Ubuntu
grub2 package

[Keyboard] keyboard not active in GRUB boot to select OS to boot

Asked by Optiker

Installed Kubuntu 10.04 to dual boot with Windows XP Home. It worked OK except when I rebooted, I was unable to select any other OS from the GRUB list. The cursor keys were inactive, and I tried "e" for edit, but other keys were also inactive as if the keyboard was not connected. I was told on the forum that USB had to be enabled in the BIOS, but found nothing there that looked like it would help. I tried switching to a PS2 keyboard, but the same problem continued.

How can I solve this problem, or alternately, how do I change the GRUB default so I can boot to Windows until I can get it fixed?

There have been other such questions, but most were much older versions, and the means of changing the GRUB boot list have changed for those, and otherwise I didn't ind an answer to my problem.

thanks!
Optike

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Revision history for this message
Marc Stewart (marc.stewart) said : 		#1

I can't help with your keyboard—the fact that the problem persists with a PS/2 connection is weird, and I thought the BIOS option for USB keyboards was ubiquitous these days.

GRUB reordering, though, is easy enough. Open a terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) and type:
cd /etc/grub.d
sudo mv 30_os-prober 08_os-prober
sudo update-grub

That'll make GRUB look for non-Linux OSes first, putting Windows at the top of the list as default option. Of course the problem you'll have then is that you won't be able to select Ubuntu as a boot option.

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Optiker (optiker-crb) said : 		#2

Thanks Marc! That got me back to Windows, but of course, I'd like to be able to get into Kubuntu now. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Optiker

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#3

If you enter your BIOS make sure USB legacy mode is enabled. Should be ok then

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delance (olivier-delance) said : 		#4

Can you type
    sudo grub-install --version
and check you get a version greater than 1.97. If you installed 10.04, it should.

http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?30429 proposes to load OHCI and UHCI module in Grub.
Can you try. If it fails, I will do more research.
And what is you motherboard ?

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Optiker (optiker-crb) said : 		#5

actionparsnip - I didn't see a setting for enabling USB lagacy mode, but will check again.

delance - I followed Marc Stewart's instructions and made Windows the default, so can't boot to Kubuntu now since can't get into Kubuntu at this point since I can't change selection in the GRUB boot list.

I'll look at the savannah/gnu.org link, but frankly, I'm a relative newbie, so it may get way over my head pretty quickly. Motherboard is ABIT AA8XE 925XE MB in an Alienware Area 51 computer that's about 5 years old.

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delance (olivier-delance) said : 		#6

1) Can you type
    sudo grub-install --version
and check you get a version greater than 1.97. If you installed 10.04, it should.

2) http://www.abit.com.tw/page/en/motherboard/motherboard_detail.php?pMODEL_NAME=AA8-DuraMAX&fMTYPE=LGA775&pPRODINFO=Manual
Not sure it's exactly your motherboard.
Chapter 3 page 18
OnChip USB Controller:
This option enables or disables the USB controller.
USB 2.0 Controller:
This option enables or disables the USB 2.0 controller.
USB Keyboard Support Via:
This item allows you to select [BIOS] for using USB keyboard in DOS environment, or [OS] in OS environment.
USB Mouse Support Via:
This item allow

Could you check the BIOS for parameter "USB Keyboard Support Via"

3) savannah/gnu.org
I'm not a specialist of this also.
Could you add in file /etc/default/grub these two lines (for this, you will have to type "sudo gedit /etc/default/grub"):
GRUB_PRELOAD_MODULES="ohci uhci"
GRUB_TERMINAL_INPUT="usb_keyboard" ?

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Optiker (optiker-crb) said : 		#7

delance - since I can't get into Kubuntu, I can't get to a console to type that. I will reboot and check my BIOS for "USB Keyboard Support Via". However, I swapped in a PS/2 keyboard and it did the same thing, and the keyboard works fine under Windows. Nevertheless, I'll check.

Thanks!

Revision history for this message
Optiker (optiker-crb) said : 		#8

Marc and delance...

Checked BIOS and found that "USB Keyboard Support Via" was set to OS. I switched it to BIOS, and it works!

Thanks very much for your assistance.

Optiker