Console keyboard & mouse stop working in gui

[BradV]

I have some BL460C G5 and G7 blades in a c7000.  Today, I started having problems with console access to one of the G5 blades.  After opening the iLO 2 console port (firmware version 2.12), the login displays, but the mouse won't move and the keyboard doesn't work.  If I ssh in and reboot the server (running RHEL 6.4), I can see that happening in the console window.  I can interact with the console window during startup and can even select to boot to single user mode and that works.  As soon as I leave single user mode and go to a graphical multy user level, the mouse and keyboard stop working.  I can access the other blades without a problem.  I've tried getting access from two different servers.  So, this all seems related to the one blade.

I'm running 32 bit firefox 17.0.3 under RHEL 6.4 using Java 6 update 43 32 bit plugin.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[TVVJ]

It is possible that if Legacy USB support is disabled, then keyboard and mouse functionality may be affected. Check if this option is enabled in BIOS. To do so, restart the server and press F9 key during POST prompt to run the ROM-Based Setup Utility (RBSU).  Under menu System Options > USB Control > Legacy USB option check if the option is enabled.

Regards,

Vijayasarathy

[BradV]

No, didn't change anything in the BIOS.  It was working.  I did a yum update and then it stopped working.  I followed up by re-running the latest SPP.  That didn't make a difference.  I just re-booted and checked the BIOS.  USB is fully enabled.  If the screen is in text mode, the keyboard works.  As soon as I run startx, it stops.  All the other blades work fine.  I've tried accessing from a couple of different systems.  I get the same result.  So, it has to have something to do with that blade.

[Psychonaut]

Did you try an e-fuse reset or pulling the blade?

[BradV]

No, I just performed the efuse reset.  It still is in the same odd state.  I changed the default run state to 3.  I can open the console and log in as root.  After I run startx, neither the keyboard nor the mouse work.  If I then ssh in and kill the window interface, I can start using the keyboard again in the ilo console window.  Very odd.  :(

[sgunelius]

I've seen some odd iLO behavior on a wide range of my blades and finally got around to upgrading the OA modules on my c7000's since the update process resets the modules.  I also upgraded the iLO firmware to the latest revision and I think the combination of the two has solved most of my issues.

Scott

[BradV]

I've run SPP from Oct 2012.  It says the OAs are up to date.  Not sure what else to try.  I guess I'll open a support ticket.  Thanks for all of the suggestions!

[Jimmy Vance]

BradV wrote:

I did a yum update and then it stopped working.

So, it has to have something to do with that blade.

---

What packages were updated? anything related to X windows?

If all was working well before the yum update, not sure I would point fingers at the hardware

[BradV]

Oh, I'm not neccesarilly saying it is a hardware problem.  I'm just trying to point out that I've tried to open the console port from several different servers using a couple of different JDK versions and I get the same problem.  From those same servers I can open up the consoles to the other blades.  So, the problem, what ever it is, seems to be isolated to that blade.  I just need to figure out what.  :)

I will go check the yum logs and see if anything jumps out at me.

Did that and didn't see anything.  I tried to bring up the systems management home page, but the login screen is just a grey blank window.  I then ran strace on hpsmhd and it indicated a bunch of hpsmh libraries missing.  So, I decided to run the SPP again and see if it would re-install SMHP.  It found nothing to update on the server, but did install an update to the OA.  I rebooted the server.  Still have the same problem with mouse and keyboard and SMHP is still blank.  :)

[Oscar A. Perez]

Probably, the UHCI driver on your Linux has problems detecting iLO virtual KB/Mouse.

You can try this:

Upgrade iLO2 firmware to version 2.15

Login into iLO2

Go to Remote Console menu

Select Settings Tab

Change the "Keyboard and Mouse Connected to" option to "System USB Port"

Press Apply button.

If Linux doesn't detect a new KB/Mouse at than moment, reboot Linux.

[BradV]

Thanks for the suggestion Oscar.  I had downloaded the Feb 2013 SPP last week and installed it.  So, the firmware is at level 2.15.  I made the suggested change to the keyboard and mouse and rebooted the system.  Again, as soon as it leaves graphical, I can interact using the keyboard with the console.  After booting back to run level 5, the keyboard and mouse still don't work.

This may be totally RHEL 6.4 related.  I also have a Sun X4100 that I have a physical mouse, keyboard, and monitor attached to.  It is also running RHEL 6.4 and I can't get the keyboard and mouse to work while in graphical mode.  Very curious.

I guess I'll ask Red Hat for any thoughts.  :)

[Oscar A. Perez]

Did you set a "Policy" in RHEL that prevents installation of removable devices?  I know that if you set this policy in Windows, the iLO Virtual KB/Mouse might not get configured properly and won't work under Windows.

[Jimmy Vance]

I don't have a G5 or G6 handy to test on.  since it works in plain text mode I'm thinking it is a driver setting in X configuration. I know 6.4 GUI works in iLO on Gen 8 systems.  Are you using the Java remote client or the Windows based remote client?

[BradV]

Java.  The ilo interface is on a non-routeable network.  So, I have to open an ssh session to one of the servers in the enclave and start a vnc session.  All of the servers in the enclave are linux or Solaris.  I then start firefox and get in to the ilo that way.  This has been working up until a week or so ago.  I'll check the X configuration on a 6.3 system versus this 6.4 and see if there were any changes introduced.

I really don't think there is a policy in linux to prevent the usage other than maybe selinux, but only running that in permissive mode.