Keyboard not working: How to make the buying decision?

[00010...@gmail.com]

Is there a way to know which keyboards are incompatible with QubesOS?

Or do we just need to keep on buying keyboards until one works?

I'm asking because I bought the (IMHO best ergonomic mouse/keyboard combo; wireless) "Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop" [0], but only the mouse works (and only once you have logged into your QubesOS session), not the keyboard.

So based on what is one supposed to make the buying decision?

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[0] https://www.microsoft.com/accessories/en-us/products/keyboards/sculpt-ergonomic-desktop/l5v-00001

[Foppe de Haan]

sculpt ergonomic should work fine once you've allowed keyboard and mouse forwarding (see the website faq on the usb qube).

[00010...@gmail.com]

>
> sculpt ergonomic should work fine once you've allowed keyboard and mouse forwarding (see the website faq on the usb qube).

Thank you! I believe you are referring to the section "How to use a USB keyboard" at https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/usb/ - I will be trying this out ASAP.

[Tai...@gmx.com]

On 04/13/2018 03:01 PM, 00010...@gmail.com wrote:

> Is there a way to know which keyboards are incompatible with QubesOS?
>
> Or do we just need to keep on buying keyboards until one works?

You need to enable the keyboard sys-usb forwarding permission in qubes
settings files, there is a guide on the website for that.

> I'm asking because I bought the (IMHO best ergonomic mouse/keyboard combo; wireless) "Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop" [0], but only the mouse works (and only once you have logged into your QubesOS session), not the keyboard.
>
> So based on what is one supposed to make the buying decision?
>

The best keyboards are made in a first world country and have firmware
that can't be internally flashed - the unicomp keyboards fit the bill
here and are much more secure as the firmware can't be re-written and
they are made in usa thus more trustworthy than one that is made in china.

The price is very reasonable as they are expected to last for 30 years
or so - mine is over a decade old and it still looks good as new after I
clean it and it has also survived spills thanks to the drain holes and
design that prevents water ingress.

Mechanical keyboards are great :D

[Foppe de Haan]

On Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 3:11:37 AM UTC+2, Tai...@gmx.com wrote:
> On 04/13/2018 03:01 PM, 00010...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > Is there a way to know which keyboards are incompatible with QubesOS?
> >
> > Or do we just need to keep on buying keyboards until one works?
>
> You need to enable the keyboard sys-usb forwarding permission in qubes
> settings files, there is a guide on the website for that.
>
> > I'm asking because I bought the (IMHO best ergonomic mouse/keyboard combo; wireless) "Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop" [0], but only the mouse works (and only once you have logged into your QubesOS session), not the keyboard.
> >
> > So based on what is one supposed to make the buying decision?
> >
> The best keyboards are made in a first world country and have firmware
> that can't be internally flashed - the unicomp keyboards fit the bill
> here and are much more secure as the firmware can't be re-written and
> they are made in usa thus more trustworthy than one that is made in china.

You've really drunk the cool-aid, haven't you? Products from the "land of the free", with its public-private Stasi (NSA in full cooperation with FAANG/Silicon Valley more generally) are inherently "more trustworthy" than those made in "China".
If only the world were that simple..
Sadly, that was a lie even when McCarthy and the Cold War were still in full swing, let alone now, when everything described in 1984 is both technologically completely possible, and enacted (the only difference being that it's done in a less blatantly fascist manner than in the book).

[00010...@gmail.com]

Here's the summary of outcome:

- When I use QubesOS out-of-the-box (without any special configuration), the mentioned USB mouse works right away, but not the USB keyboard.

- When I follow the instructions for the USB keyboard at https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/usb/#how-to-use-a-usb-keyboard then it works correctly (as advertised) already at the LUKS password input. However, neither keyboard nor mouse work at the QubesOS user/session authentication (once logged in, both do however work again).

Should I file a bug report?

[Foppe de Haan]

I sometimes ran into this, when sys-usb was too slow or too fast to start, idk which. Reconnecting the USB plug usually worked.