A Linux USB keyboard/mouse question

[cragos at gmail.com]

>> Do most Linux distributions boot up and immediately recognize a USB
>> keyboard/mouse? (That is, they work automatically without the need for any
>> special boot parameters/options.)


>If you have PS/2 ports, you should use those with your keyboard and mouse.
>Especially if the kb/m already have adapters for them.  There is less to go
>wrong with the PS/2 ports than there is with USB.  Some BIOSes will not
>recognize USB keyboards.  If you have USB-to-PS/2 emulation available, and
>enabled in the BIOS, the USB keyboard will be translated to i8042 (PS/2) in
>hardware, and will appear to the BIOS, and whatever OS you load, as a
>standard keyboard.  It is best though to physically use the PS/2 port for
>your PS/2-capable devices.

Actually, even that's not normally necessary. I've used some old Super
7 motherboards that required that be enabled to have the BIOS respond
to the keyboard, but Linux could care less - it Just Worked. The only
time when I've ever, ever found it necessary for Linux's operation to
set the legacy BIOS options was when I was using an early kernel
(2.4.x) and a new, somewhat eccentric keyboard that wasn't recognized.
( http://www.notestation.com/flex_keyboard.htm )

-Sean