# Why isn't the computer accepting input? **URL:** \ **Category:** Linux\ **Created:** [June 25, 2007, 1:15pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359 "2007-06-25T13:15:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lunchtime](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/lunchtime/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@lunchtime](https://community.unix.com/u/lunchtime)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 1:15pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/1 "2007-06-25T13:15:04Z")
I'm using Red Hat Linux 3, and the computer has stopped taking input from mouse, keyboard, etc. What are possible causes? How can I fix? -Worried Linux User ---
**Author:** ![Neo](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/neo/32/22838_2.png) [@Neo](https://community.unix.com/u/Neo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 1:17pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/2 "2007-06-25T13:17:44Z")
Are they USB or serial devices? ---
**Author:** ![lunchtime](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/lunchtime/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@lunchtime](https://community.unix.com/u/lunchtime)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 1:25pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/3 "2007-06-25T13:25:06Z")
> [@neo](#): > > Are they USB or serial devices? They are serial ports, the green and purple plugs. They're plugged into the right holes, too. I tried unplugging and re-plugging, only after they stopped working. Then I learned this messes it up. I've turned off the monitor cause I don't want to hard boot. ---
**Author:** ![porter](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/porter/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@porter](https://community.unix.com/u/porter)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/4 "2007-06-25T17:14:35Z")
Can you still ping the machine on the network? Can you still ssh/telnet into the machine? Do you have getty enabled on any serial ports? ---
**Author:** ![porter](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/porter/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@porter](https://community.unix.com/u/porter)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/5 "2007-06-25T17:15:27Z")
> [@lunchtime](#): > > They are serial ports, the green and purple plugs. Really? Not PS/2? ---
**Author:** ![Neo](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/neo/32/22838_2.png) [@Neo](https://community.unix.com/u/Neo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 7:35am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/6 "2007-06-26T07:35:33Z")
Dear Porter, PS/2 ports use serial communications. Please turn on your PM so mods can PM you. Neo ---
**Author:** ![lunchtime](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/lunchtime/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@lunchtime](https://community.unix.com/u/lunchtime)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 10:38am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/7 "2007-06-26T10:38:09Z")
> [@porter](#): > > Can you still ping the machine on the network? > > Can you still ssh/telnet into the machine? > > Do you have getty enabled on any serial ports? I can ping and ssh in from another computer, but I'm not sure how to find out if getty is enabled. I tried to attach my dmesg, but the attacher told me the file was invalid. -Thanks ---
**Author:** ![porter](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/porter/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@porter](https://community.unix.com/u/porter)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/8 "2007-06-26T13:39:38Z")
> [@neo](#): > > PS/2 ports use serial communications. Indeed they do but serial normally refers to RS232 ports in these contexts. ---
**Author:** ![Neo](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/neo/32/22838_2.png) [@Neo](https://community.unix.com/u/Neo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/9 "2007-06-26T13:39:44Z")
BTW, can you get a USB keyboard and mouse to work? ---
**Author:** ![Neo](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/neo/32/22838_2.png) [@Neo](https://community.unix.com/u/Neo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/10 "2007-06-26T13:41:40Z")
> [@porter](#): > > Indeed they do but serial normally refers to RS232 ports in these contexts. Normally, I refer to all serial communications as serial communications. If you want more context, please provide it. Your short replies without context are not the norm here at [unix.com](http://unix.com). In other words, normal is relative 🙂 Thanks. Neo ---
**Author:** ![porter](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/porter/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@porter](https://community.unix.com/u/porter)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 1:44pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/11 "2007-06-26T13:44:53Z")
1. If you press the numlock/scrolllock/capslock do the lights change? 2. Are you using X? If so can you use any keyboard combination to flip the screen to a terminal with a login prompt? 3. If you can log in using ssh can you kill the local X server? eg, one possiblity is the X server is locked/grabbed/hung. ---
**Author:** ![lunchtime](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/lunchtime/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@lunchtime](https://community.unix.com/u/lunchtime)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 2:15pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/why-isnt-the-computer-accepting-input/172359/12 "2007-06-26T14:15:00Z")
> [@porter](#): > > 1. If you press the numlock/scrolllock/capslock do the lights change? > > 2. Are you using X? If so can you use any keyboard combination to flip the screen to a terminal with a login prompt? > > 3. If you can log in using ssh can you kill the local X server? > > eg, one possiblity is the X server is locked/grabbed/hung. I tried doing things through ssh and it ended up working out! Using ssh, I tried shutting down. It didn't shut the machine down, but it brought up a black screen with a command line. I used the command 'exit' and the computer restarted, bringing me back the GUI and normal login. While the machine was restarting, it told me a mouse had been removed. So, I switched my mouse with another, and told the computer to 'do nothing.' After that, mouse and keyboard both worked. Thank you both so much for helping me! -lunchtime