USB-keyboard not recognize after connection

USB-keyboard not recognize after connection

[Otto Wyss]

I have an USB-keyboard/-mouse connected to a switchbox which is itself
connected to a PowerMac (MacOS) and my PC running Linux. I do regularly
switch my USB-devices between Mac and PC. Since I upgraded to kernel
2.4.0 and now 2.4.2 it happens from time to time that Linux does not
recognize my keyboard/mouse after switching back to the PC. This leaves
me in a rather unconfortable situation, since I can't do anything
anymore. All I could do is switch off the power! I tried to
disconnect/reconnect my USB-keyboard but it didn't help.

My questions:

1. Is there any better way to fix this situation, besides power off or
getting a standard keyboard?

2. Is there a minmal time frame of no activity (up to an hour) where any
cached data is saved to the disk, so I could switch off the power
without corrupting my disk?

3. How can I get more information what's happening? Is there any
USB-log/-trace accessable after the restart of linux? And whom/where do
I have to send it?

O. Wyss

PS. Please do CC, I don't read linux-kernel.

Re: USB-keyboard not recognize after connection

[Khalid Aziz]

Otto Wyss wrote:
> 3. How can I get more information what's happening? Is there any
> USB-log/-trace accessable after the restart of linux? And whom/where do
> I have to send it?
> 

If you compiled your kernel with "USB verbose debug messages"
(CONFIG_USB_DEBUG) enabled, USB subsystem should log a message every
time a device is connected and disconnected. These messages will be
there in /var/log/messages if this file survives hard reset. These
messages can show you if USB detected a reconnect from your keyboard and
mouse the last time you switched from mac to PC.


====================================================================
Khalid Aziz                             Linux Development Laboratory
(970)898-9214                                        Hewlett-Packard
khalid@fc.hp.com                                    Fort Collins, CO