USB keyboard problem elucidated?

[Derrik Pates]

On a newly-acquired ARM CY13 laptop (Pentium 4, Phoenix BIOS, Intel i845
chipset), I've noticed the oft-discussed problem with USB keyboards -
that they don't actually work when GRUB itself gets loaded. However,
there's a twist - if I press a key on the laptop's internal keyboard
first, once GRUB has started itself, I can then use a keyboard connected
via USB as usual. Anyone have any clues as to why this is? I think this
is the same problem as with other systems with USB keyboards, so maybe if
we can figure out why this is so, then it can be corrected on other
systems.

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Derrik Pates      |   Sysadmin, Douglas School   |    #linuxOS on EFnet
address@hidden |     District (dsdk12.net)    |    #linuxOS on OPN