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Thread: keyboard randomly stops responding

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Beans
    7

    keyboard randomly stops responding

    Hi forumn, I've been experiencing seemingly random keyboard lockups in lucid lynx 10.04. I am fairly certain than it is not a hardware problem, since when I dual boot into windows it never happens. This has happened since I installed ubuntu on this (new) machine. I am using the proprietary ATI driver.

    The symptoms:
    Eventually, the keyboard stops responding to input. I think that it always happens while I am using the keyboard, but can't say for sure. Many times, the last key struck repeats into any input it can. It could be the case that that always happens, and it is sometimes an invisible key like ctr alt or shift. The mouse always works, and if there isn't interference from a repeating key I can use the screen keyboard.

    Hitting capslock does not make the light come on. My keyboard has an f-lock key, and hitting it does not enable the function keys. alt-sysreq-r does not appear to fix it, alt-sysreq-h does not give me output, and ctr-alt-f1 does not bring a terminal up. alt-sysreq-k does not appear to work, but sometimes it makes the screen lock up. Rebooting makes it go away. Looking at the usual error logs after reboot does not show anything suspicous to me.


    There have been many similar reports in many versions of ubuntu in the forums and launchpad, most of which go away spontaneously after a major upgrade (or downgrade, or the person stops using ubuntu) or receive no followup.

    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ux/+bug/253740
    http://wwww.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1561839
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/195805
    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=347682
    https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troublesho...yboardAndMouse

    I have no idea what (if anything) triggers the problem, so I don't know how to reproduce it. Sometimes it will go days or a week without happening, sometimes 10 minutes.

    Can anyone suggest what the problem might be, or a potential workaround? If you have an idea, what logs should I be looking at to verify?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Beans
    5

    Re: keyboard randomly stops responding

    I'm having the identical problem. It is incredibly annoying, as it interrupts my work at least daily.

    I'm on 10.04. The keyboard I'm using is NOT usb, but I'm almost positive the keyboard is fine (I've tried swapping). It seems to usually happen in emacs, but this is not surprising as I do 90+% of my work in emacs.

    I cannot use the keyboard at all when this occurs, but the mouse still works.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Beans
    6

    Re: keyboard randomly stops responding

    I also am having this problem. Sometimes the keyboard stops responding at all. Caps Lock und Num Lock leds don't respond anymore, the keyboard is completely dead. The mouse still works.

    Some days it does not happen at all, however today it already happened twice. It indeed is very annoying.

    I am using ubuntu 10.10 with an old ps/2 Keyboard. I am however almost certain the keyboard cannot be the issue. It used to work without any problems on an older computer with ubuntu 8.10.

    Do you guys still experience these problems or (and how) have you been able to resolve them? Thanks.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Beans
    5

    Re: keyboard randomly stops responding

    I still have this problem.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Beans
    13
    Distro
    Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

    Re: keyboard randomly stops responding

    I have this problem as well. I have posted a thread so I will keep you guys updated if I get lucky.

    What kind of computer and keyboard models do you guys have?
    Last edited by SidZ; January 7th, 2011 at 01:05 AM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Beans
    5

    Re: keyboard randomly stops responding

    Can you give us a link to the other thread?

    I'm on a intel i5 system. The choice of keyboard doesn't seem to matter too much ... the one I'm using now is branded "Cherry", which is some inexpensive german-made thing.

    The only slightly unusual part of my system is the Nvidia GPU.

    thanks

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Beans
    6

    Re: keyboard randomly stops responding

    For completeness I will give my system configuration:

    • Motherboard: Asus P7P55D
    • CPU: Intel core i5 650
    • PSU: Antec EarthWatts EA430D Green
    • Memory: Kingston HyperX 2x2GB DDR3 1600 Mhz
    • Videocard: ASUS ENGT240 SILENT/DI/1GD3 (Nvidia GForce GT240)
    • HD 1: Corsair Force Series F60 (60 GB - intern - 2.5" - SATA-300)
    • HD 2: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 (TB - intern - 3.5" - SATA-300 - 7200 rpm - buffer: 32 MB)
    • Keyboard: PS/2, can't find a brand but is has served me very well over the past years
    • Mouse: I have no mouse, but use a Wacom Intuos 4 S drawing tablet(USB connected) instead


    This all running on Ubuntu 10.10 x64.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Beans
    125

    Re: keyboard randomly stops responding

    I have the same problem. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do! I hope someone finds the solution soon. I'm using an Acer laptop as well.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Beans
    5

    Re: keyboard randomly stops responding

    A bit moire info about my system, since it appears quite similar to vanBuuren's:

    Motherboard: ASUS P7P55D-E
    CPU: Intel core i5 750, 2.67Ghz
    Nvidia GTX285.

    Someone else at my work has been experiencing the same problem. Her computer is identical except for the graphics card, which is not an nvidia.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Beans
    125

    Re: keyboard randomly stops responding

    Quote Originally Posted by alligoodw View Post
    I have the same problem. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do! I hope someone finds the solution soon. I'm using an Acer laptop as well.
    I've made a decision.

    After having difficulties with the keyboard over several Linux distributions installed, I've decided that the problem is the keyboard itself. I've return the laptop, still under warranty, to the manufacturer for repair.

    Regardless the operating system, I had the keyboard to freeze and I observed a behavior where it appeared that I was holding down a key continually, when in fact, I wasn't.

    Yes! I cleaned the keyboard thoroughly.

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