My keyboard is not detected at boot

[David916]

I just installed 1.4 rc_2 from the livecd, and during the install process everything went smoothly. But when I boot it up off the disk then the keyboard never works. I can connect to the machine using ssh (putty on a windoze machine), but whenever I am sitting at the gentoo machine the keyboard is totally non-responsive. I can't even Ctrl-Alt-Del to restart, or toggle the numlock. It's as if the keyboard were dead.

I'm using a PS2 keyboard.

I have input core support and console drivers enabled in the kernel, I have tried them both as modules and built into the kernel, always with the same result. Currently they are compiled into the kernel (not modules).

When I run dmesg the output is as follows

Code: Select all

Linux version 2.4.20-gentoo-r2 (root@cdimage) (gcc version 3.2.2) #2 SMP Thu Apr 10 12:07:06 UTC 2003
BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
 BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009fc00 (usable)
 BIOS-e820: 000000000009fc00 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000002ffec000 (usable)
 BIOS-e820: 000000002ffec000 - 000000002ffef000 (ACPI data)
 BIOS-e820: 000000002ffef000 - 000000002ffff000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 000000002ffff000 - 0000000030000000 (ACPI NVS)
 BIOS-e820: 00000000ffff0000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
767MB LOWMEM available.
ACPI: have wakeup address 0xc0002000
On node 0 totalpages: 196588
zone(0): 4096 pages.
zone(1): 192492 pages.
zone(2): 0 pages.
ACPI: RSDP (v000 ASUS                       ) @ 0x000f73a0
ACPI: RSDT (v001 ASUS   A7A266   16944.11825) @ 0x2ffec000
ACPI: FADT (v001 ASUS   A7A266   16944.11825) @ 0x2ffec080
ACPI: BOOT (v001 ASUS   A7A266   16944.11825) @ 0x2ffec040
ACPI: DSDT (v001   ASUS A7A266   00000.04096) @ 0x00000000
ACPI: BIOS passes blacklist
ACPI: MADT not present
Kernel command line: root=/dev/hda7 hdd=ide-scsi
Local APIC disabled by BIOS -- reenabling.
Found and enabled local APIC!
Initializing CPU#0
Detected 1445.550 MHz processor.
Console: colour VGA+ 80x25
Calibrating delay loop... 2883.58 BogoMIPS
Memory: 773980k/786352k available (2216k kernel code, 11984k reserved, 653k data, 176k init, 0k highmem)
Dentry cache hash table entries: 131072 (order: 8, 1048576 bytes)
Inode cache hash table entries: 65536 (order: 7, 524288 bytes)
Mount-cache hash table entries: 16384 (order: 5, 131072 bytes)
Buffer-cache hash table entries: 65536 (order: 6, 262144 bytes)
Page-cache hash table entries: 262144 (order: 8, 1048576 bytes)
CPU: L1 I Cache: 64K (64 bytes/line), D cache 64K (64 bytes/line)
CPU: L2 Cache: 256K (64 bytes/line)
Intel machine check architecture supported.
Intel machine check reporting enabled on CPU#0.
CPU:     After generic, caps: 0183fbff c1c7fbff 00000000 00000000
CPU:             Common caps: 0183fbff c1c7fbff 00000000 00000000
Enabling fast FPU save and restore... done.
Checking 'hlt' instruction... OK.
POSIX conformance testing by UNIFIX
CPU: L1 I Cache: 64K (64 bytes/line), D cache 64K (64 bytes/line)
CPU: L2 Cache: 256K (64 bytes/line)
Intel machine check reporting enabled on CPU#0.
CPU:     After generic, caps: 0183fbff c1c7fbff 00000000 00000000
CPU:             Common caps: 0183fbff c1c7fbff 00000000 00000000
CPU0: AMD Athlon(tm) Processor stepping 04
per-CPU timeslice cutoff: 731.35 usecs.
SMP motherboard not detected.
enabled ExtINT on CPU#0
ESR value before enabling vector: 00000000
ESR value after enabling vector: 00000000
Using local APIC timer interrupts.
calibrating APIC timer ...
..... CPU clock speed is 1445.7039 MHz.
..... host bus clock speed is 275.3721 MHz.
cpu: 0, clocks: 2753721, slice: 1376860
CPU0<T0:2753712,T1:1376848,D:4,S:1376860,C:2753721>
Waiting on wait_init_idle (map = 0x0)
All processors have done init_idle
ACPI: Subsystem revision 20021122
PCI: PCI BIOS revision 2.10 entry at 0xf1170, last bus=1
PCI: Using configuration type 1
    ACPI-0511: *** Info: GPE Block0 defined as GPE0 to GPE63
ACPI: Interpreter enabled
ACPI: Using PIC for interrupt routing
ACPI: System [ACPI] (supports S0 S1 S4 S5)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKA] (IRQs 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 *11 12 14 15)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKB] (IRQs 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 14 15, disabled)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKC] (IRQs 3 4 5 6 7 9 *10 11 12 14 15)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKD] (IRQs 3 4 *5 6 7 9 10 11 12 14 15)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKE] (IRQs 3 4 5 6 7 *9 10 11 12 14 15)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKF] (IRQs 3 4 5 6 7 *9 10 11 12 14 15)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKG] (IRQs 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 14 15, disabled)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKH] (IRQs 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 14 15, disabled)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKI] (IRQs 3 4 5 6 7 *9 10 11 12 14 15)
