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Asked: 2024-09-27T06:58:13+05:30 In:

I am experiencing an issue where my keyboard is not functioning on Ubuntu 20.04. What steps can I take to resolve this problem?

So, I’ve been having a frustrating time with my keyboard on Ubuntu 20.04, and I’m hoping someone out there can help me out. I was happily typing away when suddenly, my keyboard just stopped working. It’s not a hardware issue since I checked it on another computer, and it works perfectly there. I thought maybe it was an update glitch or something, but I’m not really sure what’s going on.

Here’s the kicker: When I boot up, everything seems fine at first. I can navigate with my mouse and click around, but the moment I try to type, nothing comes out. I’ve tried plugging in a different USB keyboard, but it behaves the same way. I even tried using an external USB port, just in case it was a port issue. No luck there.

I’ve also done the classic “turn it off and back on again” routine, which sometimes solves the most random problems, but this time it didn’t. I did some digging online and came across some suggestions, like checking if it’s a language setting issue or looking into accessibility options that may have been accidentally turned on. When I checked the settings, everything looked normal. But what if there’s a hidden configuration that I haven’t thought of yet?

Could it be a driver issue? I mean, I haven’t changed anything recently, but who knows with these updates? Some folks mentioned using the terminal to look for any keyboard-related errors or logs, but I don’t even know what commands to run without a keyboard!

If anyone has faced a similar problem or knows of any “universal” solutions to try, please share! I’m really not keen on reinstalling Ubuntu just over a keyboard issue. I’d love to hear your tips or any steps I might have missed. Honestly, at this point, I would try anything just to get it working again. Thanks in advance for any help!

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    1. Keyboard Issues on Ubuntu 20.04

      Keyboard Troubleshooting on Ubuntu 20.04

      Sounds really frustrating! Here are some steps you can try that might help get your keyboard working again:

      • Check Keyboard Settings:
        Go to Settings > Region & Language and make sure your input sources are correct. Sometimes layouts can change without you realizing.
      • Try a Different Terminal:
        If you have access to a virtual terminal (TTY), you can switch to it by pressing Ctrl + Alt + F3 (or any F3–F6 key). Once there, login and try running some commands.
      • Check Accessibility Settings:
        Make sure any accessibility features like “Sticky Keys” or “Slow Keys” are turned off in Settings > Accessibility.
      • Reinstall Keyboard Drivers:
        Once you’re in a terminal, try running:
        sudo apt-get install --reinstall xserver-xorg-input-all
        This will reinstall your input drivers.
      • Check for Keyboard in Logs:
        You could try checking the log files using:
        dmesg | grep -i keyboard
        This might show you errors or events related to your keyboard.
      • Boot into Recovery Mode:
        Restart your computer and hold Shift to access the GRUB menu. Choose recovery mode and see if the keyboard works there.

      Hopefully one of these steps helps you out! If not, it might be worth checking out some forums or launching a bug report if it seems like an update issue. Good luck!


    2. There are several steps you can take to diagnose and potentially fix your keyboard issue on Ubuntu 20.04. First, ensure that your keyboard is recognized by the system. To do this, you can try accessing the terminal using a mouse and typing in the command lsusb to list the connected USB devices. If your keyboard appears in the list, it’s being recognized by Ubuntu. If it doesn’t appear, check the dmesg logs for any related errors by entering dmesg | grep -i keyboard in the terminal. This might provide hints if there are any conflicts or driver issues at play. Additionally, verify your keyboard settings under the “Settings” > “Region & Language” section, ensuring that the keyboard layout matches your physical keyboard. It might also be worth checking the “Input Sources” settings to confirm that there are no accidental conflicting layouts selected.

      If the above steps don’t resolve the issue, consider resetting your keyboard settings or checking for potential accessibility features that may be interfering with normal keyboard functionality. You can do this by navigating to “Settings” > “Universal Access” and ensuring that features like “Sticky Keys” or “Slow Keys” are turned off. Another troubleshooting step to try is booting into recovery mode; from there, you might be able to access a root shell and use the command apt-get install --reinstall xserver-xorg-input-all to reinstall the input drivers you need. If nothing continues to work, investigating logs from the session in /var/log/syslog using a GUI file manager might reveal additional clues. While reinstalling Ubuntu could seem like a last resort, leveraging these steps might save you from that by pinpointing the precise configuration or driver issue affecting your keyboard.

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