[arch-general] Keyboard issue with kernel 4.15.5 (possible Arch issue?)
Hey hey, I updated yesterday, from some;thing like a 4.13 or 4.14 kernel to version 4.15.5 and couldn't use my PS/2 keyboard. I saw the LEDs flashing when the system started, but couldn't get any response from the keyboard upon login. I've managed to get the system going with a USB keyboard. My PS/2 keyboard is rather old. Is it more likely that the keyboard is broken, or is there a chance of a kernel configuration breaking usage of the PS/2 keyboard? Best wishes, Jeanette -------- * Website: http://juliencoder.de - for summer is a state of sound * SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jeanette_c * GitHub: https://github.com/fsilvain * Twitter: https://twitter.com/ffanci_silvain All I need is time A moment that is mine While I'm in between <3 (Britney Spears)
On 3/13/18, Jeanette C. via arch-general
Hey hey, I updated yesterday, from some;thing like a 4.13 or 4.14 kernel to version 4.15.5 and couldn't use my PS/2 keyboard. I saw the LEDs flashing when the system started, but couldn't get any response from the keyboard upon login.
I've managed to get the system going with a USB keyboard.
My PS/2 keyboard is rather old. Is it more likely that the keyboard is broken, or is there a chance of a kernel configuration breaking usage of the PS/2 keyboard?
Does the keyboard function in BIOS? Does it work if boot another distro's live usb or cd? You said 4.13/4.14 before so I don't think you're affected by the initramfs changes in 2014: https://www.archlinux.org/news/linux-313-warning-ps2-keyboard-support-is-now...
Mar 13 2018, Carsten Mattner has written: ...
Does the keyboard function in BIOS? Can't tell, I'm blind and there's no screen connected anyway. Don't have one anymore.
Does it work if boot another distro's live usb or cd? Hm, I should really try that. Thanks for the hint.
You said 4.13/4.14 before so I don't think you're affected by the initramfs changes in 2014:
https://www.archlinux.org/news/linux-313-warning-ps2-keyboard-support-is-now... Shouldn't be. ...
Best wishes and thanks, Jeanette -------- * Website: http://juliencoder.de - for summer is a state of sound * SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jeanette_c * GitHub: https://github.com/fsilvain * Twitter: https://twitter.com/ffanci_silvain All I need is time A moment that is mine While I'm in between <3 (Britney Spears)
As a real-time audio user, too, be sure, I'm as well using a PS/2 keyboard. A PS/2 keyboard should work. However, from time to time it could happen, that the keyboard's lock LEDs start blinking during startup and startup doesn't finish, but the messages don't show a kernel panic or something keyboard related. If this happens, I just need to reset the computer, a second startup always worked for me. assuming your keyboard should be broken, they still sell brand new native PS/2 keyboards in all price ranges. Due to the USB keyboard issues PS/2 keyboards are seemingly much more important to gamers, than for real-time audio users. Btw. "core" provides 4.15.8. I already upgraded to 4.15.8 early Monday morning and FWIW I skipped 4.15.5 and upgraded from 4.15.4-1 to 4.15.6-1, so I don't know if something is fishy with 4.15.5. pacman -Q linux{,-rt{,-securityink,-pussytoes,-cornflower}}|cut -d\ -f2 4.15.8-1 4.14.24_rt19-1 4.14.20_rt17-1 4.14.8_rt9-2 4.11.12_rt16-1
On 3/14/18, Ralf Mardorf
As a real-time audio user, too, be sure, I'm as well using a PS/2 keyboard. A PS/2 keyboard should work. However, from time to time it
I'm so glad to hear there are other PS/2 keyboard proponents. USB kinda, sorta works but the bus nature of it, and having more than two devices connected, it means there's intermittent bus resets and ports disabled by kernel until reboot if it's those kind of days.
could happen, that the keyboard's lock LEDs start blinking during startup and startup doesn't finish, but the messages don't show a kernel panic or something keyboard related. If this happens, I just need to reset the computer, a second startup always worked for me. assuming your keyboard should be broken, they still sell brand new native PS/2 keyboards in all price ranges. Due to the USB keyboard issues PS/2 keyboards are seemingly much more important to gamers, than for real-time audio users.
Is it still native when connected with a USB-to-PS/2 adapter? I'm asking because it's very limiting when you shop around for a keyboard with a "pure" PS/2 connector. It's already hard to find an ergonomic keyboard that has mechanical switches, and insisting on non-USB shrinks the list, leaving not much of a selection.
Btw. "core" provides 4.15.8. I already upgraded to 4.15.8 early Monday morning and FWIW I skipped 4.15.5 and upgraded from 4.15.4-1 to 4.15.6-1, so I don't know if something is fishy with 4.15.5.
What was wrong with 4.15.5? I missed the news.
On Wed, 14 Mar 2018 06:48:04 +0000, Carsten Mattner wrote:
Is it still native when connected with a USB-to-PS/2 adapter?
I don't know, I even don't know what is true and what are untrue myths about PS/2 vs USB keyboards. However, since I have the choice to use PS/2 keyboards with the keys I like, for the same ammount of money as USB keyboards do cost, I don't want to test USB keyboards, even if they provide the same kind of keys. The myth important to me is, that if I don't touch the keyboard using a PS/2 keyboard, it doesn't actively communicate with the computer, while the myth claims, that USB does enforce communication between keyboard and computer from time to time, even if you don't type, which might be an issue for real-time audio users. A myth unimportant to me is the way keystrokes are handled/registered, by an USB keyboard probaply just a limited amont of keys could be pushed at the same time and/or there is more latency and/or if you type fast, the keyboard might not keep up, which seems to be important for gamers or people who type really fast. There are also some myth regarding security for some kinds of usages. In short, as long as you could get a "native" PS/2 keyboard with the kinds of keys you like, for an ammount of money that is ok, I wouldn't risk to buy an USB keyboard.
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 4:25 AM, Ralf Mardorf
On Wed, 14 Mar 2018 06:48:04 +0000, Carsten Mattner wrote:
Is it still native when connected with a USB-to-PS/2 adapter?
I don't know, I even don't know what is true and what are untrue myths about PS/2 vs USB keyboards. However, since I have the choice to use PS/2 keyboards with the keys I like, for the same ammount of money as USB keyboards do cost, I don't want to test USB keyboards, even if they provide the same kind of keys.
The myth important to me is, that if I don't touch the keyboard using a PS/2 keyboard, it doesn't actively communicate with the computer, while the myth claims, that USB does enforce communication between keyboard and computer from time to time, even if you don't type, which might be an issue for real-time audio users.
A myth unimportant to me is the way keystrokes are handled/registered, by an USB keyboard probaply just a limited amont of keys could be pushed at the same time and/or there is more latency and/or if you type fast, the keyboard might not keep up, which seems to be important for gamers or people who type really fast.
There are also some myth regarding security for some kinds of usages.
In short, as long as you could get a "native" PS/2 keyboard with the kinds of keys you like, for an ammount of money that is ok, I wouldn't risk to buy an USB keyboard.
BTW, in some cases, in desktop machines, at boot time, you can find yourself with a BIOS that doesn't take USB keyboards by default (or at all), and then you're pretty much done... Sometimes you can set the BIOS for USB keyboards, but only with a PS/2 in advance. I always prefer PS/2 keyboards. There're various reasons.
participants (4)
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Carsten Mattner
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Jeanette C.
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Ralf Mardorf
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rv riveravaldez