# no keyboard w/1.4 boot cd on hp notebook

## greenfury

I just bought a new hp ze4125 notebook and am trying to install Gentoo on it.  I boot off the 1.4.1 cd and everything seems to boot ok (no obvious error message) and it gets to the login prompt, but the keyboard doesn't work.  Which makes the rest of the install a little difficult   :Smile: 

I've installed Gentoo on two desktops with no problems with the same cd.  I searched the forums here and found a couple references to similar problems with hp notebooks, but no solutions.

BIOS settings are extremely limited with this notebook, nothing seemed applicable there.  Keyboard works in BIOS and in Win XP.

Any suggestions?

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## michealk

I'm seeing the same thing as you on my HP Pavilion ze4115 notebook.  The 1.4 CD boots properly, but the keyboard is completely and totally unresponsive, making an installation pretty much impossible.  I've tried connecting an external keyboard to the PS/2 port, but get the same results (haven't tried a USB keyboard yet).

A quick look in Windows (ack!) shows that the keyboard is detected as a PS/2 keyboard, at the following location:

I/O Range:  0060-0060

I/O Range:  0064-0064

IRQ: 01

Any thoughts?

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## Ndiin

I have the same problem on my HP xt155. I tried other linux install cds (Mandrake 6.1 and Knoppix), and they work perfectly, but gentoo 1.2 and 1.4 livecds do not. I used knoppix to install gentoo, and when I booted the system after installation, I recieved the same result: No keyboard input.

If anyone knows a solution, please share! thanks

-- Ndiin

  ndiin1@cox.net

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## Ndiin

I think I've found a solution. Be sure to enable Preliminary USB filesystem support, full HID, Input core keyboard support.

And of course since the major problem is that the LiveCD has no keyboard support, use a Knoppix cd to do the installation. (boot it with: knoppix 2 for just a console)

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## michealk

Even better (with respect to the keyboard problem):

Disable "Legacy USB Support" in the notebook's BIOS, and you'll find your keyboard will work from the LiveCD.   :Smile: 

Much more info here:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xa15ec1c4ceddd61190050090279cd0f9,00.html

The bad news is that so far no one's been able to get PCMCIA working on the Athlon model (4115 and 4125 I believe).

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## [phuwadol]

I had the same problem booting 1.4rc on my HP ZE1401. What I did was typing something while Gentoo is booting until you get the response from the keyboad.

After installation, if you load usb driver (usb-ohci) during system startup, the keyboad will lock up again. Moreover, without usb-ohci loaded, I don't get X and mouse. Therefore, I "modprobe usb-ohci" before startx/gdm/kdm....

Have fun

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## Dalcius

I've got a PS/2 keyboard and USB mouse.  I hadn't enabled keyboard support in Input Core because the help made me think this was only for USB; my keyboard is PS/2.

 *Ndiin wrote:*   

> I think I've found a solution. Be sure to enable Preliminary USB filesystem support, full HID, Input core keyboard support.
> 
> And of course since the major problem is that the LiveCD has no keyboard support, use a Knoppix cd to do the installation. (boot it with: knoppix 2 for just a console)

 

This worked for me.

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