hi all, hope someone can help.
I have installed Windows XP alongside my Ubuntu 7.10 and amended the Grub menu.lst file to show the windows partition.
My problem is that once I turned off the pc and came back later the keyboard down arrows (or anything else for that matter) wouldn't work in the Grub menu, so it just waits for the timeout and goes into Ubuntu (no bad thing).
Can anyone tell me how to solve this?

USB keyboard ?.

Hi syg00,

Yes it is a USB keyboard - and an apple one at that. Any advice appreciated.

Seen (old) threads re these sort of issues with BIOS options. Try searching here on LQ.

Hi syg00 and anyone else who's been following this thread..

I followed your suggestion re looking at other threads about keyboards Grub and BIOS settings - my BIOS had nothing to help me here (it's an old computer).

I got a solution though and it's a bit messy - I allowed the pc to boot into my default OS (Limux Ubuntu), then amended my Grub menu list ('sudo pico /boot/grub/menu.lst') in the terminal, cutting the windows entry and pasting it so that it was the first in the list. Saved the file and rebooted - Windows XP came up.

I know this is messy but it works, I've got amending the menu.lst file down to a fine art now, in either OS and I shall stick with this solution until I can get my hands on a keyboard with an old PS type connection (apparently they work ok).

Thanks for your help syg00, I hope the weather in OZ is better than here in Uk (more than likely).

Erk - if it's an old computer, it may (probably) doesn't support USB at boot time. "Normal" kerboards are cheap - can't you "steal" one from another machine ???.

if it's a USB keyboard, try going into your BIOS and enabling "USB Legacy Support". Obviously, I don't know exactly where it will be in your particular BIOS(or if it will be there at all). Check with your board manufacturer for specifics.

There's nothing in my BIOS about 'legacy USB', so I shall continue with my messy solution until I can get my hands on an old ps type keyboard. I should add that when in windows I amend the menu.lst file by booting off the Ubuntu cd and going into a terminal session, just in case anyone is trying this.

Thanks for your suggestions.

If you like the keyboard otherwise, an adapter plug will do.

Robin

Now why didn't I think of that? I have one somewhere....