Keyboard stops responding after some time...

[gosa]

Hi all,

First of all I'd like to say that I've had LMDE up and running for a little while now without running into any problem I haven't been able to solve. It's an amazing OS that I'll be sure to stay with for a long time. I'm only grieving "all" the software I've actually paid for that I can't bring with me over from Windows.

Now - there's a minor thing that's happened to me a couple of times now that I'm not sure on how to solve, and that is my keyboard that stops working after a random amount of time.
The other day it was just 10 minutes after logging in, and today a couple of hours passed before - suddenly - it stopped responding.

My easy way out these two times have been to just reboot the computer and of course I could continue like that but it would be nice to get rid of the problem completely. My issue with this - making it very hard for me to track - is that it's seems very random so far. My mouse is working fine through all this, it's just the keyboard that stops working.

So - have anyone else encountered this behavior so far?
What can I do to try to find some information when it happens again? (Considering that I won't be able to use my keyboard for that investigation - at least not before reboot)

I'm running LMDE x64 on a computer with an Asus P7P55D motherboard.
Keyboard is a basic PS2 keyboard from Microsoft, mouse is a Logitec USB-mouse.

Anything else that's useful to know?

[sisyphist]

I don't know, but I think I have the same issue, as it seems this poster had: http://goo.gl/ZywcN

In my case, it stops working when using Google Chrome; I can get it to work again by starting another program, like gedit, and typing a few characters - does this work for you?

Very weird. I would like a permanent fix, as otherwise Mint's been troublefree.

[DrHu]

The computer is ?, a desktop or a notebook
--that probably makes a difference, as notebooks have power down control to save power, eg screens, hard drives which may very well affect the keyboard, mouse devices

There could also be some Debian issues with some hardware combination or machine types..
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=567756

[gosa]

I don't know, but I think I have the same issue, as it seems this poster had: http://goo.gl/ZywcN

In my case, it stops working when using Google Chrome; I can get it to work again by starting another program, like gedit, and typing a few characters - does this work for you?

Very weird. I would like a permanent fix, as otherwise Mint's been troublefree.

I agree... this is just about the only problem I have that I don't know how to fix. (Apart from trying to run another keyboard for some time).

I think I tried opening gedit to see if it was only related to one application, but I think that gave me the same result - nothing.
I'll give it another go the next time it happens.

[gosa]

The computer is ?, a desktop or a notebook

I'm sorry... maybe I should've been a bit more "verbose" when writing this:

I'm running LMDE x64 on a computer with an Asus P7P55D motherboard.
Keyboard is a basic PS2 keyboard from Microsoft, mouse is a Logitec USB-mouse.

It is a desktop computer.

I skimed through the first posts on the page you linked to, but I'm not sure it applies since it looked like that bug is something that happens to laptops, and right after boot.
- My problem happens when it "feels like" happening. 10 minutes, 1 hour, half a day, 3 days... whenever I want to write something.

It could be related to Firefox in my case (or not) because it happens when I try to type a reply in this forum (or emailing someone, or... - all browser related)
I just wish I knew how to "attack" the problem...

[petitrop]

You might want to try this fix although your problem seems a little different. my problem with the keyboard/mouse were there at boot...

Before trying this, Maybe you should search information on i8042.reset, which relate to some of the keyboard/mouse problems

1. OPEN TERMINAL AND TYPE FOLLOWING COMMAND
sudo gedit /boot/grub/grub.cfg

2. After it prompts you with your password, the editor window opens; you will search for "quiet splash" and change it to "quiet splash i8042.reset". You save your file.

3. In the terminal window, type
sudo grub-install /dev/sda

where /dev/sda means that grub will install on your primary hard disk

[viking777]

1. OPEN TERMINAL AND TYPE FOLLOWING COMMAND
sudo gedit /boot/grub/grub.cfg

But grub.cfg is not a writeable file unless you chmod it first.

And if you do chmod it the mod will be undone when you reinstall grub.

Isn't grub2 wonderful

[Munich]

hello,

i have nearly the same problem. i have a notebook: toshiba satellite L300D and LMDE works very great before. after an big update since 2 days its not possible to log in into my notebook because my mouse and keyboard does not respond so i cant log in
im using 32 bit releaseof lmde and the main release from lmde.
please help me.
thx and a goog weekend.

[viking777]

hello,

i have nearly the same problem. i have a notebook: toshiba satellite L300D and LMDE works very great before. after an big update since 2 days its not possible to log in into my notebook because my mouse and keyboard does not respond so i cant log in
im using 32 bit releaseof lmde and the main release from lmde.
please help me.
thx and a goog weekend.

