linux-kernel - Re: [RESUBMIT] [PATCH] Use BIOS Keyboard variable to set Numlock

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Message-ID: <4F4BF11E.4090000@zytor.com>
Date:	Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:09:50 -0800
From:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
To:	"Joshua C." <joshuacov@...glemail.com>
CC:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Bodo Eggert <7eggert@....de>
Subject: Re: [RESUBMIT] [PATCH] Use BIOS Keyboard variable to set Numlock

On 02/27/2012 11:23 AM, Joshua C. wrote:
> I rebased this on the latest kernel-3.3-rc5 so that it can be properly applied.
> ------------------
> 
> From 36e15b8d9d491817a3bada5ef9375aabe9439d9b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2012
> From: Joshua Cov <joshuacov@...glemail.com>
> Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:49:18 +0100
> Subject: [PATCH] Use BIOS Keyboard variable to set Numlock
> 
> The PC BIOS does provide a NUMLOCK flag containing the desired state
> of this LED. Bit 0x417 has the current keyboard modifier state. This
> patch sets the current state according to the data in the bios and
> introduces a module parameter "numlock" which can be used to
> explicitely disable the NumLock (1 = enable, 0 = disable).
> 
> See first discussion back in 2007 at:
> http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0707.1/1834.html
> 
> Signed-Off-By: Joshua Cov <joshuacov@...glemail.com>
> Cc: H. Peter Anvin <hpa@...or.com>
> Cc: Bodo Eggert <7eggert@....de>
> 

A better idea might be to query the status in the BIOS bootstrap code --
then non-BIOS boots can do the equivalent.  It also has the side benefit
of making people running Grub2 perhaps realize that they are f****ng
themselves over by using the "linux" command and not "linux16", because
of course policy in Grub2 is that if there is a sane way to do it, make
sure it is NOT the default.

	-hpa

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