Arch Linux

brain0

Developer

From: Aachen - Germany

Registered: 2005-01-03

Posts: 1,382

Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

It has been requested that we make support for the i8042 keyboard and mouse controller modular. Some people get weird error messages because they don't have one and the manual probing slows down their boot. Tom took care of this on the kernel side (thank you) and the result finally landed in 3.13.

In order to get keyboard input during early init, if you don't have it already, add the keyboard hook to the HOOKS= line in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf and run mkinitcpio -P. It has been in the default configuration for some time.

WARNING: There's a downside to all this: On some motherboards (mostly ancient ones, but also a few new ones), the i8042 controller cannot be automatically detected. It's rare, but some people will surely be without keyboard. You can detect this situation in advance:

$ dmesg -t | grep '^i8042'
i8042: PNP: No PS/2 controller found. Probing ports directly.

If you have a PS/2 port and get this message, add atkbd to the MODULES= line in mkinitcpio.conf and run mkinitcpio -P. If you just noticed that you are without keyboard after rebooting, fear not! Simply add

earlymodules=atkbd modules-load=atkbd

to your kernel command line in your bootloader.

I will move Linux 3.13 to [core] a few hours from now, to give everyone a chance to read this before upgrading. I apologize for any inconvenience this transition may cause.

https://www.archlinux.org/news/linux-31 … w-modular/

electric_indigo

Member

Registered: 2011-05-12

Posts: 89

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

Thousand threads about 'broken keyboard' in 3...2...1...

brain0

Developer

From: Aachen - Germany

Registered: 2005-01-03

Posts: 1,382

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

Go! Upgrade is live in [core].

Jojonintendo

Member

Registered: 2013-12-06

Posts: 56

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

Great! I was waiting for this so much for my Radeon HD 7770, but I don't seem to get the absolutely awesome boost in games... I'll still have to tweak a little.

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CPU and GPU are watercooled by Ibercool kit.

ackalker

Member

Registered: 2012-11-27

Posts: 201

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

Thanks brain0 (and Thomas Bächler, perhaps you are the same person? )

Instead of worrying about all the "oooh nooo, now my keyboard is broken!" posts, let's be thankful to you for the heads-up!
To me this is a good example of how to warn people about possible problems before they update, and IMHO more Arch devs should do the same.

In particular I remember a recent libgl update which hit me like a brick because I didn't get a warning about what possible problems it might cause (had to boot to textmode and use lynx to read about the implications of it concerning my particular graphics card driver, etc.).

I'm all for more and better announcements about upgrade problems.
Thanks again, brain0!

Protip: Use `pacmatic` to do system upgrades: it will display any new announcements before starting the upgrade process.

Last edited by ackalker (2014-02-22 00:47:24)

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

Thanks brain0 (and Thomas Bächler, perhaps you are the same person? )

Yup: https://www.archlinux.org/developers/#thomas

Protip: Use `pacmatic` to do system upgrades: it will display any new announcements before starting the upgrade process.

This time even pacman displays a warning.

ackalker

Member

Registered: 2012-11-27

Posts: 201

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

This time even pacman displays a warning.

Wow, way to go!

brain0

Developer

From: Aachen - Germany

Registered: 2005-01-03

Posts: 1,382

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

This time even pacman displays a warning.

Only half of it. The full story is way too verbose for the update.

2ManyDogs

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2012-01-15

Posts: 4,646

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

Protip: Use `pacmatic` to do system upgrades: it will display any new announcements before starting the upgrade process.

Protip: read the news and don't rely on a pacman wrapper to do the work for you,

ackalker

Member

Registered: 2012-11-27

Posts: 201

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

@2ManyDogs: There are "pacman wrappers" and there are "pacman wrappers".
AFAICT, pacmatic doesn't try to do your laundry, take your kids to school or visit your mother-in-law.
It just automates exactly that which you suggest (fetch and display news) and then some: it also scans the mailing lists for posts which may concern packages that one has installed. Didn't think of that one, did you?
And oh, after the upgrade it also scans your system for any .pacnew files that may need to be merged.

Right tool for the job, for me at least.

Last edited by ackalker (2014-02-24 19:19:00)

clfarron4

Member

From: London, UK

Registered: 2013-06-28

Posts: 2,163

Website

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

@2ManyDogs: There are "pacman wrappers" and there are "pacman wrappers".
[snip]
It just automates exactly that which you suggest (fetch and display news) and then some: it also scans the mailing lists for posts which may concern packages that one has installed. Didn't think of that one, did you?
And oh, after the upgrade it also scans your system for any .pacnew files that may need to be merged.

Assuming it looks in the right place all the time, and the developer of pacmatic doesn't want to screw everyone over, yes it works.

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Claire is fine.
Problems? I have dysgraphia, so clear and concise please.
My public GPG key for package signing
My x86_64 package repository

saif

Member

Registered: 2010-05-21

Posts: 59

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

So, where can I know more about this? what does this affect?  I read it is related to a possible delay on boot because of the lack of ps2 io

Last edited by saif (2014-02-24 19:42:22)

clfarron4

Member

From: London, UK

Registered: 2013-06-28

Posts: 2,163

Website

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

So, where can I know more about this? what does this affect?  I read it is related to a possible delay on boot because of the lack of ps2 io

https://www.archlinux.org/news/linux-31 … w-modular/

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Claire is fine.
Problems? I have dysgraphia, so clear and concise please.
My public GPG key for package signing
My x86_64 package repository

scjet

Banned

Registered: 2011-07-23

Posts: 172

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

I realize this is a teeny-bit dated, but Hey, thankyou:

I "ONLY" use PS/2 keyboards, and I haven't ran into any of this?, but yes, kudos, and "way to go !"

Besides, PS/2 keyboards are, indeed, making a comeback, especially for Gamer's. lol.

Last edited by scjet (2014-03-08 05:31:51)

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The "BSD" things in life are "Free", and "Open", and so is "Arch"

quequotion

Member

From: Oita, Japan

Registered: 2013-07-29

Posts: 814

Website

Re: Linux 3.13 WARNING: PS/2 keyboard support is now modular

I didn't have this problem, but one that might be mistaken for it. At the time I upgraded a lot of things all at once, including the kernel and libevdev. Had no keyboard or mouse support on reboot.

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