( i posted this on the hardware forum but i think the newbie forum was the better choice!!!!!!!)

This is (i think) a fairly unusual question, but i think that it is possible.

Is it possible (and if so how) to disable the keyboard (aka PS2 barcode scanner) on startup until linux has booted, logged in, apache, mysql, and the lynx browser, started without errors?

basically this is going to be a dumb terminal, with no monitor, and only a barcode scanner as input, and the scanner must not be active until everthing is running, also how hard would it be ( i am assuming part of startup script, to enable a remote logon to troubleshoot if anything goes wrong, ssh i assume)



Thanks in advance

p.s fastest distro on startup with the above features would be???

Unplg it ?

Smart


it has to be renabled AFTER (or UNTIL) the programs had started aka lynx.

Sorry, hit return by mistake. I run a dumb terminal for smoothwall and I just unplugged the mouse, keyboard and monitor. Gives me a few bios errors at boot but it runs fine.As far as remote access, ssh works well just make sure your security settings are up to date.(no root access, 2 only, strict authentication)

i know that can be done, i did the same when i set up a linux print server, the prob is, the reason i need the keyboard to be disabled, is because if the power goes out or for some reason needs to be restarted, i need the ps2 barcode scanner to be disabled, until apache is back up and running and lynx is at its home page so then the input from the barcode scanner can be stored in to the database. As there is no monitor, and this is in retail environment, (not me using it ) it needs to be "idiot" proof, and not accept a barcode until it is able to handle it in the manner.

(all the php/mysql is doing is "counting" the barcodes")

there should be a link to the keyboard in /dev
maybe adjust the keyboards permissions on login, adn adjust them back on logout