Sometimes keyboard is not detected during boot

r00m · 08-21-2009, 07:47 AM

Hi all!
Sometimes during my Slackware 12.2 boot up keyboard is not detected. Most of the time it works as it should, but on very rare occasions it doesn't detect the keyboard. Any ideas? Using Dell Vostro.

/dev/me · 08-21-2009, 08:17 AM

Welcome to the forums!

I have the same problem.

It seems ACPI related to me, because it usually happens when I change something between or during boot like turning the hardware switch of the wifi card or plug in/plug out the power cord during kernel loading/early stages of boot.

Do you notice something similar, or is it seemingly at random?

r00m · 08-21-2009, 08:40 AM

Nop. I don't touch those switches. It happens very rare + my inittab somehow became corrupted and I can't properly shutdown as a result this always ends with fsck :\

tramni1980 · 08-21-2009, 08:48 AM

I was just going to post because of the same problem. I compiled a custom kernel and added it to lilo.conf, ran lilo and then when the lilo boot screen appeared, the keyboard did not work: neither of the keys was responsive and I could not select my new kernel.

If I reboot with the Slackware cd, I am not able to write anything at the prompt:

Code:

boot:

So I am not able to try my new kernel. This problem seems to be persistent: after at least 6 consecutive reboots I am still unable to select the other lilo entry.

rworkman · 08-21-2009, 09:50 AM

If your keyboard doesn't work at the lilo prompt, then it's not a kernel issue at all - the kernel hasn't even started loading yet. It's a hardware/bios problem.

gargamel · 08-21-2009, 11:11 AM

I observed similar effects on older PC hardware related to USB. The problem occurred, when an external USB hard disk connected to the computer was switched on before or during booting. By disconnecting or switching off the device I could eliminate the problem.

Probably I should mention that my keyboard is connected via USB, too.

On my newest hardware (about 18 months young) I don't observe this.

gargamel