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PS/2 keyboard stops working with ESX Server after upgrading to ESX Server 3.5 Update 5 (1011852)

Details

In earlier releases, ESX Server does not check the system's Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) table for PS device configuration causing no log messages to be displayed. However, ESX Server might face performance issues when ESX hosts installs PS/2 keyboard driver though no keyboards are detected.
 
In the ESX Server 3.5 Update 5 release, ESX Server checks the ACPI table to obtain the PS/2 device configuration. A log message might be generated on console during boot time and in /var/log/vmkernel if the ACPI configuration on ESX Server displays that PS/2 keyboard is not present.
 
A few seconds after boot up and login, you may also see an error similar to pc_keyb: controller jammed (0xFF) error.
 
The log message is displayed in case there is an issue in the ACPI table of ESX Server. If the ACPI table provides incorrect information as PS/2 device not present, when the PS/2 device is available on the system, users might find that the PS/2 keyboard does not work.
When the PS/2 keyboard stops working with ESX Server after upgrading to the ESX Server 3.5 Update 5 Release, users are advised to contact their hardware vendors.

Solution

To work around this issue, add the boot time option acpikbdchk=false to bypass this ACPI check. This option can be added at the boot prompt when ESX Server boots. When ESX Server boots, users can add boot time options at the boot prompt, which stays on the screen for about 30 seconds. If users do not type anything at the boot prompt, ESX Server boots automatically after 30 seconds.

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