Re: misc/44681: USB Keyboard problems

[David Holland <dholland-bugs%netbsd.org@localhost>]

The following reply was made to PR misc/44681; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: David Holland <dholland-bugs%netbsd.org@localhost>
To: gnats-bugs%NetBSD.org@localhost
Cc: 
Subject: Re: misc/44681: USB Keyboard problems
Date: Sun, 1 May 2011 03:20:44 +0000

 On Fri, Mar 04, 2011 at 11:10:00AM +0000, zbigniew2011%gmail.com@localhost 
wrote:
  > NetBSD 3.1, kernel GENERIC
 
 You know 3.1 isn't supported any more, right?
 
  > It seems, that USB-keyboard is improperly initialized at boot-up
  > time. I'm using somewhat dated NetBSD release, on even more dated
  > hardware (K6-2, mobo GA-586TX3), with the new USB-keyboard (OK 225
  > Virgo), having in BIOS setting "USB keyboard support" set to
  > "enabled" (GRUB needs this). Problem description:
 
 Turning that off is likely to help.
 
  > 1. After the system finished booting, I noticed, that some keys of
  > the keyboard are giving other characters, than the one of key
  > labels (e.g. by pressing "o" one gets "e", "u" gives "o" and there
  > are a few more such mistakes). This problem can be worked around
  > quite easily: just by disconnecting the keyboard, and plugging it
  > in again (of course, such operation spoils the settings of keyboard
  > repeating rate, for example). Then the keyboard seems to be
  > properly initialized, and all the keys are working properly (BTW:
  > the keyboard is reported as "Tsunami USB Keyboard,
  > rev. 1.10/2.90. addr 3, iclass 3/0").
 
 Is this because something's using the wrong layout? That doesn't sound
 like any normal layout I know of, but my knowledge of keyboard layouts
 isn't particularly broad.
 
  > 2. Somewhat worse problem can occur, if there are any problems with
  > finding the root partition during boot-up time. It's impossible to
  > use USB-keyboard at that time (although AFAIK it has been
  > initialized already?), and to type something like "wd0a" - to allow
  > system to boot completely - one has to connect ordinary
  > PC-keyboard.
 
 This sort of thing was (and still is in some cases) a long-standing
 problem and you're unlikely to have much luck fixing it.
 
 If you really need to run an unsupported release on hardware this old
 I'd strongly recommend using a ps2 keyboard.
 
 -- 
 David A. Holland
 dholland%netbsd.org@localhost