Hi LQ,

I'm a linux newbie so forgive my ignorance. After working with a few distros the past month via VirtualBox VMs, for me personally, I found Slackware easier to digest/make sense of.

Now I want to move from console VMs to full install, dual boot with Windows 8, but hitting a small bump. When I boot from the install media, it does not recognize the spacebar, this is only after slackware has loaded though all other keys work. Dmesg reports errors relating to serio0 atkbd, unkown key, 0x39, use setkeycodes.

After some googling, I guess I need "setkeycodes 0x39 57" which maps, 0x39- what I assume slackware is interpreting from my space bar to 57, which I believe is the spacebar code.

This is a problem however as I can't do anything essentially without space so I wanted to know if there is someway to pass this mapping at boot? Or is there another means to get a space character without a spacebar?

I'm on a multi day trip at the moment and wanted to use the downtime to complete the setup of slackware as my new workstation- I brought everything I thought I would need except a keyboard. I would rather not have to buy one just for things.

Thanks guys.

So try to use the setkeycodes tool to find a command, which will work for you. After installing Slackware to a hard disk drive, you can add this command to the rc.local file so that it could be executed during the boot.

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I _think_ You might consider borrowing a keyboard shortly just to check Your is working properly?
I use Slackware over years and quite few desktops and work stations and have yet to find one not delivering " " on pressing the "largest key" out there?

My bet is either You have a non-typical hardware or just a broken (in some way) setup?

Best bet - borrow an USB keyboard shortly from a friend and check out?

Otherwise try login to an installed Slackware via ssh and ad those codes to rc.local

There are ssh clients on Android (If You have an Android phone?) like ConnectBot or Terminal Emulator

Per default setup the ssh server is auto started.

To complete the setup You would have to borrow an "usual" USB keyboard.

So the laptop is a Thinkpad Yoga and the space bar works in all other situations. Right now I'm using it fine from Windows. Spacebar also works fine in EUFI boot manager, at the boot prompt to modify to init/boot line. Also can use it when I boot a live Ubuntu 16 and openSuse 42. It only does not work once booted from the slackware 14.1 boot usb I have.

As for the keyboard, I'm traveling by bus/train over the next few days but will try to see where I can borrow a keyboard.

As for ssh'ing into- is ssh started on an install boot? I don't have slackware installed, that is what I'm trying to do. Will give that a good and see.

hope it helps?

Anyhow its just reasonably uncommon to have the keyboard behave funny on Slackware setup - I never had the case yet used quite a few odd setups :-/

I would also try re-copy the flash - it's wouldn't be first time a download botched etc. (Windows NT series where obnoxiously famous for ftp screw up at the time)

Last thing i would suspect is actual setup code and as You stated the Lenovo hardware - both have flawless track record in regards of compatibility.