On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 ragge@ludd.luth.se wrote:

> > Hello,
> >
> > > I've made sure every relevant part is commented, and no getty is ran, results
> > > are still the same. It's functional when the LCG driver fills the framebuffer
> > > with 0x00, but some seconds later (probably when the kernel has completed
> > > loading because I've inserted a sleep command at the beginning of /etc/rc then
> > > pressed HALT during it) it's broken.
> >
> > Actually, that's right about when wscons attaches the keyboard. Keyboard
> > code is all there in the kernel, it's been there for ages now, it's just
> > that nobody seems to know how to get it to work on VS4k class machine.
> >
> I noticed the same on my m90 some time ago, but I haven't tried to
> find the reason for the problem.  The best way is probably to test the
> keyboard on a SMG m38, it worked last time I tried but it was some
> years ago.

I think I have determined what is causing this, at least when booting from
the keyboard.

When booting from the serial port, the console device is configured as the
dz serial line 3, and console I/O is done directly to the serial port.
When booting from the keyboard, the console device is configured as the dz
serial line 0 (which is the keyboard), but nothing else is done, so now
console I/O is done directly to the keyboard serial port.  All console
output is written to the keyboard, no doubt confusing it greatly.  Console
input would be reading the raw keycodes from the keyboard, which is rather
useless.  And the final straw will be when /dev/console is opened because
it will set the baud rate to 9600.  Apparently the ROM monitor never
resets the keyboard port, and the only way to clear it is to cycle power.

A quick and dirty work-around I did so I didn't have to cycle power all
time was to modify the dz driver to skip setting the parameters for line
0.  This stopped all the beeping of the keyboard and disabling the
keyboard and let me concentrate on the rest of the console problems.

--
Michael L. Hitch			mhitch@montana.edu
Computer Consultant
Information Technology Center
Montana State University	Bozeman, MT	USA