How to update my USB modules
 

Hi,

At work I use two machines, a linux box running Redhat Enterprise WS and a Windows box running XP Pro. I have a usb keyboard and mouse and a flatpanel monitor, which run through a 2 port KVM switch to each machine. The KVM switch uses USB for the KM, as my windows machine doesn't have PS2 connectors.

The problem that I have is that when I swtich from Windows to Linux, about 75% of the time the keyboard and mouse become locked out. No amount of switching back and forth will unfreeze them. The keyboard and mouse always work ok in Windows, so I know the KVM is working correctly.

So, I figure the best start is to upgrade my kernel modules for USB. From what I can gather from lsmod and internet searches etc, the USB modules that I have loaded are 'uhci.hcd' and 'ehci.hcd'. My problem is that I have no idea where I can find the updated versions of these modules, or how easy they are to install.

Neither of my work PCs are (or can be) connected to the internet, so the auto update features of Redhat cannot be used.

Thanks for any help people can give!

Tom

you do not get to update modules but you can update kernels.

2) since you are not on the net, the first thing is to establish that your usb stuff is actually modules or built into your kernel

open a terminal in linux and type command
su (and when prompted your root password.....assuming keyboard works)

then the other commands are

lsmod (means list modules currently loaded)

eg for me
[root@]# lsmod
Module Size Used by
usb_storage 31108 0
usblp 11328 0

I have enabled the usb 1.1 and 2 in the kernel itself and I have had no need for any k/b or other device other than usb memory sticks and usb printer.

3) another command is lspci

this output is a bit long to post here but you can see yours will contain usb controllers..I hope


4) Assuming all usb stuff is modules you can then remove and re-insert modules after turning the switch....it is better that they are modules because I think, I may be wrong, if built in, you would do a reboot.....yuck

5) rmmod....removes module

eg
[root@]# rmmod usblp
[root@]# lsmod
Module Size Used by
usb_storage 31108 0

6) modprobe (name of module) to re-insert
[root@]# modprobe usblp
[root@]# lsmod
Module Size Used by
usblp 11328 0
usb_storage 31108 0

there usblp is back in and working

7) hopefully your switched system works?

I can't disable the usb modules (specifically it seems to be 'ehci.hcd' that's locking when I switch back to linux) before I switch away, as then I don't have a keyboard input to reenable the module when I switch back. Maybe I need to install a newer kernel... :-/

ahh nope....my mistake....hopefully someone will think of a smarter way....unless you have another keyboard...but then that defeats your choice eh?