Did you set "USB Keyboard support == BIOS" in the BIOS?
It defaults to "OS", which basically means the boot code, which calls the
BIOS, won't see the keystrokes.  The BIOS enables emulation regardless up
until the point of booting the OS from disk. (I believe, as the USB keyboard
works whether the support is BIOS or OS)

The next thing to try is single-user. :-)

-Andrew
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Rauch" <rauch@eecs.ukans.edu>
To: <port-i386@netbsd.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 5:30 PM
Subject: USB keyboards, boot selector, boot program.


> The following is in the context of NetBSD/i386 1.5.  Since the affected
> programs run independant of the kernel, I'm posting to port-i386, rather
> than netbsd-help.  (The iMac's must handle this---USB is all that they
> have, isn't it?)
>
> I recently had my old PS/2 keyboard die on me.  (Well, it took a tumble
> and the space bar came off---the switch mechanism below the key vanished,
> and the keyboard isn't worth a whole lot to me without a space bar.  (^&)
>
> Well, I attached a USB keyboard.  (My computer has two MicroSoft products
> on it, now: An IntelliMouse and a USB ``wave'' keyboard.  IMHO, they put
> the ``6'' key on the wrong side of the wave, but otherwise it's a
> servicable product.  MS hardware is actually usable.  This never ceases to
> amaze me.  *grin*)
>
> Anyway, due to some thunderstorms, I had my computer off.  When I came
> back online, I noticed two pieces of NetBSD software didn't pay attention
> to the USB keyboard:
>
>   The boot selector.  I have a NetBSD and a LINUX partition.  The boot
>   selector ignored my pressing F4 for NetBSD to boot.  Thankfully,
>   NetBSD is on the default boot partition.  (^&
>
>   The boot program (where you're allowed 5 seconds to override the
>   default multiuser boot to /netbsd).  I wanted to skip the countdown,
>   per usual, but it ignored my keypresses.
>
> Both of these shortcomings are significant, IMHO.  Especially since the
> BIOS setup program has enough smarts to detect and use the USB
> keyboard.  (I happened to actually enter setup before booting NetBSD.)
>
> If this isn't fixed in -current (I assume not, since it's not been
> discussed that I know of), how much trouble is it to address?  Is it too
> much to expect these programs to either handle USB, or use BIOS
> routines?  (Again, since BIOS setup worked with the keyboard, I assume
> that BIOS can handle it fairly transparently.)
>
> Or should this have actually worked for me, and I've stumbled upon a
> heretofore unknown bug?  If so, dmesg output can be provided.  (^&
>
>
> (I havn't send-pr'ed it since I don't know if it's a known---or even
> fixed---problem, or if it's beyond the scope of the boot selector and boot
> programs to deal with USB keyboards.)
>
>
> Thanks for any answers.
>
>   "I probably don't know what I'm talking about." --rauch@eecs.ukans.edu
>
>