Re: [gentoo-user] Bootloader hangs without a keyboard

[Marc Joliet <marcec@gmx.de>]

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Am Sonntag, 8. April 2018, 13:35:02 CEST schrieb Wols Lists:
> On 08/04/2018 00:18, Marc Joliet wrote:
> > Hi list
> > 
> > I have a bit of a weird issue.  I recently acquired a used server (Fujitsu
> > Primergy TX140 S1) via a friend of mine.  I have Gentoo installed on it
> > now
> > and overall it works fine save for one perplexing issue [0]: The
> > bootloader
> > hangs when booting without a keyboard attached.  I tried it with both GRUB
> > and systemd-boot (which works nicely in combination with kernel-install);
> > both only work with a keyboard attached.  GRUB hangs when the countdown
> > starts, while systemd-boot hangs when the cursor first appears, but
> > before the boot entries are listed.  In both cases the cursor freezes.
> 
> I can't help with a solution, but this is actually quite a common
> problem. I remember ages ago copious reports of computer rooms with
> these boxes that share one keyboard, mouse and screen amongst several
> computers, and there were loads of complaints about systems refusing to
> boot.

I can't help but wonder if these kinds of servers only tested in setups with 
KVM switches.  One thing I kept reading about was how people have several 
servers hooked up to these, so maybe these types of servers often simply 
aren't tested without a keyboard.

> Go in ti the bios settings, and see if there's something about
> keyboards. I really can't remember but there was something about a
> missing keyboard triggering a bios boot error - cue all the jokes about
> "keyboard missing, press F1 to continue". Actually, if you search on
> that message, you might find something ...

Yeah, that was the first thing I tried, but there are no such settings.  
Though I never thought to try disabling the USB ports.

*tries it out now*

Nope, I had set it to "Disable all unused ports", but that didn't change 
anything.  Neither did deactivating the serial port.  That makes the issue 
much weirder in my eyes, since it's clearly intended to be able to boot the 
server without any USB devices attached.

> Cheers,
> Wol

Greetings
-- 
Marc Joliet
--
"People who think they know everything really annoy those of us who know we
don't" - Bjarne Stroustrup

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