So, I just wanted to report back with the final results.

Using Tracy's USB patches, I was able to boot the install CD with the
keyboard working. However, it isn't fool-proof; it seemed like each
time I booted (or unplugged the keyboard) I had about a 40% chance of
it working. When it failed, the keyboard LEDs would all light up, and
then I'd have to unplug it and try again. Strange.

Other than that, things seem to be working well so far. I was pleased
that X worked right off the bat (getting the Intel video card to work
under linux was quite painful).

-- Erik

P.S. One sidenote: I wanted to keep GRUB as the bootloader, but found
that it didn't work with my NetBSD install (the kernel would boot, but
would complain about root= not being set or something--I can send a
full error). I read that GRUB is not able to pass variables to the
NetBSD kernel (for booting single-user, etc). Does anyone use GRUB
with NetBSD, and if so, how do they do it?

I was able to boot the install CD and then type "boot hd0a:netbsd"
instead, which is how I booted the system once the install was done.

On Tue, Dec 06, 2005 at 10:59:38AM -0600, Tracy Di Marco White wrote:
> 
> In message <20051206164908.GA6265@cage.plastic-idolatry.com>, Erik Osheim writes:
> >The new problem is that the USB keyboard isn't working. None of the
> >keys did anything (a, b, RETURN, arrow keys, CTRL-n, etc.) and the
> >caps-lock light, etc. didn't respond either. I tried an actual USB
> >keyboard and a PS/2 keyboard with a USB adaptor. The machine doesn't
> >have PS/2 on it, so USB is my only option (besides a serial console,
> >but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to set one of those up).
> >
> >Is the installer expected to work with a USB keyboard? Should I be
> >asking some other list about this (or reporting it as a bug)?
> 
> I've got a few Dells I've been having problems with, so I built an
> ISO for 3.0_RC5 with some usb fixes pulled in.
> 
> ftp://ftp.iastate.edu/pub/NetBSD/iso-local/netbsd-i386-3.0_RC5+usbfixes.iso
> 
> This has these diffs applied:
> cvs rdiff -r1.20.2.1 -r 1.23 src/sys/dev/usb/ehcireg.h
> cvs rdiff -r 1.17 -r 1.21 src/sys/dev/pci/ehci_pci.c
> 
> This worked for us (at work) on Dell Dimension 8400 series and Dell
> Optiplex GX620.
> 
> -Tracy