Hello All.
I’m now on my main computer on which everything works correctly. When I posted the question, I was using the ZaReason Ultralap 6440 computer on which I can’t get EndeavourOS to work properly.
I was using the live disc and, to log in to this forum, I opened a Terminal and just typed my forum login password using the Fn key where appropriate to get the correct letters/numbers/symbols. (I couldn’t see the letters/numbers/symbols to just type the login; I didn’t know which required the Fn key and which did not.) Then I copied that password into the login box and I was logged in.
I started this post and, believe me, it took “forever” just to type my question.
This is the strangest thing I’ve ever seen.
Here are the specifications of this laptop computer:
Model: ZaReason UltraLap 6440-i5
SKU: SKU165181
Weight: 3.60 lbs
Linux Version: No operating system
Processor: i5-8250U (included)
Dual Memory: 32 GB DDR4-2133
Video Card: Intel UHD 620 (included)
M.2 SSD: 1TB M.2 SSD
WiFi: Intel® Wireless AC Dual-Band (2.4/5ghz)
Bluetooth: (included)
Battery: 6-cell (included)
AC Adapters: 1 (included)
Card Reader: SD/MMC (included)
Webcam: HD webcam (included)
Super Key
Tux logo
Warranty: 3 years
Please let me explain my history with this computer.
We bought it in April 2019 and originally I installed Antergos. (I always buy my computers with no OS installed, much preferring to do it myself.) When that system ended, I replaced Antergos with EOS. (As I mention below, we have two of these and I did the same thing with both.)
A couple of months ago, it went “screwy” for some reason. We do not use this computer very often at home; it is used when we travel. This one is my wife’s. Actually we have two of these Ultralaps and the one I normally use has never given me any major problem (there is one minor problem which, if I can’t figure out how to fix it, I’ll start another subject here).
Anyway, back to this, my wife’s, Ultralap, I tried to reinstall EOS from the October release and got nowhere - this is when the keyboard problem first turned up.
I waited until the December 3 release was introduced and tried to install from that. Same result (“screwy” keyboard).
So yesterday I tried again with the December 22 Offline installer. By this time I had gone into the UEFI and set everything to the Defaults (making certain that Secure Boot was disabled).
I even used the partition manager to wipe everything off the computer but still got the result which brought me here.
I have to say that, between trying the December 3 ISO and the December 22 one, I installed Xubuntu to see if the same thing happened with the keyboard.
It did NOT. The keyboard worked PERFECTLY.
So that’s when I thought that perhaps the problem had fixed itself and I decided to reinstall EOS.
But — well, here we are.
It CAN’T be a NumLK key. It CAN’T be anything in the UEFI. At least as far as I can tell.
So here is my “big” question:
WHY does the keyboard work perfectly with Xubuntu but not with EOS?
I told you that this was the strangest thing I have ever seen.
By the way, my wife had “done something” to HER main computer (a ZaReason Custom [Verix equivalent]) - she ALWAYS manages to “do something” to her computers - so, rather than trying to figure out what she had done (“I didn’t do ANYTHING”) I reinstalled EOS on that computer yesterday and everything went perfectly. (My main computer is exactly the same model and I have not had any EOS problems at all since I installed the system back in July.)
I may have three choices.
If someone here can tell me what’s going on with that Ultralap (and please remember that MY Ultralap - same model - is still working almost perfectly), then I can fix it.
Or I can try installing Manjaro (but who knows if that will work?). I am not particularly keen on that system but, for my wife, it would be an acceptable alternative as it works almost the same as EOS.
Or, finally, I can send the whole computer back to ZaReason (I bought a 3-year warranty) to see if they can figure it out or do something to fix this keyboard problem.
I thank everyone who has relied to me so far (and I am well aware that none of you had complete information). I do appreciate VERY MUCH everyone who tries to help.
I hope that there is some “simple” answer to this problem.
Thanks again.
Lawrence