usb keyboard, lilo, kdm

Dusty · 2005-05-02 20:53:31

This is, technically, two questions. I am trying to set up a wireless USB keyboard on this system before I give it to my sister. The keyboard is working fine under Linux, but is not responding during the lilo phase.

I am not certain if this is because the wireless hub hasn't connected to the keyboard, or if lilo doesn't know how to accept a USB keyboard; I'm guessing that it is the latter. Does anybody know what special things need to be done to get LiLo to read from the USB keyboard?

Second, I remember in some distro or other, using KDE, it was possible to select which LiLo (ok, maybe it was Grub?) entry you wanted to run on reboot. I think it was mandrake (meaning it was lilo, not grub). Basically, you could hit the logout menu on kde, and it would allow you to select "reboot: XYZ" to reboot a specific lilo entry -- ie, to boot into windows. Does anybody know how to make KDE do this? This would allow me to get around the problem with LiLo not having keyboard enabled, but I would like to know how to do this regardless of whether the first question can be answered.

Thanks for any hints; I've never used a non-psaux keyboard before.

Dusty

phrakture · 2005-05-02 21:05:04

First off, welcome back! How was vacation?

Dusty wrote:

The keyboard is working fine under Linux, but is not responding during the lilo phase. (...) Does anybody know what special things need to be done to get LiLo to read from the USB keyboard?

Try checking the BIOS and see if there's a setting to enable "legacy usb" or something to that effect. It depends on the motherboard... I've seen a few problems with booting with usb keyboards...

Dusty wrote:

Second, I remember in some distro or other, using KDE, it was possible to select which LiLo (ok, maybe it was Grub?) entry you wanted to run on reboot. I think it was mandrake (meaning it was lilo, not grub). Basically, you could hit the logout menu on kde, and it would allow you to select "reboot: XYZ" to reboot a specific lilo entry -- ie, to boot into windows. Does anybody know how to make KDE do this? This would allow me to get around the problem with LiLo not having keyboard enabled, but I would like to know how to do this regardless of whether the first question can be answered.

Errm... if it's lilo, you need to set the default....

how about:

#! /bin/sh
# lilo-switch.sh <label>

if [ `grep "labels*=s*$1" /etc/lilo.conf` ]; then
   sed -i "s@^defaults*=.*$@default = $1@" /etc/lilo.conf
   lilo || echo "executing lilo failed"
else
   echo "$1 is not a lilo label"
fi

Dusty · 2005-05-02 23:23:30

I just noticed that the USB keyboard works in the BIOS, but doesn't work in LiLo... any ideas on that??

Is the liloswitch script something that works with KDE? It used to seem to be built in...

Dusty

phrakture · 2005-05-03 00:00:26

Dusty wrote:

I just noticed that the USB keyboard works in the BIOS, but doesn't work in LiLo... any ideas on that??

According to http://www.linux-usb.org/USB-guide/x194.html

At this point, you should be able to use your USB keyboard as a normal keyboard. Be aware that LILO is not USB aware, and that unless your BIOS supports a USB keyboard, you may not be able to select a non-default boot image using the USB keyboard. I have personally used only a USB keyboard (and USB mouse) and have experienced no problems.

Dusty wrote:

Is the liloswitch script something that works with KDE? It used to seem to be built in...

i just made it... somehow you could strap it into KDE - I know nothing about KDE's internals

aikidoist72 · 2005-05-03 02:25:59

My entire Linux experience has been with a Logitech i-touch nav USB kbd. From Mandrake to Arch omitting 7 distroś. I have USB support in my BIOS and both Grub and Lilo have both responded without a hitch. I have only recently changed to a PS/2 - due to a faulty hard drive and when fstab was to load I had to plug in a PS/2 board to do anything as the USB was not recognised at that point.

phrakture · 2005-05-03 03:29:27

OT : What is that sig from? I think I have that in a book... it's a Taoist book called.....The Tao is Silent... but I don't know if it's in there....

aikidoist72 · 2005-05-03 04:59:03

OT : What is that sig from? I think I have that in a book... it's a Taoist book called.....The Tao is Silent... but I don't know if it's in there....

Spoken by a great Chinese sage Lao-Tzu.

If you are interested in Zen sayings, pop this URL into your home page for a week or so. I have had it there for around 3 years now

http://www.dailyzen.com/

Arch Linux

#1 2005-05-02 20:53:31

usb keyboard, lilo, kdm

#2 2005-05-02 21:05:04

Re: usb keyboard, lilo, kdm

#3 2005-05-02 23:23:30

Re: usb keyboard, lilo, kdm

#4 2005-05-03 00:00:26

Re: usb keyboard, lilo, kdm

#5 2005-05-03 02:25:59

Re: usb keyboard, lilo, kdm

#6 2005-05-03 03:29:27

Re: usb keyboard, lilo, kdm

#7 2005-05-03 04:59:03

Re: usb keyboard, lilo, kdm

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