Is this a PS/2 keyboard?

User Support
1

When installing Qubes I’m not able to click the option to create sys-usb. I’m trying to figure out if my laptop keyboard is PS/2 or USB. It’s worth noting that I am installing Qubes on an external USB SSD so maybe this is causing it.

results of lsusb and cat /proc/bus/input/devices

I am aware the usb mouse is there, it was removed for install/config

I am unsure of what the best steps are from this point on. Do I install sys-usb vm just for the mouse?

2

If you’re able to have a look at the keyboard, if it has this cable it should be a PS/2 keyboard:

Edit: just saw you are talking about your laptop’s keyboard, then it doesn’t have a visible cable, sorry.

3

It doesn’t look like a USB keyboard - looks like the keyboard is on one of the serial interfaces that some laptops use and emulate. Possibly PS/2, possibly something weirder (laptops tend weird).

I never make a sys-usb during install. Once things are up and running, then create one (there’s an incantation somewhere in the docs to do it), and, in my opinion, don’t set it to auto-start. Your USB mouse should work without a sys-usb - it’ll be connected to dom0. However, without sys-usb created and running, none of your other USB devices can be passed around to AppVMs, which is annoying, and you’ve got your USB controller directly attached to dom0, which is a risk.

I think you’ll be fine, though. Just install normally, and create sys-usb after you’re done. You may also want to disable confirmation for mice as input devices - I find that rather more annoying than useful for regular use of a USB mouse.

4

Many thanks, that clears that up.

create sys-usb doing this?

I tried that and I end up not being able to boot was giving some error about initramfs
Do you think manually making sys-usb is a better idea? Maybe the automated way is messing with the external usb im booting from

5

Oh. I missed that you were booting from a USB SSD. Yeah. That’s why you can’t create a sys-usb. It takes over your root filesystem. I think there’s a way to do it, but it’s tricky, fiddly, and mostly not worth the effort. Jump into IRC and someone can probably help, but I don’t recall the details. I’ve only ever done that to play around and test hardware for basic function.

Can you put a larger SSD internally and split it up for Qubes? It really, really doesn’t work very well from an external USB drive.

6

I will have a play around at creating it manually, I’m sure I saw something on one of the pages in the docs. I just wanted to see how well Qubes performed on my hardware, I didn’t want to nuke my old OS just for Qubes to have some massive issue with my hardware. It does seem like it will perform fine putting aside the impact the poor r/w speeds of the usb drive.

Thanks for your help.