Keyboard dead under X

[sweetser at TheWorld.com (Doug Sweetser)]

Hello:

I installed a testing version of Sarge.  On Friday after the
preliminary install, I was able to get xwindows to work.  I went to
the swapfest and bought a small keyboard because it looked fun.  I
plugged in the 88 key board and gave it a try.

It didn't work under x, no letters appeared in gnome-terminal, or in
the display manager trying to log in.  So I plugged in the old
keyboard, yet the keyboard was still not typing under x.  I have two
mice, and they work fine enough to close down x.  Back at the console,
both keyboards do what keyboards do.  Sometimes I will see a few of
the characters that I have typed appear after x has shut down.

I created a new test account.  It had the same behavior.  I have
compared /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 between the broken new box and one
where the keyboard works, but see no differences.  I spent time using
Google, but haven't read a similar problem descriptions.  Keyboards
always work.  No specific complaints about the keyboard were in
/var/log/XFree86.log, although I might be missing something.

In frustration, I repeated the entire install.  The problem remains
the same.  It is a critical problem: a computer without a working
keyboard is useless.


doug