whats allowing knoppix 3.81 2.6 kernel work with my keyboard

[yosef]

Every other 2.6 based distro, besides knoppix 3.8.1 is unable to activate my keyboard. The keyboard works fine with 2.4 kernels and other OSs. Even knoppix 3.6 and 3.7 would work with 2.4 but not 2.6. So I'm trying to figure out what patches and configuration knoppix 3.8.1 is using that allow my keyboard to work.
Does anyone know if knoppix uses a vanilla linux kernel, or if certain patches are applied [and where I could view these patches]? Any ideas on what Knoppix might be doing that allows my kbd to work would be greatly appreciated.

[jjmac]

Could you clarify that a bit please. It seems somewhat convoluted..

What keyboard. Are you sayng it works in other distros but not in knoppix with the 2.6 kernels. Probably just some configuration thing ...

Have you been mucking about with your XF86Config-4 file recently.

Id just do a source compile of the mainline kernel with the latest "ck"and apply the latest "ck" patch applyed.

Making sure all the relevent "input device" support is built in for your keyboard and mouse.

Other than that, it may have something to do with your keyboard mapping file ...

jm

          -|-   If the system is the answer, then the question
                            must have been really stupid               -|-

[yosef]

To clarify, my keyboard does not function with any distro based on the 2.6 kernel. I have found one exception to this (meaning one 2.6 distro that allows my keyboard to work): knoppix 3.8.1.
I believe it has something to do with the keyboard controller, and not just the keyboard, as changing keyboards has no affect on the problem.

[jjmac]

Could you describe the type of keyboard you have ?


Along with the 'input device' entry from your /etc/X11/XF86Conf-4 file,

Such as ...

Section "InputDevice"
  Identifier  "Default Keyboard"
  Driver      "keyboard"
  Option      "CoreKeyboard"
  Option      "XkbRules"    "xfree86"
  Option      "XkbModel"    "microsoft"
  Option      "XkbLayout"   "us"
  Option      "AutoRepeat"  "500 30"

EndSection

Which is just the standard MS compat keyboard. With a PS/2 connector. Or the earlier one ... AT or XT, i can never remember what thats particularly called, but it's a very similar connector ... larger.. Possibly a look at

/var/log/XFree86.0.log

would also be usefull.

These fields from your ".config" in your /usr/src/linux directory, if available, would also be helpfull.

#
# Input Device Drivers
#
CONFIG_INPUT_KEYBOARD=y
CONFIG_KEYBOARD_ATKBD=y
# CONFIG_KEYBOARD_SUNKBD is not set
# CONFIG_KEYBOARD_LKKBD is not set
# CONFIG_KEYBOARD_XTKBD is not set
# CONFIG_KEYBOARD_NEWTON is not set
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSE=y
CONFIG_MOUSE_PS2=y
CONFIG_MOUSE_SERIAL=y
# CONFIG_MOUSE_VSXXXAA is not set
# CONFIG_INPUT_JOYSTICK is not set
# CONFIG_INPUT_TOUCHSCREEN is not set
CONFIG_INPUT_MISC=y
CONFIG_INPUT_PCSPKR=m
# CONFIG_INPUT_UINPUT is not set

Unless there is something very different about your keyboard ... it sounds kinda strange. It could also turn out to be something not immediately, obviously related as well. Such as a ket mapping issue.


jm

          -|-   If the system is the answer, then the question 
                            must have been really stupid               -|-