[syslinux] Dell Optiplex GX620 keyboard problem

[Gene Cumm]

On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 12:49 PM, JOURDAIN Joris 031398 NEURONES
<joris.jourdain at cea.fr> wrote:
> Thank's to all of you for you quick answers, and for the tip about
> getting the old BIOS.
> Sorry for not having searched hard enough.
>

They (Dell) don't exactly publicize it in large easy-to-read print
(just normal print that almost blends into the background).  They
normally prefer that you use the currently supported version.  I've
seen where on several occasions a newer version (driver, bios, or
other update package) becomes available only to be removed from easy
access through the support site due to an unforeseen issue or bug.

> Strangely enough, my syslinux version is even below the 3.53 - 3.61
> range you mentionned : 3.31-4 : the one that ships with my debian etch
> PXE server.
>

Good to know.  Thanks.  The reason I stated that range is because I
knew that those versions had the issue and that when I tested using
3.62, the issue was resolved.  However, I never bothered with testing
older versions.  When you mentioned this, it reminded me that I have a
CD that might have been made with an even earlier version that was
broken.

> BTW, Is that nice vesamenu.c32 stuff a so called "com32 program or
> something that switches to protected mode such as memdisk" ?
> Because if it is, then I know that it's where my problem comes from :
> we use it.
>
> I had noticed on another boot server I manage, but on which the menu
> isn't used, that I couldn't reproduce this keyboard problem (although
> syslinux version is also  3.31-4 from debain etch) which leads me to
> the conclusion that it's indeed related to the menu.

Also menu.c32 will do this exact behavior.  Changing vesamenu.c32 or
menu.c32 to another version won't help.  Changing versions of Syslinux
(in your case, PXELINUX) should.

> I'll try to upgrade syslinux to the "3.71+dfsg-5" from testing, and if
> it still doesn't work, I guess I'll have to give up this nice menu ;-(

It should but I wouldn't give up if it doesn't.  What about just
grabbing the needed files from the current Syslinux distribution from
the Syslinux site?  I've been running a TFTP/PXE server at my site for
a few months now and I upgraded to the then current version of
Syslinux as a result of this issue, ignoring the version that was
available in my Linux distribution.

> Thank's again.
>

You're welcome.

-Gene