Mint installed but keyboard doesn't work

[Groware]

I have installed Mint four times. Two crashed, two finished satisfactorily except that the keyboard doesn't work. I specifically tested it at the appropriate time during install; it worked then. Keyboard is standard English-US, works ok on Windoz and Ubuntu. Works OK live from DVD. What should I do on next install attempt ? I prefer Mint over Ubuntu because it works on my BBC music streams.

Help please -- Rex

[oz]

Hello

You didn't mention the type of keyboard such as USB or PS/2, but that would be important info for anyone that tries to help you. If it's USB, it sounds like the correct module might not be loading at boot time.

[reginaldperrin]

It sounds unusual that the keyboard doesn't work in Mint.
I wonder if your keyboard, or the motherboard plug(s) being the issue?
If you have another, you should try it, if only to eliminate it as a source of the problem. Also, try both on different USB ports (assuming it is USB).
Being a plug, the USB can fail. It is designed to be used, but being used also means it is prone to breakage.
All computer parts are built as cheaply as possible, with new parts being cheaper than the cost of repairs. If the keyboard is bung, then a new one may cure all ills.

If the USB plug or the keyboard has failed even partially, and is delivering incorrect voltages along the wrong pathways, this can play havoc with the system as a whole, giving rise to a whole host of problems.

Similarly, and going even deeper, a failed or nearly failing PSU can cause worse problems, and can cause the user to blame the wrong component.

Hope this helps

[Groware]

Thanks for your help Ozar and Reginaldperrinn --I should have said... this is all on a laptop !. Sorry. It's a Dell Latitude D600. As I said, I tested it during the installation (at the 'Select your keyboard' phase). Worked ok then.

[reginaldperrin]

Not sure about drivers modules specifically within Mint. Mint is based on Ubuntu, which in turn is a Debian based Linux OS. Try a search on their respective forums.
You could try testing with an external keyboard, seeing if it works that way.
Also, you could get an earlier version of Mint. The newer drivers are bundled in with the newer kernels, so an earlier version might have a bug-free keyboard driver for the D600.

Hope this helps

[Groware]

Good idea; I'll try an earlier Mint version. K/board worked ok on Ubuntu 11.04.

[velikij]

Have you tried Ubuntu 11.10 - that's what Mint 12 is based on. If it worked with Ubuntu 11.04, it will probably work with Mint 11.

[Groware]

Thanks velikij, I have successfully tested as a "live disc" on Mint 11 -- works well but, so far, I have had some difficulties installing it (My problem). It's when installed that I had the problem above. More news when I succeed.