ACPI: PCI Root Bridge [PCI0] (00:00)
PCI: Probing PCI hardware (bus 00)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Routing Table [\_SB_.PCI0._PRT]
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Routing Table [\_SB_.PCI0.PCI1._PRT]
PCI: Probing PCI hardware
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKB] enabled at IRQ 11
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKG] enabled at IRQ 10
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKH] enabled at IRQ 5
PCI: No IRQ known for interrupt pin A of device 00:04.0 - using IRQ 255
PCI: Using ACPI for IRQ routing
PCI: if you experience problems, try using option 'pci=noacpi' or even 'acpi=off'
isapnp: Scanning for PnP cards...
isapnp: No Plug & Play device found
Linux NET4.0 for Linux 2.4
Based upon Swansea University Computer Society NET3.039
Initializing RT netlink socket
Starting kswapd
Journalled Block Device driver loaded
devfs: v1.12c (20020818) Richard Gooch (rgooch@atnf.csiro.au)
devfs: boot_options: 0x0
Installing knfsd (copyright (C) 1996 okir@monad.swb.de).
keyboard: Timeout - AT keyboard not present?(ed)
keyboard: Timeout - AT keyboard not present?(f4)
pty: 256 Unix98 ptys configured
Serial driver version 5.05c (2001-07-08) with MANY_PORTS SHARE_IRQ SERIAL_PCI ISAPNP enabled
ttyS00 at 0x03f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A
ttyS01 at 0x02f8 (irq = 3) is a 16550A
Uniform Multi-Platform E-IDE driver Revision: 6.31
ide: Assuming 33MHz system bus speed for PIO modes; override with idebus=xx
ALI15X3: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 20
PCI: No IRQ known for interrupt pin A of device 00:04.0 - using IRQ 255
ALI15X3: chipset revision 196
ALI15X3: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
    ide0: BM-DMA at 0xd400-0xd407, BIOS settings: hda:DMA, hdb:pio
    ide1: BM-DMA at 0xd408-0xd40f, BIOS settings: hdc:DMA, hdd:DMA
hda: Maxtor 6Y080P0, ATA DISK drive
ide: Assuming 33MHz system bus speed for PIO modes; override with idebus=xx
hdc: CREATIVECD4020E, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
hdd: MATSHITACD-RW CW-8571, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14
ide1 at 0x170-0x177,0x376 on irq 15
hda: 160086528 sectors (81964 MB) w/7936KiB Cache, CHS=9964/255/63
hdc: ATAPI 32X CD-ROM drive, 240kB Cache, DMA
Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.12
hdd: ATAPI 32X DVD-ROM CD-R/RW drive, 2048kB Cache, DMA
ide-floppy driver 0.99.newide
Partition check:
 /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0: p1 p2 < p5 p6 p7 p8 >
Floppy drive(s): fd0 is 1.44M
FDC 0 is a post-1991 82077
Linux agpgart interface v0.99 (c) Jeff Hartmann
agpgart: Maximum main memory to use for agp memory: 690M
agpgart: Detected Ali M1647 chipset
agpgart: AGP aperture is 32M @ 0xfc000000
[drm] Initialized tdfx 1.0.0 20010216 on minor 0
[drm] AGP 0.99 on ALi M1647 @ 0xfc000000 32MB
[drm] Initialized radeon 1.1.1 20010405 on minor 1
[drm] AGP 0.99 on ALi M1647 @ 0xfc000000 32MB
[drm] Initialized i810 1.2.0 20010920 on minor 2
ide-floppy driver 0.99.newide
SCSI subsystem driver Revision: 1.00
kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k scsi_hostadapter, errno = 2
usb.c: registered new driver hub
Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
usb.c: registered new driver usb-storage
USB Mass Storage support registered.
mice: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice
NET4: Linux TCP/IP 1.0 for NET4.0
IP Protocols: ICMP, UDP, TCP, IGMP
IP: routing cache hash table of 8192 buckets, 64Kbytes
TCP: Hash tables configured (established 262144 bind 65536)
NET4: Unix domain sockets 1.0/SMP for Linux NET4.0.
reiserfs: checking transaction log (device 03:07) ...
Warning, log replay starting on readonly filesystem
reiserfs: replayed 9 transactions in 4 seconds
Using r5 hash to sort names
ReiserFS version 3.6.25
VFS: Mounted root (reiserfs filesystem) readonly.
Freeing unused kernel memory: 176k freed
scsi0 : SCSI host adapter emulation for IDE ATAPI devices
Linux Tulip driver version 0.9.15-pre12 (Aug 9, 2002)
eth0: ADMtek Comet rev 17 at 0xb800, 00:20:78:07:C4:56, IRQ 5.
reiserfs: checking transaction log (device 03:08) ...
Using r5 hash to sort names
ReiserFS version 3.6.25
spurious 8259A interrupt: IRQ7.
kjournald starting.  Commit interval 5 seconds
EXT3 FS 2.4-0.9.19, 19 August 2002 on ide0(3,6), internal journal
EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.

