4 ms·

> significant benefits over PS/2 Being able to unplug a keyboard and plug it back in again while the PC/server is on without the PC/server freezing is a pretty

by rbobby 12y ago

> significant benefits over PS/2 Being able to unplug a keyboard and plug it back in again while the PC/server is on without the PC/server freezing is a pretty significant benefit. Also... though not a tech limitation... the only access point for a PS/2 plug being at the far back of the PC case can be really annoying (though I wonder what would happen if you had 2 PS/2 ports on a board and you actually plugged in 2 keyboards... probably a small explosion).

userbinator 12y ago
> Being able to unplug a keyboard and plug it back in again while the PC/server is on without the PC/server freezing is a pretty significant benefit. What are you doing where being able to hotplug keyboards frequently is a "pretty significant benefit"? If you are working with multiple servers a KVM switch is a better solution. (The problem with hotplugging PS/2 was that it originally wasn't designed for that so the interface lacked the necessary protection components, but more recently manufacturers have been realising that it's far cheaper to add the protection components than deal with returns from those who either accidentally or purposefully hotplug PS/2. There's still considerable variance between when manufacturers did this, so it's still officially "not supported" but recent motherboards and keyboards/mouses should be robust enough to handle the occasional hotplug.) The PC spec also only allows for 2 PS/2 ports and no more: one for a keyboard and one for a mouse. They use the same physical protocol so no catastrophic effects from putting in two keyboards/mouses or switching them around, but they just won't work since the commands are slightly different; some newer motherboards with a single PS/2 port can detect whether a mouse or keyboard has been plugged into it, and configure accordingly.
- TeMPOraL 12y ago
  > What are you doing where being able to hotplug keyboards frequently is a "pretty significant benefit"? If you are working with multiple servers a KVM switch is a better solution. People trip over cables, and PS/2 plugs liked to disconnect much more easily than USB; you could unplug your keyboard by accident while doing something that moves cables (e.g. using a mouse).
- rbobby 12y ago
  I had 5 or 6 1u servers in a rack. I would roll up a monitor and keyboard (provided by the data center folks). Twice just plugging in a ps2 keyboard froze the server. The fix was a usb keyboard (kept in the cabinet). A kvm would be a solution... but for the rare visit to the colo it just wasn't worth it. One of those 1u rack mount with integrated monitor would have been nice (though the 1/4 cabinet was the top one so I don't think it would have worked very well). Also with KVMs... wires and wires and wires. Blah!
driverdan 12y ago
Hot swapping PS/2 devices has worked on most motherboards for a long time.

by rbobby 12y ago

userbinator 12y ago

> Being able to unplug a keyboard and plug it back in again while the PC/server is on without the PC/server freezing is a pretty significant benefit. What are you doing where being able to hotplug keyboards frequently is a "pretty significant benefit"? If you are working with multiple servers a KVM switch is a better solution. (The problem with hotplugging PS/2 was that it originally wasn't designed for that so the interface lacked the necessary protection components, but more recently manufacturers have been realising that it's far cheaper to add the protection components than deal with returns from those who either accidentally or purposefully hotplug PS/2. There's still considerable variance between when manufacturers did this, so it's still officially "not supported" but recent motherboards and keyboards/mouses should be robust enough to handle the occasional hotplug.) The PC spec also only allows for 2 PS/2 ports and no more: one for a keyboard and one for a mouse. They use the same physical protocol so no catastrophic effects from putting in two keyboards/mouses or switching them around, but they just won't work since the commands are slightly different; some newer motherboards with a single PS/2 port can detect whether a mouse or keyboard has been plugged into it, and configure accordingly.

TeMPOraL 12y ago
> What are you doing where being able to hotplug keyboards frequently is a "pretty significant benefit"? If you are working with multiple servers a KVM switch is a better solution. People trip over cables, and PS/2 plugs liked to disconnect much more easily than USB; you could unplug your keyboard by accident while doing something that moves cables (e.g. using a mouse).
rbobby 12y ago
I had 5 or 6 1u servers in a rack. I would roll up a monitor and keyboard (provided by the data center folks). Twice just plugging in a ps2 keyboard froze the server. The fix was a usb keyboard (kept in the cabinet). A kvm would be a solution... but for the rare visit to the colo it just wasn't worth it. One of those 1u rack mount with integrated monitor would have been nice (though the 1/4 cabinet was the top one so I don't think it would have worked very well). Also with KVMs... wires and wires and wires. Blah!

driverdan 12y ago

Hot swapping PS/2 devices has worked on most motherboards for a long time.