# USB keyboard not working



## ExtraTemp (Jun 20, 2020)

I'm trying to install FreeBSD using my regular non-wireless USB keyboard and it stops working right after I go into the installer menu by pressing "Boot Multi User". I've tried it with both memstick and mini-memstick image files written on a pendrive. Strangely enough though I can use my mouse throughout the process and when I tried installing it on virtual machine with .iso file the keyboard worked just fine. How can I get that keyboard to work?


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## T-Daemon (Jun 20, 2020)

Which brand, model is the keyboard? Have you tried plugging in into different USB ports?


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## SirDice (Jun 20, 2020)

Check your  BIOS/UEFI settings regarding support for legacy keyboards. Usually there's an option to make a USB keyboard act like a PS/2  keyboard. Try turning this on or off.


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## ExtraTemp (Jun 21, 2020)

T-Daemon said:


> Which brand, model is the keyboard? Have you tried plugging in into different USB ports?


It's a Genesis Thor 300 TKL, I've tried plugging it into different ports but it didn't do much.


SirDice said:


> Check your  BIOS/UEFI settings regarding support for legacy keyboards. Usually there's an option to make a USB keyboard act like a PS/2  keyboard. Try turning this on or off.


I'll try it now
Haven't found anything keyboard-specific but the "Legacy USB Support" setting didn't seem to change anything.


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## ExtraTemp (Jun 21, 2020)

After some fiddling I managed to get it to "somewhat" work by seeing what happens when I enable / disable NKRO using fn-key + scroll-lock combo. It does bring back the standard keyboard layout, however it treats every key as if it was modified by the shift key which can be only undone for letters (as in I can only control the letter case, I can't switch from colon to semicolon by holding shift).

What really fixed the issue was plugging in an old PS/2 keyboard which somehow made the USB mechanical one I'm currently using work totally as expected. 

Seems like this issue was reported almost 5 years ago and no one has done anything about it since - https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/using-a-usb-keyboard-for-installation.54375/


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## T-Daemon (Jun 21, 2020)

That gaming keyboard has Linux as supported OS listed. That indicates it does not need a proprietary driver to work. The 300 tkl has a chipset update 05-2019. If not applied already I would try that update first.









						Thor 300 TKL | Genesis
					

Many gamers don't let go off their keyboards even when they are playing outside of their home. Thor 300 TKL was designed especially for them. TKL is short for Tenkeyless Mechanical Keyboard. Thanks to its compact size the Thor 300 TKL is the perfect device to take with you.




					genesis-zone.com
				




It could also be that this specific brand and model needs a usb_quirk(4) set (keyword _UQ_KBD_BOOTPROTO_):






						freebsd-usb - freebsd qpad mk-85 usb keyboard not working
					

freebsd qpad mk-85 usb keyboard not working. Hi! I have qpad mk-85 usb keyboard (which have usb 2.0 hub itself). When I start the machine up, I can type bios password and select the boot option....



					freebsd.1045724.x6.nabble.com


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## ExtraTemp (Jun 29, 2020)

T-Daemon said:


> That gaming keyboard has Linux as supported OS listed. That indicates it does not need a proprietary driver to work. The 300 tkl has a chipset update 05-2019. If not applied already I would try that update first.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Didn't work. I'll try contacting their customer service to see if they have something to say about this issue. Strange, everything seemed to be working just fine on Fedora


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## mitko17 (Aug 29, 2020)

Hey, I have the same keyboard. I don't think you needed PS/2 keyboard for install. Disabling NKRO and rebooting fixed it for me. I can't get the multimedia keys to work though.

For the shift bug... you can fix it by pressing Shift + X - not sure why that works, learnt it accidentally. Make sure the keyboard is not locked (might have to press F12 once more to unlock it).

Do you have any replies from their customer service?

Late edit: decided to move volume controls to the mod (windows) key
Mod + F9 = mute
Mod + F10 = vol-down
Mod + F11 = vol-up


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