Re: random keystrokes ignored on console
On Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 09:32:52PM -0600, Owen Heisler wrote:
> Sometimes, when I type in the console, about 40% of the keystrokes are ignored.
> If I type (for example) "startx" and hit enter, I'll see "sart" or somesuch and
> the command fails. In that same case, typing "sttartxx" and enter probably
> would have worked, with "startx" being run. The enter key is also affected, so
> maybe I'd have had to hit it twice. This is frustrating, obviously. This
> - does not seem to be related to system temperature,
> - does not happen in X,
> - doesn't seem to be happening consistently,
> - and affects logging in (username & password) too.
>
> This is on a new ThinkPad running Debian Lenny/Sid amd64. I thought this
> problem could be hardware-related, so I ran the hardware tests available on the
> Rescue & Recovery disc included with the laptop. Two tests failed:
> System Board: USB Port Test - Abnormal Exit
> SMBIOS: Standards Test - Failed
> but they don't seem related to the problem.
>
> Any thoughts? Thanks.
Try booting with init=/bin/sh on the kernel command line.
Did you have the problem on grub's command line?
This avoids all daemons. You don't get a login but you do get a command
line (with / mount ro). See if the problem persists.
Then try booting the single-user mode. dbus (if it is a problem) is run
in runlevel2.
Do you get the problem if you ssh into the box from another box? What
about a serial console?
How did you determine that the hardware errors reported don't seem to be
related to the problem? Get the service manual from IBM's website and
see what it says to do to fix the problem. Do the diags give you any
FRU (Field-Replacable Unit) numbers? Is the laptop under warranty?
Do you have the problems with any other OS? I find it handy to have an
OpenBSD install floppy (and CD) available for other-OS testing.
Doug.
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