Red Hat 9 on Compaq Presario 2100 series laptop installation issue

[Brock Frazier]

I bought a 2135US laptop to load RH9 on and I'm experienceing the same problem as this guy:
http://www.redhat.com/archives/redhat-list/2003-May/msg00016.html

It is important to note that:
1. I can type at the inital prompt just fine. The keyboard goes away after that point. This is true whether entering a graphical or text display installation method.
2. The CDs test out fine on another (non Compaq) system.

Given the other report of this same behavior, this is not totally isolated, and it is completely reproducable.

Any clues?

Thanks in advance.


-Brock Frazier
Boise, ID

[Kjartan Maraas]

Could it be that this laptop is one of the ACPI only laptops? If that's the case it won't boot a Red Hat kernel because it has no support for ACPI in it. Maybe putting an ACPI enabled kernel on a floppy and booting off that will tell you more? I know this won't help you solve the immediate problem, but it will help shed some light on what's causing it. I know there are some ACPI enabled kernels at this URL:

ftp://ftp.mat.univie.ac.at/pub/rpm

[Brock Frazier]

More info:
From the Installer Boot options in RH9, I can choose "linux askmethod"
This bypasses the media inspection screen that normally appears first when launching the installer and it instead starts with the "Choose a Language" screen where my keyboard also does not function.

It appears that the Red Hat installer doesn't recognize my keyboard, regardless of how or where I enter.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again.

-Brock

[Brock Frazier]

Yet more info:
I put RH version 8 in and it has the same behavior, the keyboard doesn't function after it boots up the kernel for the installation program.

So, a kernel is booting and I am getting the first install menu, but I'm not geting past there since I have no functioning keyboard to respond with.

[Erik Heinz]

I have a Presario 2100 - 2135US as well and have had the same problem. I tried to install RedHat 8 just yesterday and though I can type how I want linux to start, once the text-based GUI pops up (and by default goes to the media test screen), I cannot input anything via the keyboard.

I left my home system downloading several other distributions as I've heard Debian and Mandrake work. I'm very curious about the Redhat problem though. Someone suggested I try using a separate book disk to load the kernel and then attempt an install.

[Eric Mulcahy · Accepted solution]

All you have to do to get the install to work is go into the BIOS and disable "legacy USB support" (press F2 at startup).

Also, change the video driver to "vesa" instead of "radeon". this is done after the install in the /etc/X11/XF86config file, under the "driver" section. I am searching right now to get the monitor to go into 1024x768 instead of 800x600... havent figured that out yet. and also, the hardest part yet is getting the PCMCIA slot to work. redhat 9's built in drivers just dont do it.. good luck!

[Eric Mulcahy]

All you have to do to get the install to work is go into the BIOS and disable "legacy USB support" (press F2 at startup).

Also, change the video driver to "vesa" instead of "radeon". this is done after the install in the /etc/X11/XF86config file, under the "driver" section. I am searching right now to get the monitor to go into 1024x768 instead of 800x600... havent figured that out yet. and also, the hardest part yet is getting the PCMCIA slot to work. redhat 9's built in drivers just dont do it.. good luck!

[Eric Mulcahy]

All you have to do to get the install to work is go into the BIOS and disable "legacy USB support" (press F2 at startup).

Also, change the video driver to "vesa" instead of "radeon". this is done after the install in the /etc/X11/XF86config file, under the "driver" section. I am searching right now to get the monitor to go into 1024x768 instead of 800x600... havent figured that out yet. and also, the hardest part yet is getting the PCMCIA slot to work. redhat 9's built in drivers just dont do it.. good luck!

[Eric Mulcahy]

All you have to do to get the install to work is go into the BIOS and disable "legacy USB support" (press F2 at startup).

Also, change the video driver to "vesa" instead of "radeon". this is done after the install in the /etc/X11/XF86config file, under the "driver" section. I am searching right now to get the monitor to go into 1024x768 instead of 800x600... havent figured that out yet. and also, the hardest part yet is getting the PCMCIA slot to work. redhat 9's built in drivers just dont do it.. good luck!

[Eric Mulcahy]

All you have to do to get the install to work is go into the BIOS and disable "legacy USB support" (press F2 at startup).

Also, change the video driver to "vesa" instead of "radeon". this is done after the install in the /etc/X11/XF86config file, under the "driver" section. I am searching right now to get the monitor to go into 1024x768 instead of 800x600... havent figured that out yet. and also, the hardest part yet is getting the PCMCIA slot to work. redhat 9's built in drivers just dont do it.. good luck!