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Thread: PS/2 keyboard and open firmware console?




PS/2 keyboard and open firmware console?
user name
2006-09-25 04:04:36
Radek Kujawa wrote:

> How about Sun USB keyboards? I have B&W G3 and Sun
USB Type 6 keyboard. 
> It doesn't work with OpenFirmware (I can't enter OF at
all with this 
> keyboard). However, it does work perfectly with this G3
once operating 
> system is loaded (I tested it under OS X and NetBSD).

I believe the Type 6 predates USB HID boot protocol support,
or that 
there was something weird about the endpoint setup that
needed a 
software hack.

> Fortunately one of my co-workers had generic PeCee USB
keyboard, and I 
> used it to enter OF - it worked fine.

Yeah, I bought a $60 Logitech pro keyboard that said
"MacOS X 
compatible" on the box only to find out that it doesn't
support the HID 
boot protocol, so I couldn't get into OF or use any snag
keys with it, I 
had to dig out the OEM apple USB keyboard, or a Dell KB. I
asked 
Logitech about it and they were like "Yep we know, and
we have no plans 
to fix it or support it in the future either." I bet if
I had purchased 
a Microsoft keyboard or any other brand without "MacOS
X compatible" on 
the box, it would have worked. </rant>

> So I wonder, what makes Sun USB keyboard incompatible
with Apple 
> OpenFirmware?

I don't think it's that it's incompatible, just doesn't have
USB HID BP 
support, or some kind of bug in the device descriptor(s)
that makes the 
USB shim in OF not work.
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