Do I assume that the answer given in this post doesn't solve your problem?

viewtopic.php?f=141&t=66995&start=0#p388045

Or you just haven't read it?

[gosa]

hello,

i have nearly the same problem. i have a notebook: toshiba satellite L300D and LMDE works very great before. after an big update since 2 days its not possible to log in into my notebook because my mouse and keyboard does not respond so i cant log in
im using 32 bit releaseof lmde and the main release from lmde.
please help me.
thx and a goog weekend.

Please - if you read my post you should be able to see that the problem I'm having is not with keyboard/mouse not working from login.
Moreover - there are plenty of threads covering users who aren't able to even login because the keyboard/mouse don't work.

I created this thread specifically because my problem occurs - very randomly - after some time. It can be after 5 minutes, after an hour, after half a day... and so on and I was hoping that by creating a new thread about this problem I culd be separated from the people that can't even get in to their computers...

Ok, I might be wrong here, but in my world we're talking two completely different issues here...

[jdpearce]

Hi gosa,

I have the same problem on my hp pavilion laptop. I just installed mint 10 with gnome after using mint 8 for a for almost 2 years and I never had this issue before. It sounds like this maybe happening more frequently with you since I seem to only have this issue a couple times a week. I find I dont have to restart but just do a logout to fix the problem. This and display issues with emacs are the only issues i've been having with mint 10, which is an improvement, but still annoying enough to make me think about by a mac...

[jaywink]

Hi,

My wife just started having this problem, happened once a few days ago and once just a few hours ago. Keyboard suddenly stops working. Mouse works fine and logging out and in fixes the issue, so it can hardly be in the hardware.

Anyone have new info on this?

Acer TravelMate 5520 64bit laptop
Linux Mint Julia 10
Kernel 2.6.35-22-generic

I keep it regularly updated for her and wondering if a recent update has broken something. Only stable sources used (well except for a few third party sources maybe).

Thanks,
Jason

[appril4000]

I am having exactly the same problem. The keyboard and the mouse both suddenly stop responding after a while. I am using

Dell precision 490 Desktop
Linux Mint 11 Katya
Kernel: 2.6.38-8-generic
64 bit

I left the computer on all the time. The problem happens randomly, and I can not find what event triggers the problem. The worst part is that, every time it happens, I have to shut down the computer by cut off the power and then restart it. Now I am really worried that it harms the hard drive so bad. Please let me know if anyone knows any way to restart the system without cutting the power. Here are a few things I observed:

1. It happens really randomly in time. Can be 10 minus after restarting, or days after restarting. Usually it happens once or twice a week.

2. I checked the log files using "Adminstration-->Lof File viewer" and couldn't find any related information. Syslog and other logs reported nothing minutes before the freeze.

3. If I recall correctly, most of the time it happens, I am either using Firefox to read PDF files, flash files, or am switching between workspaces.

4. I don't think the system is dead. It seems only the keyboard and mouse are dead. I am using USB keyboard and mouse. Once after the freeze, I tried to test other usb sockets by plug in a usb flash drive. The light in the flash drive was not turned on. So I suspect all usb ports have been disabled. I am planning to try PS/2 keyboard and mouse, but first I need to find one.

5. I just switched to linuxmint from RHEL5 in September. The first trouble I ran into was the famous "system does not wake up from the screen saver" problem. After reading a few forum posts, I disabled screen saver and set "put computer to sleep when inactive for" to "never". I knew this is a bad choice but was too busy at that time to look for a better solution. This solved the screen saver/power saver problem. I do not know if there are any relation between the screen saver/power saver problem and the keyboard/mouse problem. In both cases, the system itself is not dead. It just won't respond. I have tried some tricks found on Internet, such as ctrl+alt+F5, ctrl+SYSRq+r+s+e+i+u+b. None of them worked.

(Need to add that, I always keep Thunderbird, Firefox, and emacs on in the computer. Not sure if one of these softwares caused the problem. But the problem never happed when I was using Thunderbird or emacs. It happened when using Firefox, or when switching workspaces.)

[DrHu]

...
It is a desktop computer.
I skimed through the first posts on the page you linked to, but I'm not sure it applies since it looked like that bug is something that happens to laptops, and right after boot

Ok

A ps/2 connector has small pins,easy to break/miss-align and make not make that great electrical contact..
I usually attack an intermittent hardware problem by reseating the contact points, that is remove/reinsert the ps2 connector (which happens to be of a delicate type, unlike the original AT large plug AT keyboard pins)

I would probably switch to a USB connected keyboard
--but if you want to keep the one you are using, I would then try and make sure that the electrical contacts (pins of the ps/2 are AOK!

