Unable to use a PS/2 keyboard after a boot without it.

Chris Whitehouse chris at childeric.freeserve.co.uk
Sun Aug 1 03:23:49 PDT 2004


01/08/04 00:51:38, "Jesper Wallin" <jesper at hackunite.net> wrote:

>Hello..
>
>I run a few FreeBSD machines at home (both 4.10 and 5.2.1) and if I boot them up
>*without* having the PS/2 keyboard connected, I can't connect it later on.. My servers
>usually runs without screen and keyboard, power and network cable is the only thing
>needed. :) But when I need to change something (like, take them down to
>single-user-mode), then I need to reconnect the keyboard, reboot the machine and THEN I
>can use the keyboard..

If the machines are within reach of each other a kvm (keyboard video mouse) switch works well. You can get a passive switch or a fancy electronic one. The electronic 
one mimics the devices plugged in and allows booting a machine which is not selected. With the passive one you must select the machine you want to boot. I have a 
passive one and switch between various operating systems and between AT and PS2 type motherboards.

At one place I used to work we booted machines with a keyboard plugged in but otherwise moved the few keyboards around between running machines according to 
need. 

Chris





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