[shadow255]

Have you eliminated the possibility that the keyboard has somehow failed? Can you use the keyboard from your other machine on this one as a sanity check? (No, I'm not recommending connecting/disconnecting a keyboard from a running system!) I don't know if you spotted this in your dmesg output, but the system is apparently not receiving any response from the keyboard:

Code: Select all

...
Installing knfsd (copyright (C) 1996 okir@monad.swb.de).
keyboard: Timeout - AT keyboard not present?(ed)
keyboard: Timeout - AT keyboard not present?(f4)
pty: 256 Unix98 ptys configured 
...

I also noticed the system detects your CPU at 1445.550 MHz - are you overclocking your processor? If so, have you tried things at the rated processor speed?

[David916]

Have you eliminated the possibility that the keyboard has somehow failed? Can you use the keyboard from your other machine on this one as a sanity check?

Yes, the keyboard works fine. This is a dual boot system, the keyboard works fine under WinXP and also under Redhat 8 before I wiped that and started with Gentoo. Plus the keyboard works when I boot off the livecd.

I also noticed the system detects your CPU at 1445.550 MHz - are you overclocking your processor? If so, have you tried things at the rated processor speed?

I'm not sure why it detects the processor as 1445, but in the bios it's set to 1400, which is the actual speed. So no it's not overclocked. I've had linux detect the speed at anything from 1400 to about 1450.

The keyboard is an HP multimedia keyboard, I don't think that should matter at all, but I thought I would note it anyway.

[shadow255]

I got to thinking about what you had to say about input core support and console drivers in your kernel configuration. Input core support for keyboards is for USB human interface device keyboards, not for traditional AT/PS2 keyboards. I would recommend not compiling in that support unless you're planning to try using a USB keyboard. As for console drivers, that is output-oriented, but I wouldn't rule out that it could cause this issue if you're choosing to compile in Video mode selection support. Stick to the VGA text console only in that section and see if removing the input core support options gets you any closer to your goal.