• Since they are so delicate, they can easily become looser withing the jack to which they connect
• Another location that can be a problem is the reliability of such connectors on the mainboard
• If you have another computer available with a ps/2 port, switch the keyboard to that computer, if the problem stops, the ps/2 port on your original computer likely has a problem
  --again they are delicate..

[methusalix]

Hi,

i'm using the same mainboard Asus P7P55D and OpenSuse Linux. Solved the problem by blacklisting the buggy module asus_atk0110 which is an abstraction layer for manually adjusting fan speed.
You have to ensure that the BIOS automaticly adjust the fan speed in BIOS setup. Blacklisting works by adding the line 'blacklist asus_atk0110' in the corresponding file in the /etc/modprobe.d/ directory.
e. g. blacklist.conf (Ubuntu) or 50blacklist.conf (OpenSuse) - Don't know the exact filename for Debian. After a reboot the problem will disapear.

If someone else has corresponding keyboard and/or mouse problems with USB devices and other mainboards it is probably a bug the USB autosuspend feature. They should look here for a workaround:

http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get- ... es-10.html

Greetings from Berlin, Germany

methusalix

[gosa]

...
It is a desktop computer.
I skimed through the first posts on the page you linked to, but I'm not sure it applies since it looked like that bug is something that happens to laptops, and right after boot

Ok

A ps/2 connector has small pins,easy to break/miss-align and make not make that great electrical contact..
I usually attack an intermittent hardware problem by reseating the contact points, that is remove/reinsert the ps2 connector (which happens to be of a delicate type, unlike the original AT large plug AT keyboard pins)

I would probably switch to a USB connected keyboard
--but if you want to keep the one you are using, I would then try and make sure that the electrical contacts (pins of the ps/2 are AOK!

• Since they are so delicate, they can easily become looser withing the jack to which they connect
• Another location that can be a problem is the reliability of such connectors on the mainboard
• If you have another computer available with a ps/2 port, switch the keyboard to that computer, if the problem stops, the ps/2 port on your original computer likely has a problem
  --again they are delicate..

Sorry for getting back a bit late with a reply... this is one of many threads that got "forgotten" when my little one "popped out" 4 months ago...

Thanks for your input, but I'm quite sure I can rule out that kind of hardware issues - both because I've tried most of them already (Have never been afraid of poking around in the hardware of computers, and even less since I got my A+ Certification some years ago)

Good news is that this particular problem seems to be gone. If it got resolved after one of my reinstalls or if it went away after an update I can't really say, but that one is gone. I do still have the problem of my keyboard going completely "wild" on me (one key - random which one - "hangs" and whatever I do it just keeps on repeating and only a reboot can return things to normal. This quite possibly comes from my PSU being a bit weak, because it usually happens when I connect to much hardware to my computer.

Anyway - thanks for your input.
/gosa

[gosa]

Hi,

i'm using the same mainboard Asus P7P55D and OpenSuse Linux. Solved the problem by blacklisting the buggy module asus_atk0110 which is an abstraction layer for manually adjusting fan speed.
You have to ensure that the BIOS automaticly adjust the fan speed in BIOS setup. Blacklisting works by adding the line 'blacklist asus_atk0110' in the corresponding file in the /etc/modprobe.d/ directory.
e. g. blacklist.conf (Ubuntu) or 50blacklist.conf (OpenSuse) - Don't know the exact filename for Debian. After a reboot the problem will disapear.

If someone else has corresponding keyboard and/or mouse problems with USB devices and other mainboards it is probably a bug the USB autosuspend feature. They should look here for a workaround:

http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get- ... es-10.html

Greetings from Berlin, Germany

methusalix

Now this one is interesting...

As I wrote in the post before this one I don't really have the problem anymore, but I will keep it in mind if it comes back.

-Thanks!

[almus]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread. I didn't see any certain resolution.

I have this same problem. ***ONLY** the keyboard stops working. Mouse works fine.
I have not found any permanent solution to this. I have found a work around
that avoids the reboot.

when the keyboard stops working, I select eekboard from my application menu.
eekboard is a qwerty keyboard gui that you select letters from with the mouse.

You just have to select/type **any one** letter on the eekboard and now your
normal keyboard comes back to life.

Why this works may be a clue to what is happening.