[ubuntu-us-mn] Weird keyboard input failure

[Fred H Olson]

On Tue, 23 Sep 2014, Irv Risch wrote (off list) :

> Thinking about your problem so let me ask a few questions. First is this a
> recently  new install? In other words if you have not installed a lot of
> apts and have not put much data on then stepping back and starting fresh
> might be the easiest and fastest way to get rid of the problem. I am not
> sure what caused the problem, but there could have been something installed
> that might have changed the keyboard setting in your profile. There are
> some work around's but without a keyboard it makes the problem hard to work
> on.

I installed 14.04 Aug 19 .  A description I wrote elsewhere:

 I do extensive customization with variations each time that I prefer
 not to do very often. I use a seperate partition for my files with
 numerous symbolic links in the home directory that make the
 subdirectories look like they are in subdirectories of the home
 directory. I have extensive shell command aliases and in 2014 I
 decided to finally start using the bash shell which is pretty standard
 on Linux systems - I had long used tcsh. The bash format for defining
 command aliases is different that bash's   I've converting aliases
 that I actually use thus weeding out obsolete ones.

I'll do another install when I finally find the 14.04 Live DVD which
I've misplaced - I keep thinking it will show up but it has not :(

I will not however install it on the same drive.  I happen to have a
second drive that is practically empty (I intend to use it for off
site occasional backup).  I'll do a new install on it, hoping that
will help me diagnose the problem - I'd much prefer to get this install
fixed. I've got a lot of work into it.

One thing a new install would tell me is:
I'm still wondering it there was a grub screen at bootup (I think
there was, maybe with a maroon border which does show up).  There is no
grub screen with options in it now.

For temporary computer use I get along with my old 12.04 which is on
an older SATA drive so to get to it I just have it plugged in and use
the bios boot menu to get to it.

> Now the next question is, are you running Ubuntu alone or with a windows
> install? And the last question, did you manually setup the keyboard during
> install or did you let Ubuntu auto set it up?

I have only Ubuntu 14.04 installed on it's drive.  I think I let Ubuntu
set up the keyboard but I am not sure.  It worked fine for a long time.
And worked after booting one time since the problem started.

------------------
Regarding the bash-completion error and suspicions

8) in http://fholson.cohousing.org/blog/weird-kbd.htm

I ran a test and that does not seem to be related to the keyboard problem:

I commented out the call of bash-completion in .bashrc for Ub 14.04
and the no keyboard input problem persists.  The bash-completion
error messages did not appear upon opening a terminal.

---------------------
Also several people have suggested

The idea of giving the guest account sudo priveliges continues to
be a challenge.  Is the guest account a normal account? Does giving
it sudo priv. work the same?  Opening a terminal in the guest account
today gives the prompt:

guest-HgeLfz at fholson-Z87X-UD3H

I think logging in from my fholson account and opening a terminal
gives the prompt:   ( I could not copy/paste between accounts)
fholson at fholson-Z87X-UD3H

So is the account guest-HgeLfz ?

I have not gotten to asking anything on ubuntuforums yet (which Irv
suggested).  It is on my todo list along with finding that bloody Live
DVD and trying Tom Glancy's suggestion yesterday.

Thanks all for your assistance.

I'm thinking of bringing my computer with keyboard problem to the
Penguins Unbound at TIES meeting this Saturday the 27th, 10AM - 12PM.
Maybe afterward I might find some help.  THere are subtle things
easier (and wuicker) to try at the keyboard that are tough to diagnose
via email...

FRed

--
Fred H. Olson  Minneapolis,MN 55411  USA        (near north Mpls)
     Email:        fholson at cohousing.org      612-588-9532
My Link Pg: http://fholson.cohousing.org         My org:
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