You wrote (in your message from  3)
 > 
 > PS. Short summary of our keyboard problem:
 > 
 > * i386 -current (from around 1.4P and onwards). But I'm not saying it
 >   started there, only that WE started there.
 > 
 > * Intermittently the keyboard "hangs". Only in X mode.  Most often the
 >   "hang" implies "no input", but sometimes it hangs in an endless
 >   repeat of the last key pressed. Shooting down the X server (from
 >   another machine) fixes it (at a certain cost). When "dead" switching
 >   virtual terminal doesn't work (no surprise).
 > 

Are you using xdm ? In this case you probably have a getty process
fighting with the X server for server input. 

You should configure a wscons console for the X server, but not enable
getty for it in /etc/ttys. 

-- 
					Matthieu