I bought a new usb keyboard to replace my existing ps2 one. The problem is: if I connect the new usb keyboard and start the computer, mandrake wont start. It stops somewhere in the bootprocess. If I start failsafe the boot is ok but the keyboard doesn't work.
I have enabled legacy usb support in bios, otherwise lilo would'n accept the keyboard.
it works in winxp so the keyboard is ok.
What should I do?
/kristian

At what point in the boot process?

If it's when it's trying to start the GUI, then the likely cause is that the X config file is pointed at a /dev entry that no longer exists. You'll have to update either the X conf file, or /dev itself

No it's much earlier it's about the time the message 'Press esc for verbose mode appears' however I cant press esc because the keyboard isnt working. I doesn't really hang there but advances extreemly slow then stops altogether. It might be when the usb drivers loads.
/Kristian

This is occuring far too early in the boot process to be a problem with the USB services.

Try unpluggin other USB devices and changing the USB port the keyboard utilizes.

Power to the keyboard may be marginal and/or the port may be "sleeping" at startup.

Also try this...

Shut down the computer and unplug the power cord.

Hit the power button on the computer as if you are going to turn it on.

This will discharge any on board capacitors.

Now plug it back in and power it back up and try again.

Legacy USB support can be quite problematic with some motherboard/bios combinations. The problem is that keyboards usually need it or they will not function via USB.

Consider using a USB to PS/2 adapter for your keyboard.

If you can give me a source for one of these, I'd love to have one - the ones that came with my mice (mouses?) don't work, and I haven't been able to find any that DO.

My keyboard was a gift, and is excellent in every way except it's pointlessly using up a USB port while the PS/2 one stands empty.

Most Microsoft and Logitek keyboards come with purple USB to PS/2 adapters.

These differ from the green Mice USB to PS/2 adapters...

I've never tried a mouse one with a USB keyboard to see if it would work.

I'd suggest googling.

But the board works before Mandrake boots in lilo! So it cant be a problem with the port or the board. It must be a problem with my mandrake configuration. it also works flawlessly in winXP. it is not a fancy board it's just a regular standard keyboard.
I'll try connecting it to another usb port.

/Kristian

Lots of hardware and BIOS are designed to work with Windows.
You might find you have to tweak the BIOS if Linux doesn't like the board's default setup.

However, USB by now is pretty basic stuff. I'd be very surprised if Linux outright refused to work with it.
What make/brand is it ?
There might be a "known" issue with it.

It's a cheap no name keyboard. It works perfectly with knoppix 3.6, no problem what so ever. It must be some issue with mandrake. connectin to another usb-port didn't change anything.
I did the mandrake install with a ps2 keyboard but the ps2 keyboard is close to retirement and I would like to have the usb keyboard working.
/Kristian

I was referring to the mobo.
I've got a PS/2 KVM swtich on mine, so I haven't had to deal with any USB keyboard/mice stuff before.

The mobo is a gigabyte 7zx, 1300 mHz Duron.
/Kristian

google is your friend.

http://groups.google.com.au/groups?h...3DN%26tab%3Dwg
From first page of not many hits in google groups.
There's also a hit in German but I don't read it well enough to figure it out.

google web search doesn't find anything.
I think you've run into an obscure bug.
What happens if you try the stuff the guy has listed in that post ?
Note when it works, when it doesn't etc

Might be worth while getting a USB to PS/2 adapter from a retailer and not worrying about it too

Wow thanks...

I suspected that something was possibly switching off the USB given his problem, but it's nice to see some confirmation...

In my limited experience with mobo's, I've found they can be odd beasts (well, the BIOS is).

As an aside, it's worse when the manufacturer tries to force an upgrade path on you. Intel have done that with the 845EBG2, the last BIOS update stops it working with hyperthreading processors, whereas prior to that the board had the possibility of working with something like a 2.6 GHz Celeron.
I'm not going to bother with moving to a previous version (assuming I have it), so AMD & Co have probably gained a customer

The same board misreports it's ability to perform DMA, so for about a year I couldn't run linux on it. Win98 was fine though. It now dual boots. And to think I went with an Intel board and processor combination for standardisation.

WHAAAAT?

I've never ever seen an Intel upgrade that DISABLES HT!

I've set up thousands of these beasts, if anything the bios updates tend to do the opposite, add new features.

Every BIOS update listed for the 845 on their site does just that. It adds support for ADDITIONAL CPU chips and HT.

I KNOW the 845 series very well along with their relatively minor quirks.