Keyboard Chaos

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fx9

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Hey folks,

I was just down in Mexico and while I was there my computer went haywire. I had no keyboard control. Something locked up so I was forced to hard restart it, when it got to the login screen I couldn't enter my password and it was continuously logging in as guest. At one point 20 guest login attempts were listed. When it logged into guest my drives would come up and say that it couldn't mount, and if I tried to use a browser it would type adsf continuously or hkjl. I was using a VPN, I got off the network and had to use an onscreen keyboard to login after letting it sit for a while, and I did a timeshift to before I left. It seemed to clear it up at first, but it continued to be intermittent down there.

I haven't used it much since I got back. I am on it now, and it seems ok, but I had a couple auto types into the password prompt before I typed my password. I haven't restarted it just because it is working fine atm, and I wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts. I had to restart the network manager in the terminal because I had no internet although it was connected to my router. It was a beach front property in Mexico in case it could be environmental.

Any thoughts?

I am running mint on a Dell laptop.

System:
Kernel: 5.4.0-137-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.4.0
Desktop: Cinnamon 5.2.7 Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una
base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal
Machine:
Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 7472 v: N/A serial: <filter>
Mobo: Dell model: 0XYRMG v: A00 serial: <filter> UEFI [Legacy]: Dell
v: 1.5.3 date: 06/08/2020
Battery:
ID-1: BAT0 charge: 10.3 Wh condition: 10.4/42.0 Wh (25%)
model: BYD DELL FW8KR88 status: Charging
CPU:
Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i5-8250U bits: 64 type: MT MCP
arch: Kaby Lake rev: A L2 cache: 6144 KiB
flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
bogomips: 28800
Speed: 740 MHz min/max: 400/3400 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 746 2: 783
3: 776 4: 785 5: 748 6: 760 7: 741 8: 799
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel
bus ID: 00:02.0
Device-2: NVIDIA GP108M [GeForce MX150] vendor: Dell driver: nvidia
v: 470.161.03 bus ID: 01:00.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting,nvidia
unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: NVIDIA GeForce MX150/PCIe/SSE2
v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 470.161.03 direct render: Yes
Audio:
Device-1: Intel Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio vendor: Dell
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3
Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-137-generic
Network:
Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
vendor: Dell driver: r8169 v: kernel port: d000 bus ID: 02:00.0
IF: enp2s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Device-2: Intel Wireless 7265 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: d000
bus ID: 03:00.0
IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: <filter>
IF-ID-1: surfshark_ipv6 state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A
mac: <filter>
IF-ID-2: surfshark_wg state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: N/A
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 1.03 TiB used: 170.46 GiB (16.2%)
ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: SK Hynix model: BC501 NVMe 128GB
size: 119.24 GiB
ID-2: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST1000LM035-1RK172 size: 931.51 GiB
RAID:
Hardware-1: Intel 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] driver: ahci
v: 3.0 bus ID: 00:17.0
Partition:
ID-1: / size: 116.32 GiB used: 74.94 GiB (64.4%) fs: ext4
dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5
ID-2: /home size: 915.82 GiB used: 95.51 GiB (10.4%) fs: ext4
dev: /dev/sda1
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 58.0 C mobo: 51.0 C sodimm: 46.0 C gpu: nvidia
temp: 60 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 3960
Info:
Processes: 537 Uptime: 9d 5h 35m Memory: 7.44 GiB used: 4.87 GiB (65.4%)
Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.4.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17
inxi: 3.0.38
 


fx9 said:
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

When crossing the border did any agents make you unlock your device before taking it into a back room, out of your sight?

I dunno... That's my first thought.
 
fx9 said:
Hey folks,

I was just down in Mexico and while I was there my computer went haywire. I had no keyboard control. Something locked up so I was forced to hard restart it, when it got to the login screen I couldn't enter my password and it was continuously logging in as guest. At one point 20 guest login attempts were listed. When it logged into guest my drives would come up and say that it couldn't mount, and if I tried to use a browser it would type adsf continuously or hkjl. I was using a VPN, I got off the network and had to use an onscreen keyboard to login after letting it sit for a while, and I did a timeshift to before I left. It seemed to clear it up at first, but it continued to be intermittent down there.

I haven't used it much since I got back. I am on it now, and it seems ok, but I had a couple auto types into the password prompt before I typed my password. I haven't restarted it just because it is working fine atm, and I wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts. I had to restart the network manager in the terminal because I had no internet although it was connected to my router. It was a beach front property in Mexico in case it could be environmental.

Any thoughts?

I am running mint on a Dell laptop.

