From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Dec 7 12:29:01 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 19CA916A4CE for ; Sun, 7 Dec 2003 12:29:01 -0800 (PST) Received: from hak.cnd.mcgill.ca (hak.cnd.mcgill.ca [132.216.11.133]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B2A2843FA3 for ; Sun, 7 Dec 2003 12:28:56 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from mat@hak.cnd.mcgill.ca) Received: from hak.cnd.mcgill.ca (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by hak.cnd.mcgill.ca (8.12.9/8.12.8) with ESMTP id hB7KQ815003701; Sun, 7 Dec 2003 15:26:08 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from mat@hak.cnd.mcgill.ca) Received: (from mat@localhost) by hak.cnd.mcgill.ca (8.12.9/8.12.8/Submit) id hB7KQ7F8003700; Sun, 7 Dec 2003 15:26:07 -0500 (EST) Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2003 15:26:07 -0500 From: Mathew Kanner To: Blaz Zupan Message-ID: <20031207202607.GD98718@cnd.mcgill.ca> References: <20031207180022.B63497@titanic.medinet.si> <20031207192947.GA98718@cnd.mcgill.ca> <20031207204648.W65703@titanic.medinet.si> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20031207204648.W65703@titanic.medinet.si> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.1i Organization: I speak for myself, operating in Montreal, CANADA X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=5.0 tests=none autolearn=no version=2.60 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.60 (1.212-2003-09-23-exp) on hak.cnd.mcgill.ca cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Reward for fixing keyboard support in FreeBSD, apply within X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 07 Dec 2003 20:29:01 -0000 On Dec 07, Blaz Zupan wrote: [ ... snip ...] > > You could stick a kbdcontrol -k /dev/kbd2 in rc.local or > > something similiar. Or you could try (warning, wild guess) the > > following in the boot loader > > > > set hint.sc.2.at=isa > > set hint.sc.2.flags=0x200 > > Sure, I'm using the kbdcontrol hack right now. But that's hardly a solution. I > want to have FreeBSD fixed so that dirty workarounds like this are not needed. > To even install FreeBSD on this box, you need to jump through hoops: > > - create a customized boot floppy without USB support > - boot the customized floppy (slow) > - install through the network > - alternatively, setup a PXE boot with a custom kernel - complicated > > After installation you need to remotely login as your keyboard again won't > work because a GENERIC kernel with USB will be installed. Then you add > kbdcontrol -k /dev/kbd2 to your startup files. > > All this is extremely clumsy. What if FreeBSD crashes and you land in single > user mode? You're screwed, because /etc/rc.local doesn't run. So you need to > put it into your shells startup file. Clumsy. Errorprone. > > So - I want this fixed once and for all. I'm sure there already are and there > will be more hardware like this and if FreeBSD wants to be a server operating > system, it needs to support new hardware, not have more clumsy workarounds. I sense you have strong feelings about this :) The way I see it, FreeBSD needs serious hacking to have multiple concurrent keyboards support without serious hacking. The only other option is to have a flag to indicate which keyboard to use. If your keyboard works before the kernel is active (eg, to boot loader), then please try my second suggestion above. Good luck. --Mat -- If you optimize everything, you will always be unhappy. - Don Knuth