Re: [NuBe:] frozen keyboard

[Sean Quinlan <smq@gmx.co.uk>]

--- Andrew Laing <zordroyd@softhome.net> (2001-09-25 01:10):
> Yesterday, I was updating a fresh install to testing. When asked what to 
> do about the newer config files, I made the fool-hearted assumption that 
> since it was a brand new install with all defaulted configurations, that 
> these newer configs would be safe if not better choices. Soon after 
> saying yes to the PAM package's configs my keyboard stopped accepting 
> input (though the keyboard works fine to enter BIOS or from a boot disk, 
> which makes sense).

I had a similar problem on one of my machines, where it wouldn't
accept keyboard input at all after lilo, but I could still ssh in with
no problems.  It turned out that I had gpm installed, but I didn't
have a mouse connected to the machine, so I assume it was interfering
with the ps2 keyboard.  Once I removed gpm, the keyboard started
working fine.  You could try that (I believe that gpm is installed by
default).
 
> I found a few mentions of similar problems after a couple googles, 
> including the ability to log in via Telnet after such occurrences, yet I 
> had yet to install ssh. Any suggestions?

If you can't get in remotely, nor login via the console, it looks like
you'll have to just reset.  Try typing "linux single" at the lilo
prompt, and it should get you into single user mode (and not start up
things like gpm).  If the keyboard works fine in single user mode,
then you know that its something in the startup scripts thats causing
a problem.  

If not, you may want to try "linux init=/bin/sh" which should at least
get you a shell on the machine, but without running any startup stuff.
You could then check dmesg to see if your keyboard is recognised.

HTH,
Sean

-- 
Sean Quinlan (smq@gmx.co.uk)