[ale] keyboard issues

[kaboom at gatech.edu (Chris Ricker)]

On Fri, 23 Apr 1999, Jim Williams wrote:

> Hello all,
> I have finally made Linux (RH5.2 with the kernel it shipped
> with...2.0.3??) my workstation at my new job.
> I have one of those ergonomic M$ keyboards that I like to use but I am
> having a strange problem.  After the system runs for awhile I notice
> the lights start to blink on the keyboard and then I lose all keyboard
> input.  Then in a bit they blink again and control is restored.  This
> keeps happening until the keyboard just completely dies (hard to
> shutdown cleanly at this point).
> 
> It seems to not be happening with this generic keyboard I am using now
> but I have not been on it for very long.
> 
> Preferably I would like some suggestions on other ergonomic keyboards
> so I can scrap this last piece of M$ garbage.  My wrists get sore with
> a normal keyboard, especilly when I work out so I need a solution. 
> Hard to write code when your fingers won't go where you want.
> 
> Has anyone else run into a problem like this with these keyboards and
> fixed it.  I do not want to just start changing the keyboard type and
> screw up my access to this system.

Depending on your motherboard, a BIOS upgrade might help.  Apparently
Microsoft keyboards use a non-standard voltage (gee, Microsoft non-standard?
You've got to be kidding! ;-) or something along those lines.  At any rate,
the latest revision of the BIOS for my Abit motherboards listed your problem
as one of the bugs it fixed, and that as the reason.

later,
chris

--
Chris Ricker                                               kaboom at gatech.edu
                                                  chris.ricker at m.cc.utah.edu