Hello, I'm new here, and very stuck (and frustrated) with a Red Hat 9 installation problem.

I've got a ABIT AT7 motherboard, which is one of those clever "legacy free" ones. This means I don't have a PS/2 keyboard or mouse port on the machine.

Ok, I've got some spare time between jobs, and would like to finally have a go with a Linux based system. I have chosen Red Hat 9 as I already had the ISOs, and am only on a narrowband connection at the moment.

My problem is.....

When I boot from the cd, and the installation programs begin to start (pressing just enter at the prompt to decide what version to install), I am offered the choice to verify my CD. At this point I should simply press space and the whole thing should kick off.

However, during the preceeding bit of loading (where the hard disks are recognised etc etc and the text scrolls up the screen) my USB mouse and keyboard switch themselves off, and lose power (ie all lights off, not repsonding).

So I can't do anything other than reset the machine, and no matter what BIOS changes I've made the same problem still remains (I'm not clueless with computers, just never used Linux before) (properly).

So, oh clever linux people, how to I get round this?

There's must be something that happens during the loading process (after I have pressed enter to the prompt, on my working keyboard) that switches off my USB capability (none of the 12 usb slots work). But I have no idea where to start, and all my poking around has achieved nothing.

Please help.......you're my only hope..........

It does work with RedHat because I have installed it before with no problem. You may want to check the settings in the bios for USB keyboard support. There is an option to either BIOS or OS. I'm not sure which works, but try changing it from what you have to the other and that may fix your problem. I hope you are not using RAID because that's a whole other story. Good luck.

Hmmm... Have two of this motherboards... I was getting them to run Linux for ftp needs.

I have the exactlly the same problem as the other fellow.

Iīve tried the USB BIOS or OS support. Neither one works.

What kinda Linux do you run ? RED HAT 9 perhaps ?

What kinda USB keybaord do you use ? brand.

Might it be difference between different USB keybaords ?

I have the cheapiest USB keyboard outhere.

Works in DOS, Win32 (Windows 2000 etc.) but canīt seems to get it to work in linux enviroment.

I have installed the RED HAT 9 on another computer, and then took the HDD and put it together with AT7.

I got the Linux to load all without the keyboard to login.
But no keyboard. When I change the USB port at the login, it says something is wrong with the USB device. Might it be, that my keyboard not compat. with linux ?

Had the problem : solved by booting with only the keyboard during installation and re-connecting the mouse after.

Hope this will help you. After what it should be probably a hardware Pb?!

This is a compatability problem with USB 2.0 and Linux.

Interesting that the campatability database states that it works, but no specifics are given;

http://www.linuxcompatible.org/cdetail10810.html