I'm using vanilla-sources 2.4.20 with a couple of patches here, so if you're using something newer with different options in those sections, feel free to seek advice from someone whose configuration matches yours better. Best wishes for success!

[3vilinside]

I just wanted to add something here:

As I read somewhere on the net some keyboard are not recognized during boot up (mostly laptop keyboards and touchpads). Actually I experienced this problem myself during the first installation of gentoo 1.4_rc3. It took me some time to figure out that I only needed to press some buttons during boot-up so that the kernel would recognize that there is some sort of keyboadr attached to the MB

Hopefully this helps somehow...

[djk29a]

Actually, I had this problem once before, and it took a couple kernel recompiles to get the thing working. It had something to do with my USB setup it appeared, but it wound up affecting my PS/2 keyboard as well. I would recommend recompiling the kernel a couple more times with different input core settings.

Other than that, I don't see why a local keyboard wouldn't work. Well, that's one way of approaching physical security... disable local keyboards...

[Regor]

Did you compile in kernel support for "Virtual terminal" in the "Character devices" menu? That's the part that gives you standard keyboard and monitor support.

[BeeReKeN]

I have the same problem with the same error.
The only difference is I'm working on a portable, but tappin' some keys at startup doesn't help a bit.
I also tried some different kernel options, with no result.

It is trange tho, that when I start the live cd rc2 I do have keyboard support. I can chroot and work with my gentoo on my harddisk.
But when restarting without cd or using a rc3 or 4 cd i don't have keyboard support.

Hope somebody can come up with an idea.

TNX

[3vilinside]

Have you tried to boot with a floppy, such as the slackware boot disk?
Maybe this is worth a try since you can use different images for your setup so that you have to best possible chance that your hardware is recognized.

You can get it at http://slackware.com/install/bootdisk.php

hth[/url]

[worknman]

Hi guys,

I am also having the same problem. The keyboard works fine on the LiveCD (rc_4) and the Grub boot screen, but by the time I get to the login prompt, no keyboard action at all ... I get the same keyboard timeout error as the original poster.

I have tried recompiling the kernel both with and without input core support and 'virtual terminal' support is enabled. Pressing keys at the login prompt does nothing. I don't have a working floppy to boot off of.

My hardware is an Athlon 1.2 ghz CPU w/ Asus A7A266 (ALI chipset) motherboard.

Does anybody have any other ideas? One thing I noticed is that the kernel seems to be looking for an AT keyboard, but mine is a Microsoft Natural PS/2 keyboard. Is the kernel smart enough to probe for a PS/2 keyboard, or does that need to be enabled somewhere in the kernel?

[3vilinside]

Is the kernel smart enough to probe for a PS/2 keyboard, or does that need to be enabled somewhere in the kernel?

AFAIK the kernel probes for PS/2 keyboard, since I havn't had any problem so far with a lot of different PS/2 keyboards. I was just using the standard options for input devices in the kernel. One problem could be that your mouse and your keyboard somehow interfere each other, stopping one device from functioning. I've read about this issue only on a Debian bug list found here:
http://lists.debian.org/debian-boot/200 ... 00288.html

Another option is to plug off the keyboard during boot time and then simply plug it in again at login. This helps sometimes since no keyboard is being detected by the kernel at boot time and therefore there can't be any problems. Try it out!

HTH

[worknman]

Well, unplugging the keyboard did not do anything, but I have found that if I boot with the mouse unplugged, then the keyboard works.
Is there perhaps are more 'elegant' solution than having to unplug my mouse every time I reboot ?

The keyboard is an MS natural PS/2, mouse is Intellimouse Optical USB.
I noted in the link that the guy also used an Asus A7A mobo, so maybe it's a problem with this particular hardware.

[worknman]

Update: I have managed to fix this problem by attaching the PS/2 - to - USB adapter to the Intellimouse and hooking it up to the PS/2 port, so something you may want to try if you're having this problem and have the same kind of hardware setup that I do.

