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Operating Systems => Linux and UNIX => Topic started by: cymon on 9 June 2006, 20:09

Title: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: cymon on 9 June 2006, 20:09

Today, I notced that my linux computer didn't respond to any input.  I did a reset, and then when it came back up, I noticed that typing on the keyboard wouldn't show any of the letters on the monitor.  Obviously, this makes it impossible to login, making the computer rather useless.  I have used this computer for a while, and it has only shown this behavior once.  The keyboard works fine in the BIOS.

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: piratePenguin on 9 June 2006, 20:32

Is it a USB keyboard?
Even if it's a PS/2 kb it could be due to a kernel module not being loaded for some reason.

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: cymon on 9 June 2006, 21:49

It's a regular PS/2 keyboard.

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: piratePenguin on 9 June 2006, 22:07

Quote from: cymon

It's a regular PS/2 keyboard.

Not sure if this'd work, but it's probably worth a try:

At grub, select the OS/kernel you usually boot and press 'e' to edit it.. on the line beginning with 'kernel' press 'e' again to edit it and add

Code: [Select]

init="/sbin/modprobe psmouse && /sbin/init"... then press enter and 'b' to boot.

I'm not sure if that'll work atall, because init usually has PID 1 and it won't/mightn't in this case..

And plus the kernel module not being loaded mightn't be the problem atall, but it's all I can think of.

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: cymon on 10 June 2006, 02:05

The keyboard issue has been resolved, but now X.Org won't start up.  I have already done system updates, however, I get a fatal error 104 whenever I run startx.

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: mobrien_12 on 10 June 2006, 03:09

I had this happen once...

Switched to a USB keyboard, then back... ps2 keyboard then ddint' work.

Had to have a PS/2 mouse plugged in at the same time to make it work then problem went away.

Keyboard worked fine in single user mode, so it's totally a config problem.

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: cymon on 10 June 2006, 18:51

Anyways, everything works fine now.

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: Master of Reality on 12 June 2006, 01:05

...perhaps you should have went with the stable tree

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: mobrien_12 on 12 June 2006, 03:32

Quote from: Master of Reality

...perhaps you should have went with the stable tree

When it happened to me, it was with RH9.

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: piratePenguin on 12 June 2006, 05:29

what was the problem(s) and how was it fixed? for future reference..

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: cymon on 12 June 2006, 21:39

I switched the mouse from PS/2 to USB, as well as adding that line to GRUB.

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: mobrien_12 on 14 June 2006, 01:37

Funny that....  I switched the mouse from USB to PS/2.

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: piratePenguin on 14 June 2006, 02:15

Ha, I think I see the problem now...
I'm using Ubuntu, which is based on Debian, and:

Quote from: /etc/modules

# /etc/modules: kernel modules to load at boot time.
#
# This file contains the names of kernel modules that should be loaded
# at boot time, one per line. Lines beginning with "#" are ignored.

lp
psmouse

...I use a ps/2 mouse, so I need the psmouse module to be started at boot.

If you used a USB mouse you'd need different modules in /etc/modules, 'usbcore' and probably some more. The modules file must be setup at installation.

I used to think hotplug would load modules for whatever mouse you use (I'm nearly sure HAL does - when it's started)...
Considering it obviously doesn't, both psmouse and the modules for a USB mouse should be compiled into the kernel for Debian IMO.

@cymon: you could add 'psmouse' to your /etc/modules file and remove the line from grub, if you'd prefer that..

Title: Re: Keyboard doesn't work under Debian Etch
Post by: cymon on 14 June 2006, 04:48

Anyways, the USB connection was detected fine during boot, so it's not much of an issue.