System:
Kernel: 5.4.0-137-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.4.0
Desktop: Cinnamon 5.2.7 Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una
base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal
Machine:
Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 7472 v: N/A serial: <filter>
Mobo: Dell model: 0XYRMG v: A00 serial: <filter> UEFI [Legacy]: Dell
v: 1.5.3 date: 06/08/2020
Battery:
ID-1: BAT0 charge: 10.3 Wh condition: 10.4/42.0 Wh (25%)
model: BYD DELL FW8KR88 status: Charging
CPU:
Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i5-8250U bits: 64 type: MT MCP
arch: Kaby Lake rev: A L2 cache: 6144 KiB
flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
bogomips: 28800
Speed: 740 MHz min/max: 400/3400 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 746 2: 783
3: 776 4: 785 5: 748 6: 760 7: 741 8: 799
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel
bus ID: 00:02.0
Device-2: NVIDIA GP108M [GeForce MX150] vendor: Dell driver: nvidia
v: 470.161.03 bus ID: 01:00.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting,nvidia
unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: NVIDIA GeForce MX150/PCIe/SSE2
v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 470.161.03 direct render: Yes
Audio:
Device-1: Intel Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio vendor: Dell
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3
Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-137-generic
Network:
Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
vendor: Dell driver: r8169 v: kernel port: d000 bus ID: 02:00.0
IF: enp2s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Device-2: Intel Wireless 7265 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: d000
bus ID: 03:00.0
IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: <filter>
IF-ID-1: surfshark_ipv6 state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A
mac: <filter>
IF-ID-2: surfshark_wg state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: N/A
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 1.03 TiB used: 170.46 GiB (16.2%)
ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: SK Hynix model: BC501 NVMe 128GB
size: 119.24 GiB
ID-2: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST1000LM035-1RK172 size: 931.51 GiB
RAID:
Hardware-1: Intel 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] driver: ahci
v: 3.0 bus ID: 00:17.0
Partition:
ID-1: / size: 116.32 GiB used: 74.94 GiB (64.4%) fs: ext4
dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5
ID-2: /home size: 915.82 GiB used: 95.51 GiB (10.4%) fs: ext4
dev: /dev/sda1
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 58.0 C mobo: 51.0 C sodimm: 46.0 C gpu: nvidia
temp: 60 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 3960
Info:
Processes: 537 Uptime: 9d 5h 35m Memory: 7.44 GiB used: 4.87 GiB (65.4%)
Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.4.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17
inxi: 3.0.38
Click to expand...
There's usually a Function key that will disable and re-enable the keyboard. Make sure it doesn't need toggled.

All I got.
 
I have read your specs etc above.....but I will still ask...is this a dual boot?...or has it been at some stage?

Was an Update in progress when you did the hard shut down ?

Do you have Updates set to automatically install in some way?

Is there any chance there was something between the lid and the keyboard when it closed...(before you went on your trip)?

When you say your could not enter your password....what does that mean exactly?......the password space did not appear?...or it would not accept your password?.....?
 
fx9 said:
They did not.

What would that thought process imply?
Click to expand...

Incompetency of the border control officers, is what it'd imply - or perhaps malice...

I've had a laptop taken at the border (multiple times) so that they could go through it. It's perfectly within their rights to do. (I've traveled extensively.)

For simplicity sake, I pretty much bring a "new" device with me each time. I do a clean install and then add just the tools I'll need for the trip's duration.
 
Condobloke said:
I have read your specs etc above.....but I will still ask...is this a dual boot?...or has it been at some stage?

Was an Update in progress when you did the hard shut down ?

Do you have Updates set to automatically install in some way?

Is there any chance there was something between the lid and the keyboard when it closed...(before you went on your trip)?

When you say your could not enter your password....what does that mean exactly?......the password space did not appear?...or it would not accept your password?.....?
Click to expand...
No, I wiped windows when I got the machine and installed mint. I do have auto updates on so an update is possible. I was using it for a week down there before this started.

Sometimes the keyboard and mouse pad were completely unresponsive. Other times the password was continuously being filled.

Honestly, I was wondering if someone had remote access at some points and I did a hard restart multiple times to stop the processes. It still happened less severely when I was offline, but it seemed to be a short period of time after I logged on to the network that it would freeze, or the mouse pad would stop working, then when I restarted it would auto populate the password and then go to guest login. At that point I would get the constant ADSF if I was trying to type, to open timeshift for example, or my drives would come up saying can't mount request or something similar.
 
I don't have any personal info on this computer. No credit cards, bills, bank accounts or anything. I do have lots of pics, movies and files, but nothing that could be of any threat to me.

I am just wondering what it could have been. It was a harsh environment. Salty moist air, like I left it on the beach for a week.

Also wondering what makes sense. Reinstall mint? Possible software corruption? but timeshift didn't wipe it.

I don't know anything about hacking and hardware issues are usually much more obvious than this episode.
 
I would be taking a look in the Update Manager.

Click on View...down to history of updates......have a look to see if the Kernel was updated in the time you were away
Then in the same spot ytou can look at Linux kernels. Take a note of which one it is running...5.4.0-137....and see if that corresponds to one installed while you were away.
fx9 said:
but timeshift didn't wipe it.
Click to expand...
Did you go back to before you went away ?

If you did, then it has to be a hardware issue. (sorry I was a bit late spotting that bit about timeshift)

Are the specs in post #1 recent?.....any chance a hard drive/nvme is fuller than is showing there ?

Any nasty knocks while you were away?....got dropped?

Try taking tha battery out....hold the start button down for half a minute....then replace the battery?

As you can tell....I am running short on ideas here !
 
fx9 said:
Sometimes the keyboard and mouse pad were completely unresponsive. Other times the password was continuously being filled.
Click to expand...
There has to be something interfering with that keyboard for it to be auto typing like that

Were there any kids present in mexico with you and the Laptop ?



 
Condobloke said:
Were there any kids present in mexico with you and the Laptop ?
Click to expand...
Nope, just me and the margaritas.

The kernel is the same as listed. There were a number of updates. I did timeshift back to a week before we left. I left on the 12th, came back on the 26th.

Thing got weird a week or so in.

updates.png
 
Specs are from this morning. No big drops.

If it was hardware I am not worried. I was just wondering if it was corrupt files or something that was going to cause me more grief.

It was pretty harsh there. Right on the ocean. Doors wide open. Hot. The salinity is so severe the mirrors had 2 inches of corrosion around them on a 3 year reno. They have to replace the faucets every 2 years or they look 25 years old. Mine was the only machine that acted up, and the only one with a pad or keyboard.
 
I found a $4 keyboard on Amazon. Replaced it following an online video and everything works perfect, now.

Seemed like it could have been possessed, but it was just a hardware failure.
 
Glad you got this sorted.
naldBkx.png



You can return to your first post and edit to mark as solved if you are happy with it.

Cheers

Wizard
 
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