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Old 03-21-2005, 12:07 AM   #1
TravisOSF
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No keyboard on FC3 or Ubuntu--MS Multimedia Keyboard (PS/2)


Ok, I'm really wanting to try the 64-bit power of my computer, but I can't get FC3 or Ubuntu (Hoary Hedgehog) to install because my keyboard won't work during the install phase. They both boot from the install disc and my keyboard works fine when I set the kernel boot parameters for the install. Then when I get to the install screen, none of my keys work at all and since I have a PCI-Express card, I don't get a gui installer--so that rules out a mouse helping me.

I am comfortable with a text install and I have a copy of the 64-bit Gentoo that I might install if neither of these work, but I've wanted to try these since I never have and have heard good things (especially ubuntu).

Here's a bit about my system to help.
MS Multimedia Keyboard (PS/2 ONLY--no usb or converter)
Chaintech NForce 4 board
Geforce 6600 GT (PCIE)
AMD Athlon 3200+ (64bit)

Mandrake 32-bit installs just fine and the keyboard is working beautifully (even the extra multimedia keys with lineak). I have a copy of Mandrake 10.0 64-bit but it is a bit buggy and I'd prefer to try another distro anyways. (I will resort to gentoo if needed, but I never really enjoyed the 32-bit variant)

Thanks!
 
Old 03-21-2005, 06:40 PM   #2
TravisOSF
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I attempted to use a dell standard ps/2 keyboard and the same result, so I am assuming it's in the mobo.

Any suggestions as it obviously works in mandrake?
 
Old 03-22-2005, 09:59 AM   #3
Robert G. Hays
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Travis,

I'd be doubtful that the distro(s) would ignore the ps/2's yet, so

It may be that your mobo is set in 'advenced configuration', or somewhere like that, to 'usb legacy devices' or such (meaning: claim kbd & mouse), thus either the BIOS has disabled the 'classic' ports, or the distro(s) are checking there first, and the BIOS, usb-kbd attached or no, is claiming to have one, thus the distro(s) are only looking to usb for a keyboard.

I have a Kensington trackball on ps/2 and a K. wireless/optical/scroll-mouse on USB. 'Ball is my usual, but I use both, so my Shuttle mobo has 'legacy' ON, but usb only claims what is really attached. Thus for me,most things find the ps/2, some find both ( ), but a few things find only the usb mouse.

I repeat, with my ps/2 & usb rodents, some find one, some the other, and some both, so I suggest:

Try checking through the BIOS for anything like 'legacy' or 'classic' or 'ps/2' or 'mouse' or 'kbd'/'keyboard' as USB, and try disabling it as a test... Continue from there as you see fit if it works.

P.S., you said '64', and of course we both know that newer mobos (& 'stuff') are all heading to usb & leaving the classics behind, and I suppose I conceed that this is for good reason, but the '64' *probably has usb-legacy=ON as original default, and *might* not even have a "switch", so your choice of distro may be constrained by this.
***AND***, I have seen linux accept one rodent, and an app under it insist on using the other, so watch out for this too, if, once all is running, you find an app not responding -- it may be looking for the other rat, present or not!, so maybe you should have one of each handy... !?!
**Now**, if this app-wants-other issue arises with kbd, ... Well....

LOL,

Last edited by Robert G. Hays; 03-22-2005 at 10:08 AM.
 
Old 03-22-2005, 11:35 AM   #4
TravisOSF
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Yeah, I tried that last ngiht and it fixed it. Thanks for all of your help, usb keyboar dsupport needed to be turned off and everything worked like a charm.

Thanks again!
 
Old 03-04-2008, 05:21 PM   #5
clsgis
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Question

Quote:
Originally Posted by TravisOSF View Post
Yeah, I tried that last ngiht and it fixed it. Thanks for all of your help, usb keyboar dsupport needed to be turned off and everything worked like a charm.

Thanks again!
Well here is a new wrinkle on this problem. Ubuntu 7.10 installed in a single partition on first PATA device. Works fine. Sees keystrokes
from both PS/2 and USB keyboard. One keyboard for each hand!

But then I copied the installation to a USB drive. (http://www.greens.org/~cls/linux/how...e-install.html) Everything is the same except necessary adjustments to etc/fstab and boot/grub/menu.lst. (I switched from UUIDs to volume labels.) Now we have the problem described in this thread. Only the USB keyboard works. No change to BIOS settings.

In the PATA-success case, there are kernel messages during startup,
Code:
serio: i8042 KBD port at 0x60,0x64 irq 1
serio: i8042 AUX port at 0x60,0x64 irq 12
mice: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice
In the USB-failure case, we have instead
Code:
i8042.c: Can't read CTR while initializing i8042
i8042: probe of i8042 failed with error -5
That was with USB "Legacy support" disabled in BIOS. Enabling it fixed (or masked) the problem. The question remains, why does it matter to Human Interface Devices which disk drive the system is on?
 
  


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