[conspire] (forw) How do I install a new keyboard?

Ruben Safir ruben at mrbrklyn.com
Fri May 29 14:44:34 PDT 2015 

On 05/29/2015 05:20 PM, Rick Moen wrote:
> ----- Forwarded message from "Robert S. Johnstone" <rsjohnst at idiom.com> -----
> 
> Date: Fri, 29 May 2015 13:40:24 -0700 (PDT)
> From: "Robert S. Johnstone" <rsjohnst at idiom.com>
> To: installers at linuxmafia.com
> Subject: How do I install a new keyboard?
> 
> Hello Rick and Friends,
> 
> I am trying to install a new, different keyboard on my computer,
> which runs the Ubuntu 9.10 operating system.  My skills and
> experience in system administration are minimal.  Any advice from
> a knowledgeable system administrator would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> If you know of a website or book where this problem is discussed
> please let me know.  See REFERENCES below.
> 
> I would like (VERY MUCH) to avoid re-formatting the hard disk drives
> (there are two, both Linux).  What I think (HOPE) might work would be
> to run the installation procedure from the distribution CD as follows.
> 
> 1. Language Selection.
>     Buttons:  Cancel  Forward		Make Selection, Press Forward
> 
> 2. Time-Zone Configuration.
>     Buttons:  Cancel  Back  Forward	Make Selection, Press Forward
> 
> 3. Keyboard Configuration.
>     Buttons:  Cancel  Back  Forward	Make Selection, Press Forward
> 
> 4. Disk Partition.
>     Buttons:  Quit  Back  Forward	Immediately Press Quit
> 
> None of the selections I would make in steps 1, 2, and 3
> would be different from what I entered in the original
> installation in 2010.  But I assume that the installer may
> collect some other information directly from the device itself
> (e.g., manufacturer, model number, serial number, etc)
> so that the BIOS can detect when hardware is changed.
> 
> The yellow pages in the telephone book show numerous companies
> or consultants under the categories
>   - Computer & Computer Equipment Repair & Service
>   - Computer Software & Service
> but none of them advertise Linux expertise.
> 
> Can you recommend any of them? 
> Or someone else nearby (Redwood City ... Sunnyvale)?
> 
> I cannot attend the Linux CABAL InstallFest in June
> but will in July if I have not solved the problem by then.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Robert Johnstone
> 650/326-0424
> rsjohnst at idiom.com
> 
> ------------------  FURTHER DETAIL  ----------------------
> 
> QUESTIONS
> 
> Q1. In installation step 4 above, does pressing Quit immediately
>     cause the selections made in steps 1, 2, and 3
>     to be ignored?  i.e., Are no specified data saved
>     until after the disk is reformatted?
> 
> Q2. How can I pause the boot process so that I can read the entire
>     keyboard error message that appears only briefly on a text
>     screen?  See SYMPTOMS below.
> 
> Q3. What device-specific files are needed for the new keyboard?
>     Are they actually present in the kernel?
> 
> Q4. How can I enable the scrolling display of boot and shutdown
>     progress?  (Was present Ubuntu v6.06, is absent in v9.10).
> 
> KEYBOARDS
> 
> Old Keyboard
>     Keytronic  M/N KT800MSE-C  S/N C014801544
>     In service more than 10 years.
>     Some keys do not always work.
> 
> New Keyboard
>     Logitech k120
>     Purchased at Fry's, Palo Alto, 08May2015
>     Fry's service department has tested it: works OK there.
> 
> The new Logitech keyboard box says:
>     What You Need
>     Linux kernel 2.6+
> 
> SYMPTOMS
> 
> With the new keyboard a text screen appears briefly during boot.
> The only line I can read says "keyboard error".  No such text screen
> appears with the old keyboard.
> 
> After boot, a graphical login screen appears, soliciting user
> name and password.
> 
> With the old keyboard, each keystroke of the password appears on
> the screen as a small circle, maybe an asterisk.
> 
> With the new keyboard, the login screen does not show any response
> to the keystrokes of the password.  Login fails.
> 
> OPERATING SYSTEM & KERNEL VERSIONS
> 
> The operating system on my computer is Ubuntu version 9.10 .
> The kernel version would appear to be 2.6.31-14,
> So the new Logitech keyboard should work.
> 
> sgt_$> ls -lrt /boot
> total 13764
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3890400 2009-10-16 11:03 vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1664737 2009-10-16 11:03 System.map-2.6.31-14-generic
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root  111371 2009-10-16 11:03 config-2.6.31-14-generic
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root  629174 2009-10-16 11:03 abi-2.6.31-14-generic
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root    1196 2009-10-16 11:06 vmcoreinfo-2.6.31-14-generic
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root  128796 2009-10-23 09:11 memtest86+.bin
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 7650735 2010-09-16 11:02 initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
> drwxr-xr-x 2 root root    4096 2010-11-21 22:09 grub
> 
> The directory  /boot/grub  contains 145 files, all dated 2010-09-16 10:33
> except grubenv, which has a current date (e.g., 2015-05-25 10:50).
> 
> sgt_$> ls -lrt /boot/grub
> total 1028
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root    15 2010-09-16 10:33 device.map
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root  8320 2010-09-16 10:33 915resolution.mod
> .....  [ RSJ: snip ]  .....
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 25105 2010-09-16 10:33 core.img
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root  2746 2010-09-16 10:33 grub.cfg
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root  1024 2015-05-25 10:50 grubenv
> 
> File /boot/grub/grubenv contains only a very long string of pound signs
> ############### ...
> which covers multiple lines on the screen.
> 
> The few other files in /boot/grub I have tried to look at do not appear
> to be human-readable.
> 
> INSTALLATION PROCEDURE
> 
> References 1, 2, 3, and 4 each describe the initial installation
> af Ubuntu, which consists of four steps.  The figure and page
> numbers are from Ref 1.
> 
> Fig 3-5 (p58).  Language Selection.
>     Buttons:  Cancel  Forward
> 
> Fig 3-6 (p59).  Time-Zone Configuration.
>     Buttons:  Cancel  Back  Forward
> 
> Fig 3-7 (p59).  Keyboard Configuration.
>     Buttons:  Cancel  Back  Forward
> 
> Fig 3-8 (p60).  Disk Partition.
>     Buttons:  Quit  Back  Forward
> 
> ALL of references 1-4 WARN EMPHATICALLY that all important files
> should be backed up before proceeding with disk partition.
> NONE of the references explicitly addresses the issue
> of installing a new, different keyboard.
> 


