# Keyboard not responding at boot screen



## Jormaporo (Mar 9, 2013)

I'm trying to install 9.1 using USB stick in Athlon computer here. The mobo is Asus A7V8-8X. I'm using USB keyboard, and don't have no optical drive here. After succesfully configuring BIOS to boot from the USB stick, the bootloader starts quite normally and enter that boot screen with ascii FreeBSD logo and countdown.

However, I cannot proceed. Boot screen does not respond to any keyboard command, and letting the countdown to proceed automatically just resets the system. So I'm unable to install.

I have installed FreeBSD before in other computers. I have been using Linux distros and Windows in this Athlon computer before.

Can you give me a hint what to do? Thank you for any advice!


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## paulfrottawa (Mar 9, 2013)

I had this problem two days ago. My hard drive failed and until I set the proper jumpers on the new hard drive. That happened.

PS: I didn't notice if the keyboard was working or not.


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## kpa (Mar 9, 2013)

Is there an option in the BIOS set up that says something like "USB legacy keyboard support"? If there is turn it on.


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## Jormaporo (Mar 10, 2013)

*No success*

Thanks for the advice so far. Alas, no success. I tried with USB legacy mode set to auto, disabled, and enabled, and tried different USB ports. I think I will try to find an optical drive and/or PS/2 keyboard, to see if it helps.

BR,
Jormaporo


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## qsecofr (Mar 11, 2013)

I have a similar issue on my desktop whenever I boot to single-user mode, not only when upgrading.  PS/2 keyboard always worked for me when USB keyboard did not.


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## SirDice (Mar 12, 2013)

Yes, I have one machine that has the same issue. It seems to be a compatibility issue with that BIOS and keyboard. The same keyboard works fine on other machines and I have other USB keyboards that work fine on this one.

This does seem to work though:

```
nextboot -o "-s" -k kernel
reboot
```
Once the kernel is loaded the keyboard works. It just doesn't want to work during the "beasty" menu.


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## Jormaporo (Aug 12, 2013)

*Still trying*

After a pause, I'm still trying to install FreeBSD from a USB drive. I don't understand @SirDice's advice; where am I supposed to write that command? I can enter the boot prompt at the beginning, giving me this prompt:


```
FreeBSD/x86 boot
Default: 0:fd(0,a)/boot/loader
boot:
```

Here, the keyboard works nicely, and I can press ENTER to proceed in the boot process. It seems the next stage of the boot process steps in (BTX loader), and eventually I once again reach the ASCII Beasty menu. It works with USB Legacy mode 'auto' or 'enabled'.

However, if I press ENTER in the menu (that ASCII FreeBSD logo), or just simply wait for the countdown, the computer restarts. I can see some hex dump in the screen very briefly before the screen blanks and then the computer reboots.

So, either I have no response from the keyboard at all, or I get a reboot in the menu. I tried with different USB keyboards, and tried to switch the USB ports of the install drive/keyboard, no luck.

It seems that I'm unable to install FreeBSD onto this computer, at least not from a USB drive and/or USB keyboard, I don't know where's the problem. I might find myself a CD drive and cable, and/or a PS/2 keyboard. Maybe it helps.


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## Jormaporo (Aug 12, 2013)

*CD installation works*

I now have a CD drive in the computer, and the installation works fine. No special settings needed whatsoever. I guess the problem is somehow related to the USB drive installation. From my point of view, I consider this case closed.


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