[BeeReKeN]

Hmmm, good idea

But I don't think my notebook is fit to attach a usb thingy to the keyboard though

[foshdawg]

that's why they said use the adapter

[BuzB]

I've followed this thread, tried all the tricks, recompiled as suggested, yet my keyboard simply will not be detected by Gentoo (XP works, Mandrake works, Gentoo-LiveCD-rc4 works, however Gentoo-LiveCD-rc3 doesn't work). My guess is I'm not compiling something in the kernel correctly. I've tried compiling both vanilla-sources and the Gentoo-sources, both seem to load correctly, except for the annoying no keyboard. I can ssh into the box and things look ok--to me anyway.

Anybody have any ideas or see any glaring errors or DOHs in the following?

My dmesg is posted here:

<Link removed by author>

All hardware is correctly identified in dmesg.

My .config file is here:

<Link removed by author>

TIA

BuzB

[BuzB]

I finally got a keyboard working with Gentoo! Using the vanilla-sources, I recompiled with a bare minimum kernel, then I simply kept adding one more option until I broke the compile. In this case I was able to compile "Support for USB" (works as built-in or module), but when I try to add EHCI HCD, UHCI (Intel PIIX4), UHCI Alternate, or even OHCI the keyboard will not work during the subsequent reboot.

Now to try all the above with the Gentoo-sources.

Time for more research--besides who needs a USB web cam, printer, or mouse:?:

[BeeReKeN]

Now to try all the above with the Gentoo-sources.

If you get it to work, I'll buy your USB webcam :p

deal ?

[BuzB]

I think you misinterpted my reply...somehow I didn't convey my sarcasm correctly about needing my USB periphals. I need them and I WILL get them working!

Saw recently during my kernel exploits that my 3Com Homeconnect webcam is now supported in the kernel. Don't remember which version, or where in the stack for that matter, that'll be a project after I get sound and TV working!

But thanks for the offer anyway.

[BeeReKeN]

but did you get the keyboard working ?

[BuzB]

Yep, of course I had to use an adapter to make the USB mouse PS/2. What's weird is I ran Mandrake for 14 months (Ver 8.1 then 9.0) with the mouse PS/2, it quit working when I upgraded to MDK 9.1, so I made it USB. However, it really seemed like they dumbed down MDK, so I'm flight testing Gentoo as desktop replacement.

As an aside, I've been using Gentoo as a web server for about 8 months, course no X or other annoying graphics. Just a pure MySQL, PHP, Apache, PHP-Nuke webserver and Samba file server for the rest of the BuzB Clan.

[BeeReKeN]

Yeah ok, Counter-Strike I guess :p

well, I have 2 servers running myself with Gentoo, runs like a train.
No problems.

But I want to use Gentoo on my notebook from work, it has no PS/2 input so I have to use the genuin keyboard. It's a pain always having to use the live_cd and chrooting :'(

[slaterson]

I just got done installing 1.4rc4 this morning. When I rebooted, no keyboard or mouse. I got the keyboard back, but without the mouse. Both keyboard and mouse are PS/2 style.

I got the keyboard back by ssh'ing in and stopping gpm. I noticed if i pressed a key while the machine was booting up I could see the characters printed on the screen, until GPM started. After that, nothing. So, I took GPM out of init, and the keyboard works fine.

I'm using ck-sources (r6). When I get back from the beach, I'll try gentoo-sources.

Slate

[slaterson]

Gentoo-sources and Vanilla sources have the same problem as ck6 does (for me). Interesting, I tried plugging my mouse into a serial port, instead fo the ps/2 port, and it works fine. It has worked in the ps/2 port for several years, but doesn't seem to want to with the latest gentoo install.

[drak]

I solved this problem eventually after reading about the ps2 keyboard problem with usb mice on Asus A7A motherboards

I sshd in and

insmod input
insmod mousedev
insmod hid
insmod usb-ohci (or uhci whatever u use)

this enabled my keboard to work fine all of these were compiled as modules in my kernel

I added the following to /etc/modules.autoload to get the keyboard to work at boot time

input
mousedev
hid
usb-ohci

And it all works fine now