Keyboard not detected with testing USB installer

[neurolysis]

Hi,

I'm trying to install Debian Testing onto my Acer Aspire One ZG5 using the testing versions of boot.img and debian-testing-i386-CD-1.iso. I previously installed (two days ago) the latest release of stable, and the boot.img/CD1 from that worked fine, and installed seamlessly. With testing though, the menu does not respond to the keyboard as soon as the menu appears to select Install/Graphical install/Help, etc. I have also tried to boot with an external (USB) keyboard, which again, works fine with the stable version of boot.img/CD1, but not testing.

I did some searching and couldn't find anything that looked similar. Any ideas?

Thanks.

[dotlj]

When you install Testing, did you allow the installer to detect the keyboard, or did you choose the keyboard manually?
Usually, I tell the installer what keyboard I have rather than go through the lengthy 'auto' detect procedure. Whichever one you tried, try the other.
If you don't get the options, try booting with 'expert' mode at the beginning, then you can choose the maximum. In most cases, the installer will correctly choose everything.

if that doesn't work, see what your keyboard is and what driver Lenny (stable) used, then try installing that. If there are any error messages that you get, please post them. Check /var/logs for any messages that might help you find the problem.

[neurolysis]

It's literally at the first step. I don't even get the choice to choose expert mode, it's at the point where you select what mode you want to use that no keyboard input works.

[dotlj]

It's literally at the first step. I don't even get the choice to choose expert mode, it's at the point where you select what mode you want to use that no keyboard input works.

That is very unusual, especially since your keyboard worked with Stable. Possible problems include the burned CD, did you check the MD5sum? It seems unlikely that your keyboard is not working.

You could try installing from one of the many methods
http://www.debian.org/distrib/netinst
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i ... 03.html.en
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i ... ex.html.en
The last one, the whole installation manual should give you lots of options. At least one should work. Maybe someone else has other ideas.

[neurolysis]

The md5 matches.

I will try the links later on today, thanks!

[f.zweig]

I'm facing the exact same problem trying on an Acer Aspire One 532h netbook. Stable worked, testing doesn't. Seems to be some driver related issue. dd-ing the netboot-image to the USB key resolves the keyboard issue, but breaks the installer.

neurolysis, what did you do the work around the problem?

[May23]

Binary package hint: debian-installer

I burned a alternate CD from a daily Jaunty AMD64 ISO (20090111) and when I booted from the CD, the intinal gfxboot screen worked fine and allowed me to use my wireless keyboard. However, once I selected the 'Install Ubuntu' option and got to the text installer, the keyboard would not work at all. I first thought that the system has stopped completely because all I could do is hard reboot, however another user with the same specs and a USB keyboard as me reported on the Ubuntu forums: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1037138 mentioned that using a PS2 keyboard allowed them to proceed. The same person just wrote that their USB keyboard worked in the install of Alpha 1 but not in Alpha 2.

I have tried a number of images on CD's and a USB stick and my keyboard works with none of them.

I had managed to use my wireless keyboard before with the alternate installer to install Intrepid Ibex, so something has changed since then to prevent my wireless keyboard from working with the alternate installer. Using the live CD is not an option because a) I prefer a barebone installation and b) the manual partition option does not work on the live CD as stated in the Alpha 2 release notes.

I am using the Microsoft Wireless Multimedia Keyboard 1.1 which does work normally in Ubuntu.

[layr]

Is there any fix to date? Tried installing wheezy on laptop and keyboard, touchpad nor pointer were recognized. Same installer worked flawlessly on desktop.
(in my case the keyboard becomes unfunctional after the installation method is chosen)

Edit: same installer now worked. No idea what was the reason.

[nikobit]

Extracted Acer Aspire One ZG5 from dusty closet. Recorded 'netinst' image with Rufus. Booted the machine, installed 'Bookworm'. Works like charm! Out of cons- : FireFox loads modern pages like dozens of minutes. Pros- the rest is OK.

[arzgi]

There is not much sense replying to 13(!) years old posts.