Introduction

Recurrent posts in the community forums cover problems connected with the installation of USB keyboards. This document shows a simple step-by-step procedure to gain access to this kind of USB devices.

Please notice that this help document covers problems appearing up to (and not included) the Linux log-in phase. Further explanations regarding USB keyboards problems during and after the log-in phase are strictly related to configuration issues of the Linux installation thus out of scope to this document.

What we try here is to ensure that once connected a USB keyboard to a USB port, you are enabled to use it to access to the BIOS setup and to the bootloader's menu' (be it Grub, LiLo or whatever...) and to select and start the operating system you need to boot.

Background information

We have to distinguish three specific situations where a USB keyboard is used:

1. to enter and optimise the BIOS setup;

2. to select the operating system to boot, by the use of Grub or LiLo;

3. during and after log-in (both in the character terminal as in graphic mode).

Coherently with what we have stated before, only the first two options are covered on this document.

Preparation

Any connection/disconnection of USB devices during the procedures described in this document, has to be made with the PC powered OFF.

To have no interference and to simplify the operations, please, preventively detach any other USB device from the computer. This will also avoid them to be stressed by the probably required repetitive reboot activities.

Hardware checkset

Hardware issues are often the cause of USB keyboards as other devices' malfunction, so let we check the state of the art.

If you are using an external USB-HUB it is recommended to disconnect it and plug the USB keyboard directly to one of the PC's USB ports.BR This because some USB-HUBs are only partially compatible to the USB standard, so they may interfere with normal messaging between the system and the attached USB devices inducing you, in some cases, to think your USB keyboard is stuck. BR Additionally USB-HUBs are the devices at most failure risk due to rough handling, low hardware quality or environmental injuries. So a check will help you avoiding the first problem source you may meet during this ongoing procedure.

If your USB now works take in account to seriously suspect your USB HUB or another USB device is creating the problem. Check them singularly and place the culprit directly in the trash as it may seriously damage further USB devices if not your PC's USB ports.

If this doesn't help, go on reading the following steps. Don't forget to reset the PC to check any modification made!

Software checkset

(Situation 1.) During the POST (Power On Self Test), when the PC is running up for a power-on or a reset, the USB keyboard input is managed by the BIOS routines if it is set up to do so. BR If not, there is no way the USB keyboard can be recognised and a PS/2 type keyboard is expected connected to its port by default instead.

As long as your USB keyboard isn't recognised, you aren't able to access the BIOS so you can't do anything else as to connect a PS/2 type keyboard, access the BIOS

BR attachment:USB-KBRDInstall-POST01.jpg

by the use of [Del], [F1], [F2], [F9] or whatever key is indicated at the early stages of the start-up process of the PC

BR

attachment:USBKBRDInstall-BIOS-USBKBDON.jpg

and enable the "USB keyboard support" option that can be found in the BIOS.

BR Save, exit and reset. If, in spite of the precedent set-up, the BIOS continue to refuse to recognise the USB keyboard (e.g. you can't go into the BIOS by pressing the correct key on the USB keyboard) you have a second chance to convince it to.

Use the PS/2 keyboard to enter the BIOS again,

attachment:USBKBRDInstall-BIOS-PnPBIOSon.jpg

and look at the "PnP mode" option. PnP is the procedure to set-up extension cards and some on-board chips connected to the PCI bus. As USB controllers in your computer (both on-board as added expansion cards) are connected to the PCI bus they have to be set-up by the BIOS to have the USB keyboard working at the early POST phase.

There are two configuration modes available for PnP:

. the BIOS has to manage the PnP setup; BR . the operating system deals with the PnP setup.

So you have to explicitly specify the BIOS has to manage the PnP mode (and not the operating system), to obtain the USB keyboard recognised during this phase.

Verify this and, on change, reset the PC and control if the USB keyboard is now alive.

BRBR Case 2.

You can access the BIOS with your USB keyboard but when Grub's menu' appears on the screen either pressing [Arrow-up] or [Arrow-down] you aren't able to move the selection to one different from the default one.

This means you haven't correctly tested the case 1.!

It must be clear that Grub doesn't manage to load any keyboard device-driver so it expects the BIOS to manage the keyboard correctly.

During this stage Linux hasn't been already loaded so any change to the o.s. will not solve the problem!

You have no choice, go back to Case 1., and work to solve the situation from there.

BRBR Case 3.

So you have managed to get the USB keyboard recognised by the BIOS, and in Grub (or LiLo) you are able to select a choice different from the default by the use of the up/down arrows keys.

After a not so long time (we hope), the log-in screen appears but you discover to be unable to write any character into the user/password fields, or if you started from a live CD-R/DVD and you aren't able to write with your keyboard to any application you run from the desktop.

From this point on, problems related to the USB keyboard have to be conducted, in some way, to the Linux operating system configuration issues (and in rare cases to bugs).

In this case, the principal sources of the problem to be searched in are:

• incorrect o.s. setup files for character mode terminal emulation (e.g. the recovery mode in [x]ubuntu);
• incorrect Xserver setup files for graphic windowing environment (when the windowing mode is run);
• missing, wrong, bugged device drivers;
• unsupported USB devices.

As stated before this case isn't covered in this how-to. This because the verifications/operations to be made to get the USB keyboard working are so many and depending from e.g. the window manager used, to justify separate how-to documents.

BR

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