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Date:      Sat, 23 Dec 2000 12:52:39 +1300
From:      David Preece <davep@afterswish.com>
To:        Paul Halliday <dp@penix.org>
Cc:        freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: KB problemo.
Message-ID:  <5.0.0.25.1.20001223123756.01afe2a0@pop3.i4free.co.nz>
In-Reply-To: <3A43CF12.84D43071@penix.org>

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At 17:00 22/12/00 -0500, you wrote:
>On a reboot I get
>beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep, then keyboard not found or keyboard error. So, yes
>as mentioned just recently on this list, hard switches are _BAD_.

So the keyboard controller's toast, is that what we're saying? Presumably 
you've tried connecting the keyboard directly to eliminate the all too real 
possiblity that it's the switch that's broken?

>         Now, aside from purchasing a new mb [snip]
>b) use either a
>serial port or parellel port to get this machine back up?

Ah, man, good one because it's the kind of thing you would have no chance 
whatsoever of doing under Windows :)

The important point here has nothing to do with FreeBSD at all: Will your 
BIOS  let the booting process continue without a keyboard. Or do you get 
the monster cliche'd "keyboard error, press F1 to continue"? If it won't 
continue booting, adieu to the motherboard.

If it will then I suggest putting the hard drive in another fairly similar 
machine and configuring BSD to run headless i.e. using a serial port as the 
console. I have a development box I've been using like this for about six 
months and have had no problems at all. Doesn't even have a video card in it.

So, obviously, you then put the hard drive back in the box with the dead 
keyboard controller and run a serial cable over to your workstation. 
Anytime you need to log on, do it over the cable. Problem solved, with 
extra brownie points because it's secure.

Configuring FreeBSD to run headless is a FAQ on -small, and consequently I 
did a page about it that's hosted in half a dozen places.... none of which 
I can remember. Search the archive on -small for "headless" and you'll be 
there.

>Paul H.

Dave :)

PS. Probably better on -questions.



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