptop, it's Cybercom 9889, pentium 266 MMX, 32 MB RAM, 3GB hard drive. I know it's dam old, but i would like to use it as a typewriter (xorg+abiword processor), and maybe for browsing the net.

Anyways iv'e got a big problem, i don't know what the hell is going on! Here's the issue:
- slacware 10.2 is installed (without KDE and libraries, and without X applications)
- when i boot it everything's goes fine untill system is loaded and prompt comes out... then the keyboard stops. I can't type anything... sometimes i can type for about 30 seconds.

I would like to have slackware linux on that laptop because i'm using it on my desktop, so i got use to it (i'm new in linux though).

I can't paste syslog but durign loading the system, the only error that occurs (keyboard is working till then so i used pause-print screen) is about kernel agp module, which is obvious because there's no agp .

Text session is going out fine* in DSL (i can't use x windows, because i can't get touchpad to work).

*) well not very, prompt line is beneath view area :/. I don't know how to fix it.

Usual begging: PLEASE HELP !!

I've had a similar problem on several desktops, keyboard jams up after booting. The problem was gpm, try to access the mouse ps2 port with no mouse connected. Apparently this can jam up some keyboard controllers. Your problem might be something completely different but it might be worth a try. Boot with 'init=/bin/sh' and disable gpm (chmod a-x /etc/rc.c/rc.gpm) and then 'exec /sbin/init' to continue the boot process.

As for

Try different framebuffer resolutions (edit /etc/lilo.conf and uncomment a different mode) until you find one it likes.

You were right. It was gpm fault i disable it and now keyboard works fine.

However, i've got another problem this time with X server. I use dafault xorg.conf, but i think that system crashes when i start X.
After running 'startx', fluxbox appears but i can't do anything, i mean when i try to reboot (alt+ctrl+backspace or alt+ctrl+del) nothing happens. Maybe it's low ram fault? But i can't check it because i can't switch to other virtual terminal (alt+ctrl+f2 doesn't work).

However: if i run x windows through 'xdm' EVERYTHING* is FINE... WHY!? Though i'm very happy it is ok !

*)Exept screen resolution, but i think i can fix it.

Thought it might be. BTW, if you ever want to re-enable gpm (e.g. for external mouse), it should be OK as long as you keep it away from the ps2 port (i.e. /dev/psaux). Make sure the /dev/mouse link points somewhere else. In fact, on the boxes I had this problem on, I just removed /dev/psaux altogether! Then again, I thought touchpads were usually on the ps2 port, so I don't know why it locked up.

When you use startx it reads ~/.xinitrc, but xdm reads ~/.xsession. It sounds like there might be something in ~/.xinitrc that is hanging. That's about all I can think of.