Is the computer plugged in?  Is it powered on?


> For example Ref 3 p24:
> "WARNING. The instructions in this section assume that you are
> installing Ubuntu on a new computer system where you do not want
> to preserve any existing files, applications, and other data that
> are currently on its hard drive(s)."
> 
> My computer does have a second hard disk, with a Linux file system.
> 
> Ref 5 p544-p563 presents much detail about the GRUB bootloader,
> some of which might be relevant.  But I would not dare to experiment
> with it.
> 
> REFERENCES
> 
> 1. Blum, Richard.  Ubuntu Linux Secrets.
>    Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis IN.  2009
> 
> 2. Hudson, Andrew, et al.  Ubuntu Unleashed, 2010 Edition,
>    Covering 9.10 and 10.4 .
>    Sams Publishing 2009.
> 
> 3. von Hagen, William.  Ubuntu Linux Bible.
>    Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis IN.  2007.
> 
> 4. Hill, Benjamin Mako, et al.  The Offical Ubuntu Book.
>    Canonical Ltd.  2007
>    Pearson Education Inc, Upper Saddle River NJ.  2006
> 
> 5. Siever, Ellen, et al.  Linux in a Nutshell, 5th Edition.
>    O'Reilly Media Inc.  2005.
> 
> ----- End forwarded message -----
> 
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