From owner-freebsd-hackers Fri Dec 4 15:22:45 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id PAA05649 for freebsd-hackers-outgoing; Fri, 4 Dec 1998 15:22:45 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from ninbox.ml.org (hsv1-49.airnet.net [207.242.81.49]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id PAA05518 for ; Fri, 4 Dec 1998 15:21:50 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from kris@airnet.net) Received: from airnet.net (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by ninbox.ml.org (8.9.1/8.8.5) with ESMTP id RAA01361; Fri, 4 Dec 1998 17:13:16 -0600 (CST) Message-ID: <36686C8B.EFFE9D3B@airnet.net> Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 17:13:15 -0600 From: Kris Kirby Organization: Absolutely None! X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.07 [en] (X11; U; FreeBSD 3.0-RELEASE i386) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Warner Losh CC: Robert Withrow , FreeBSD-hackers Subject: Re: multiple keyboard support References: <199811301511.KAA13684@spooky.rwwa.com> <199812042015.NAA41814@harmony.village.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG I wish I'd seen this earier. Alas, I have only myself to blame. (That damn 'delete all' reflex.) Warner Losh wrote: > > In message <199811301511.KAA13684@spooky.rwwa.com> Robert Withrow writes: > : Along the same lines, does anyone know of a "keyboard eliminator" or > : a "dummy keyboard" that will allow me to make headless systems with > : motherboards who's bioses insist on having a keyboard to boot? > > I've also seen them advertised in the back of Ciruit Cellar for approx > $50. Parts for a PIC version would by $15. > > Warner A pseudo-cheap solution is to find keyboards with stuck or dead keys and take to controller off of them, if they will seperate. The IBM PS/2 keyboard (like 5 pounds weight-wise) has a seperate controller which can be disconnected. Note, I am talking about opening the keyboard. IBM PS/2's can't run headless without keyboards either. But at least DOS is smart enough(?) to allow the command interpreter (boot loader?) to operate over the serial ports. Even if it does want the wrong pins for a NULL modem. It's real neat; the pc boots and the controller doesn't know it doesn't have a keyboard. You need a box to keep from killing the controller though. Again, you could unplug the keyboard from the controller and then reassemble it. The IBM PS/2 keyboard controller is 8" x 2" or 17cm x 5 cm. I've been able to get new Toshiba keyboards for $6 but I can't keep them: Everyone likes them, whether white or black. (Keyboards.) -- Kris Kirby UAH Mail UAH CS Home WWW ------------------------------------------- TGIFreeBSD... 'Nuff said. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message