Install Problem -- Dell Laptop In Docking Station -- Mouse & Keyboard Ignored

Very annoying installation problem here.

I have a Dell Latitude D610 laptop parked in a Dell D-Dock PD01X docking station. My mouse and keyboard, both PS/2, are connected to the docking station.

I'm attempting to install SL6 to dual-boot with WinXP SP3. Everything goes along just fine until the initial reboot. When the "just a few more things to configure" screen appears after reboot, the laptop fails to respond to the mouse and keyboard. I have to turn the power off to reboot.

If I un-dock the laptop, I can install SL6. But once I dock the laptop, it ignores the mouse and keyboard on boot.

The docking station works just fine with WinXP and everything worked OK with SL5x.

Any ideas on how to get SL6 to work with a docked D610? Might this difficulty be a "feature" of the kernel? ;-)

Thanks.

I am not sure if these packages are needed for docking but do provide some bios functions for Dell and pulls in standard inventory modules applicable to most Dell systems.: firmware-addon-dell and smbios-utils-python Might be worth a try if you don't have them installed:

Thanks!

Hi,
problem solved then? :-)

cheers,

Actually, yes. But not with the suggested Dell software.

I cross-posted to the Scientific-Linux-Users e-mail list and got a reply from a fellow who had similar trouble with PS/2 keyboards and mice with various distros installed on a desktop box. He had to switch to USB devices.

So, I dug up a PS/2-to-USB splitter/adapter, used it to connect the keyboard & mouse to the docking station and let 'er rip. The laptop booted without a hitch.

Sounds like PS/2 may be on the deprecation trail.

Glad you where able to solve the issue and thanks for posting your findings

I have 2 boxes here with ps2 mice and keyboards(one Dell with SL and one other with Deb.) Thankfully I haven't experienced any issues with PS2 devices but if I start to have issues with those boxes I will look into the possibility of it being caused by a PS2 issue.

Thanks for the heads up,

Actually, yes. But not with the suggested Dell software.

I cross-posted to the Scientific-Linux-Users e-mail list and got a reply from a fellow who had similar trouble with PS/2 keyboards and mice with various distros installed on a desktop box. He had to switch to USB devices.

So, I dug up a PS/2-to-USB splitter/adapter, used it to connect the keyboard & mouse to the docking station and let 'er rip. The laptop booted without a hitch.

Sounds like PS/2 may be on the deprecation trail.

Good plain HW solution :-).
Well, if it didnt worked, i'd try (be at your place) to
- edit xorg.conf with keyboard and mouse specs pointing to right devices
- check the /dev/input
- check if there is maybe some boot parameter
- check if the kernel supports it:

as you can see in my case on my laptop the module device PSAUX is not set, i think this could be also the reason (but not sure) i'd have to look a bit, but this is 5.6 centos and not the SL 6, but worth looking if interested . ..

etc. ...
not that easy to answer this one ...
cheers,

Thanks for the config suggestions.

I forgot to add a link to the PS/2-to-USB splitter/adapter I used. Newegg.com: <http://tinyurl.com/5s6vpk7>. Not all widgets in this class are created equal, so caveat emptor.

So, I'm having the same issue on my xps 1502 laptop.

"su -c 'yum install firmware-addon-dell smbios-utils-python'"
BTW no package found for both of these, is there a spec location I need to add? I still need to install the nvidia drivers so I'm not at the point yet for editing my xorg.conf (and kinda would hope I wouldn't have to for a standard dell usb keyboard and logitech laser mouse).

Thanks!

Hello,
The two packages listed above are in the EPEL repo. Here is a link with info on how to use the EPEL repo: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL#How_can_I_use_these_extra_packages.3F


and the package info:
$ yum info firmware-addon-dell smbios-utils-python
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit
Available Packages
Name : firmware-addon-dell
Arch : i686
Version : 2.2.9
Release : 1.el6
Size : 50 k
Repo : epel
Summary : A firmware-tools plugin to handle BIOS/Firmware for Dell systems
URL : http://linux.dell.com/libsmbios/download/
License : GPLv2+ or OSL 2.1
Description: The firmware-addon-dell package provides plugins to firmware-tools
: which enable BIOS updates for Dell system, plus pulls in standard
: inventory modules applicable to most Dell systems.

Name : smbios-utils-python
Arch : i686
Version : 2.2.26
Release : 3.el6
Size : 60 k
Repo : epel
Summary : Python executables that use libsmbios
URL : http://linux.dell.com/libsmbios/main
License : GPLv2+ or OSL 2.1
Description: Get BIOS information, such as System product name, product id,
: service tag and asset tag. Set service and asset tags on Dell
: machines. Manipulate wireless cards/bluetooth on Dell laptops. Set
: BIOS password on select Dell systems. Update BIOS on select Dell
: systems. Set LCD brightness on select Dell laptops.

I did an info and install and still no dice. Any other ideas do I need to start a daemon or reboot by chance?

It would appear that you are missing the EPEL repo if the packages are not available. Install the repo, run a update, then try to install the needed packages.

That should do it.

It would appear that you are missing the EPEL repo if the packages are not available. Install the repo, run a update, then try to install the needed packages.

That should do it.

Oh no, after installing the epel it worked great! The info and install went through no problems, but! the keyboard and mouse are still not working . Is there something else it could be?

Hello,
Are the keyboard and mouse PS2?

Hi
rasperin - did you read my answer to OP post? if you have problems with ps2 mouse/keyboard, it wont help you to install those packages, you'll have to seek solution in the /dev/input folder, in your kernel, if it support it etc ...

if your ps2 mouse/keyboard is not working, we need to see (to be able to help you) some informations:

'dmesg' output
xorg.conf configuration (if not present, recreate it )
cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep -i mouse
cat /boot/config-`uname -r` | grep -i keyboard

grep -i -r "mouse" /var/log
grep -i -r "keyboard" /var/log

This post has been edited by helikaon: May 3 2011, 08:14 AM

I have installed the SL 6.3 on my Dell Lattitude D510.
It seemed everything works fine.