No keyboard on SUSE 11

[Montaut]

After working fine for a year or so, I suddenly have no keyboard after the GRUB boot screen either on normal Linux start-up or fail safe. The computer is dual boot with Vista and the keyboard works fine on Vista. The keyboard is PS2

Going into Terminal is no help - that also does not recognise key presses and I cannot get into Yast either because of the need for a password.. Linux security is all very well, but it is a serious pain...

I have a second dual boot machine alongside and I assume that if I knew the keyboard driver filename and location, I could copy it across. Is that too simple???

Can anyone please help with this file location data (or any ideas)???

Perhaps a full re-install is needed!!!!

[linuxforever]

Boot on the suse CD/DVD and choose boot installed system.
And look what happens.
There are also repair options if I remember well.

[Montaut]

Thank you so much. I do appreciate the 'Linux spirit'. but I naturally tried that, but there is nothing in the 'Repair' section to fix a keyboard that cannot be recognized. I can find no tools, nor any article that is any help at all.

My reluctance to re-install was the fear that I would lose all my Vista data; but I bit the bullet and did a full re-install. The system ran once and now it will not recognize the GRUB Boot manager - so in effect I have lost Vista as well; it may still be there, but I cannot access it. 'Yes' I know I can put the disk into another machine and copy data and in any event I have good back-ups, but that is not the point is it?? I have already spend three days on this and am reluctant to waste any more time, but yet another install is needed.

I have been using SUSE for three years and while I appreciate the many and varied advantages of Linux, it is far, far from being a system that anyone can use like Apple or even the derided Vista. I am well versed in DOS and the terminal holds no fears, BUT - and it is a big BUT - at this stage of computing science, users should not have to "delve under the hood" and remember arcane commands - or more usually have to look them up.

Until the various 'factions' or distros get together and have ONE system, Linux will remain a toy system to be used by 'kids' of all ages with bragging rights about how clever they are.

I am responsible for 300 people and my company will not make any profit this week - playing with Linux has seen to that...

[linuxforever]

Normally you don't loose a keyboard in linux.
I never had it with me.
And normally you won't loose windows when you install linux.
It should still be there after an install.
Unless you deliberately have installed over a windows partition.
You can check that by booting on a parted magic CD.

Normally, linux should work fine after a new install.
When it doesn't maybe there are faults on the HDD.
Did you check him?
You cannot simple say a lost keyboard is caused by linux.
This behavior is not typical for linux.
All around the world thousands of linux servers funktion properly.

But booting at the suse CD/DVD did the keyboard work?

[Montaut]

Obviously you don't 'normally' lose a keyboard or Linux would be even more unusable.

I have of course not 'lost' Vista, it is GRUB that was fouled up so I could not boot from the hard drive. A second re-install fixed that but then we are back to "no keyboard". Yes, the keyboard works fine in Vista and on a 'live' SUSE DVD, so it clearly is the installed Linux that is the cause; so I am sorry to disagree with you Sir, but I can and do blame Linux - what else would it be?

I know the Linux data book claims that it will not affect the NTFS or FAT partitions and indeed it has not, but I am used to people who treat Linux like some religion and never accept that it is just as fallible as any other system, I therefore treat any claims for Linux with suspicion.

For my first install I changed to Gnome instead of KDF and we had a keyboard, because I assumed that the keyboard driver might be in KDE,

For the second re-installed I went back to KDF and we have no keyboard again.

When I boot from a SUSE DVD, I get a keyboard so it seems that the KDF on the hard drive may be the source of the problem.

Yes, I checked all the hard drive partitions and all are reported fine.

Thank you so much for your time in replying

Normally you don't loose a keyboard in linux.
I never had it with me.
And normally you won't loose windows when you install linux.
It should still be there after an install.
Unless you deliberately have installed over a windows partition.
You can check that by booting on a parted magic CD.

Normally, linux should work fine after a new install.
When it doesn't maybe there are faults on the HDD.
Did you check him?
You cannot simple say a lost keyboard is caused by linux.
This behavior is not typical for linux.
All around the world thousands of linux servers funktion properly.

But booting at the suse CD/DVD did the keyboard work?

[linuxforever]

Obviously you are the only person who experienced this problem.
You have had no problem for a year, and at once it doesn't work anymore.
That can only mean that something has been changed on the HDD partition on which it is installed.
And not on the windows partiion which still works.
That's the only logical conclusion that one can take.

I do not want to start a fight or discussion about linux.
The only thing I can say is that it always was and is much more stable than all windows versions.
After the MSDOS debacle, they managed to produce sick windows versions everytime again.
And this with a multi million company, with many employees.
On the other hand linux is made only by volunteers worlwide, and is free.
But everyone is free to buy a licence of a microsoft product and stick to it.
At last, linux has always been a multi tasking OS.
Microsoft also claimed it, but in the end said it to be multi threading.

Anyway, if you are experienced in DOS you should have no problem with the linux syntax.
But you have an advantage.

[gogalthorp]

Did you boot to a terminal and see if the keyboard works there?

[D-cat]

If it's working in Gnome and not in KDE, I'd suggest that the KDE keyboard preferences got messed up, and it's loading a key map for some unknown keyboard or language. Assuming the mouse still works fine, open the KDE Personal Preferences and navigate to Regional -> Keyboard Layout. Typically, keyboard layouts will be disabled and it will use the default system layout which should appear greyed out in the right hand box. If it is enabled, make sure the layout matches your keyboard.

The system Layout is configured in Yast -> Hardware -> Keyboard Layout. This of course can be access from the console of need be.

[Montaut]

Did you boot to a terminal and see if the keyboard works there?

Yes, I did. Once I have booted up and started the computer normally no keyboard on anything. However, I have fixed the problem, see my reply to D-Cat

[D-cat]

I didn't see a reply to me. Just to note, I just experienced this problem after 24 days uptime. I have no idea what caused it, but it was clearly KDE related, as I could use my KB outside of that X session. I saved and closed all open applications, then ended up starting a new session, which then I could use my keyboard, dropped to tty1, did an init 3 and back up to init 5. From there I logged back on and resumed more or less where I left off. The problem has not reoccured.

Montaut, since I didn't get the reply, could you reiterate what you did to solve the issue? I would prefer not having to deal with that again.