Subject: Re: bug#35585: GRUB does not work with USB keyboards when using keyboard-layout

From: Danny Milosavljevic <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 7 May 2019 18:39:14 +0200

Hi Ludo,

On Tue, 07 May 2019 18:11:55 +0200
Ludovic Courtès <[email-masked]> wrote:

> > --- a/gnu/bootloader/grub.scm
> > +++ b/gnu/bootloader/grub.scm
> > @@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ entries corresponding to old generations of the system."
> >                               (keyboard-layout-file layout #:grub grub))))
> >            (when keymap
> >              (format port "\
> > -terminal_input at_keyboard
> > +terminal_input at_keyboard usb_keyboard  
> 
> What do others think?  Danny?
> 
> I’d like to make sure this is as harmless as it looks.

AT keyboard should also match USB bootp keyboards, but I guess the mac doesn't
support bootp.  (USB keyboards have a "bootloader" protocol (BOOTP) and
a "normal" protocol with the rationale being that the "normal" protocol is
too compliated to fit into the bootloader - hence, USB keyboard should support
both--and, when talked to using the bootloader protocol, the PC firmware should
transform it into AT keyboard commands in order to further simplify the
bootloader's job)

Why is it specified at all?  If it's not specified, it will default to
the "platform native" inputs which means the ones available in the source code
for that platform.  So aren't we complicating our life for no reason by
specifying it in the first place?