[9fans] OT: Keyboard trouble

[9fans] OT: Keyboard trouble

[Joel C. Salomon]

What could cause a PS2 keyboard to work with the BIOS setup, with the
Plan 9 install disc, but not with any of four (!) Linux Live CDs?

--Joel

Re: [9fans] OT: Keyboard trouble

[erik quanstrom]

> What could cause a PS2 keyboard to work with the BIOS setup, with the
> Plan 9 install disc, but not with any of four (!) Linux Live CDs?

i have not seen this problem, but in arch/i386/boot/setup.S
there are several things that poke the keyboard.  the repeat 
is set, some a20 gate stuff is poked and there keyboard ctlr's
buffer is emptied.  plan 9 leaves a lot of that stuff alone.
to be honest, this seems unlikely but you could try compiling
linux kernels commenting out the various bits that fiddle
the kbd controller.  otherwise there's a chance of interaction
between usb legacy mode emulation and linux' usb stack.


- erik

[9fans] Re: OT: Keyboard trouble

[Joel C. Salomon]

> What could cause a PS2 keyboard to work with the BIOS setup, with the
> Plan 9 install disc, but not with any of four (!) Linux Live CDs?

BTW, plugging in a USB keyboard makes Linux happy.

--Joel

Re: [9fans] Re: OT: Keyboard trouble

[sqweek]

On Dec 10, 2007 3:44 AM, Joel C. Salomon <joelcsalomon@gmail.com> wrote:
> > What could cause a PS2 keyboard to work with the BIOS setup, with the
> > Plan 9 install disc, but not with any of four (!) Linux Live CDs?
>
> BTW, plugging in a USB keyboard makes Linux happy.

 We had some trouble at work with BIOS legacy usb mode and PS2
keyboards under linux, disabled legacy mode and everything worked.
-sqweek

Re: [9fans] Re: OT: Keyboard trouble

[erik quanstrom]

On Thu Dec 13 19:28:49 EST 2007, sqweek@gmail.com wrote:
> On Dec 10, 2007 3:44 AM, Joel C. Salomon <joelcsalomon@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > What could cause a PS2 keyboard to work with the BIOS setup, with the
> > > Plan 9 install disc, but not with any of four (!) Linux Live CDs?
> >
> > BTW, plugging in a USB keyboard makes Linux happy.
> 
>  We had some trouble at work with BIOS legacy usb mode and PS2
> keyboards under linux, disabled legacy mode and everything worked.
> -sqweek

you've gotta love system mgmt mode and the special sneak-past-
the-os interrupt.  the processor is yours, except when it isn't.

- erik

Re: [9fans] Re: OT: Keyboard trouble

[ron minnich]

On Dec 13, 2007 4:31 PM, erik quanstrom <quanstro@coraid.com> wrote:

> you've gotta love system mgmt mode and the special sneak-past-
> the-os interrupt.  the processor is yours, except when it isn't.

Intel's plans are to use this mode far more, not less, than in the past.

And yes, I hate it too ...

ron

Re: [9fans] Re: OT: Keyboard trouble

[erik quanstrom]

> On Dec 13, 2007 4:31 PM, erik quanstrom <quanstro@coraid.com> wrote:
> 
> > you've gotta love system mgmt mode and the special sneak-past-
> > the-os interrupt.  the processor is yours, except when it isn't.
> 
> Intel's plans are to use this mode far more, not less, than in the past.
> 
> And yes, I hate it too ...
> 
> ron

i wonder how this will work out.  it makes realtimeish impossible.
we measured 100ms intervals where the usb legacy stuff had
grabbed the processor and wouldn't let go.  (fortunately we could
turn that off.)

if things get to the point where these things can't be turned off,
we'll need to find other hardware.

- erik

Re: [9fans] Re: OT: Keyboard trouble

[ron minnich]

On Dec 13, 2007 4:50 PM, erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net> wrote:

> if things get to the point where these things can't be turned off,
> we'll need to find other hardware.

if it runs EFI there is no escape. this is supposed to be a feature.

ron

Re: [9fans] Re: OT: Keyboard trouble

[erik quanstrom]

> On Dec 13, 2007 4:50 PM, erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net> wrote:
> 
> > if things get to the point where these things can't be turned off,
> > we'll need to find other hardware.
> 
> if it runs EFI there is no escape. this is supposed to be a feature.
> 
> ron

efi will make you yearn for bios.

(you didn't think that was possible, did you?)

- erik