USB keyboard won't work, FreeBSD and BIOS

C

canihazsekooriti

When I booted FreeBSD my USB keyboard wouldn't work. Num Lock light was on and wouldn't respond to Num Lock toggle presses. Unplugging and plugging the USB keyboard back just produced the same situation, Num Lock diode stuck in on mode, nothing working. So I stopped using FreeBSD as my desktop for now until I figure this out.

So, when I use Linux, I used to get weird USB keyboard issues too. I disabled a second keyboard interface (it has a weird second interface for the extra functions, I don't understand why it has to be a separate interface, suspicious to me) using udevadm.

But I also noticed there's something weird going on between BIOS using my USB keyboard at boot and later FreeBSD (or Linux) taking over and working the USB keyboard. For example, I do not get any issues as of yet if I unplug the USB keyboard during BIOS time during boot, and only plug it in after Linux kernel takes over. And you know, BIOS has some rudimentary USB functionality for peripherals - it can work with the USB keyboard.

So I wonder how clean is the USB device transition between BIOS and FreeBSD? I know you switch into protective mode, but what happens to USB devices identified by BIOS and are already plugged in when FreeBSD kernel get the handoff. I would assume it doesn't power cycle the USB devices? Or maybe it does? There's something bad going on, and I'm just trying to troubleshoot it. It would be disheartening if FreeBSD users would be locked out of their installations via a malfunctioning kernel/USB keyboard situation.
 
canihazsekooriti said:
When I booted FreeBSD my USB keyboard wouldn't work. Num Lock light was on and wouldn't respond to Num Lock toggle presses. Unplugging and plugging the USB keyboard back just produced the same situation, Num Lock diode stuck in on mode, nothing working. So I stopped using FreeBSD as my desktop for now until I figure this out.

So, when I use Linux, I used to get weird USB keyboard issues too. I disabled a second keyboard interface (it has a weird second interface for the extra functions, I don't understand why it has to be a separate interface, suspicious to me) using udevadm.

But I also noticed there's something weird going on between BIOS using my USB keyboard at boot and later FreeBSD (or Linux) taking over and working the USB keyboard. For example, I do not get any issues as of yet if I unplug the USB keyboard during BIOS time during boot, and only plug it in after Linux kernel takes over. And you know, BIOS has some rudimentary USB functionality for peripherals - it can work with the USB keyboard.

So I wonder how clean is the USB device transition between BIOS and FreeBSD? I know you switch into protective mode, but what happens to USB devices identified by BIOS and are already plugged in when FreeBSD kernel get the handoff. I would assume it doesn't power cycle the USB devices? Or maybe it does? There's something bad going on, and I'm just trying to troubleshoot it. It would be disheartening if FreeBSD users would be locked out of their installations via a malfunctioning kernel/USB keyboard situation.
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Trying using all the back panel USB ports. I had a similar error with a mouse, and changing ports fixed my problem.
 
just to be sure: how old is that hardware?

If those are USB1.0/1.1 connectors on the board, most current hardware won't work, as pretty much every controller used in peripherals nowadays is at least USB2/EHCI and might also have higher power requirements. If It's USB3 periphery it even uses a different encoding than USB1/2.
Also USB keyboards in ancient BIOS were always a PITA - some of those borked systems even crashed/reset if you unplugged the keyboard.
 
canihazsekooriti said:
my USB keyboard
Click to expand...
Which one?
Even some branded keyboards (for example Cherry and Glorious) have problems if being used on hubs without dedicated power supply.

sko said:
USB1.0/1.1
Click to expand...
OT: Forcing modern hardware to use USB 1.1 by using old pre-USB-2 hubs has actually some advantage: With good cables, USB 1.1 can support distances longer than 12m. So these old hubs still have good uses, as keyboards and mice are happy with USB 1.1. This makes it easy to connect computers in other rooms without having to throw away these old hubs and cables.

And yes, on vintage (32-bit) computers PS/2 is strongly recommended over USB...
 
sko said:
just to be sure: how old is that hardware?

If those are USB1.0/1.1 connectors on the board, most current hardware won't work, as pretty much every controller used in peripherals nowadays is at least USB2/EHCI and might also have higher power requirements. If It's USB3 periphery it even uses a different encoding than USB1/2.
Also USB keyboards in ancient BIOS were always a PITA - some of those borked systems even crashed/reset if you unplugged the keyboard.
Click to expand...
Laptop has an internal USB3 controller. (I keep it off in BIOS, just use usb2.0 for most things). The USB keyboard bought last year, is USB2.

I assume if the issue were power requirements, the USB keyboard would not work at all. It worked with FreeBSD for a few days and reboots. Then not. The keyboard works on a hardened Linux.

What's PITA?
 
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