I just booted up a machine running Slackware 10.0 and I can't login to
the console because the keyboard isn't responding. The keyboard and
PS/2 controller work fine at the BIOS (well, the delete key, arrow
keys, and return key work at least), but after the boot sequence no
keystrokes are sent to the login prompt. I tried switching out the
keyboard and rebooting, trying different KVM ports, etc. Always with
the same symptoms. Any ideas?


Regards,
David P. Donahue
ddonahue@ccs.neu.edu
http://www.cyber0ne.com

cyber0ne blithely blithered
> I just booted up a machine running Slackware 10.0 and I can't login to
> the console because the keyboard isn't responding. The keyboard and
> PS/2 controller work fine at the BIOS (well, the delete key, arrow
> keys, and return key work at least), but after the boot sequence no
> keystrokes are sent to the login prompt. I tried switching out the
> keyboard and rebooting, trying different KVM ports, etc. Always with
> the same symptoms. Any ideas?

Lose the KVM, some machines just dont respond well with those.

> Regards,
> David P. Donahue
> ddonahue@ccs.neu.edu
> http://www.cyber0ne.com
>


--
An AI researcher named Bluth
Wrote, to find out the sexual truth,
Eroticon VI,
Which he taught certain tricks
Which I'm sure can't be found in Knuth.

> Lose the KVM, some machines just dont respond well with those.

Tried plugging in the keyboard directly, still no dice. Also, this
machine is known to work fine with this KVM, under this Slackware
install. It was just shut off and put in the corner for a few days.

cyber0ne wrote:

>> Lose the KVM, some machines just dont respond well with those.
>
> Tried plugging in the keyboard directly, still no dice. Also, this
> machine is known to work fine with this KVM, under this Slackware
> install. It was just shut off and put in the corner for a few days.

To totally proof your keyboard I suggest booting the box with Knoppix or any
other CD bootable dist. That'll confirm or not if something is wrong in
your Slackware config.

Joe

cyber0ne wrote:

> I just booted up a machine running Slackware 10.0 and I can't login to
> the console because the keyboard isn't responding. The keyboard and
> PS/2 controller work fine at the BIOS (well, the delete key, arrow
> keys, and return key work at least), but after the boot sequence no
> keystrokes are sent to the login prompt. I tried switching out the
> keyboard and rebooting, trying different KVM ports, etc. Always with
> the same symptoms. Any ideas?

gpm is locking your keyboard. do you have a ps/2 mouse? most likely you
don't, and gpm is set to use /dev/psaux. either disable gpm [boot to
runlevel 1, chmod -x /etc/rc.d/rc.gpm], or set gpm to use the proper device
for your mouse [i'm guessing it's a usb mouse]

> gpm is locking your keyboard. do you have a ps/2 mouse? most
> likely you don't, and gpm is set to use /dev/psaux. either disable
> gpm [boot to runlevel 1, chmod -x /etc/rc.d/rc.gpm], or set gpm to
> use the proper device for your mouse [i'm guessing it's a usb
> mouse]

Would this also be the case if there is no mouse plugged in at all?
I'm elsewhere today, so I can't test this until this evening. But
you're probably right. Honestly, I haven't had much mouse hardware
experience with Linux, so this didn't even occur to me. I can kill gpm
from here and chmod the file easily enough, but I won't be able to test
the console until later. If it works, thanks!


Regards,
David P. Donahue
ddonahue@ccs.neu.edu
http://www.cyber0ne.com

cyber0ne wrote:

>> gpm is locking your keyboard. do you have a ps/2 mouse? most
>> likely you don't, and gpm is set to use /dev/psaux. either disable
>> gpm [boot to runlevel 1, chmod -x /etc/rc.d/rc.gpm], or set gpm to
>> use the proper device for your mouse [i'm guessing it's a usb
>> mouse]
>
> Would this also be the case if there is no mouse plugged in at all?

yes, as i've mentioned it in my post.

> I'm elsewhere today, so I can't test this until this evening. But
> you're probably right. Honestly, I haven't had much mouse hardware
> experience with Linux, so this didn't even occur to me. I can kill gpm
> from here and chmod the file easily enough, but I won't be able to test
> the console until later. If it works, thanks!

it happens on some motherboards