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[GeroZ]

OK - 1st post here, after reading a lot since a few weeks.

Hi all! I'm propably one of the few G1G1 OLPC owners outside the USA, namely in Germany. Luckily the junior partner of the company I work for lives in the states, so we actually G2G2 - one for his son, one for me.

Anyhoo: I did it, I really did it. I disassembled my XO down to the keyboard mat. Before that I used the left-alt-to-left-grab (aka "hand") remapping technique, but (a) this refused to work without modifications after testing Ubuntu from SD and (b) my left-grab key started to keep sticking - I haven't heard about stuck grab keys, but hey, someone has got to be first.

@LaPaglia - the trick with isopropol (or "Isopronanol" as it's called in German) is what I've done to more than a dozen TV remotes over the years.
But this one doesn't really apply here: TV remotes have "open" metal contacts, to be shortened by a carbon brush embedded in the rubber key coming from above.

In contrast, the OLPC keyboard has tightly encapsulated contacts within two layers of film, glued to the metal plate. The rubber keys merely press the upper layer onto the lower layer towards the metal. - Anybody still know the Sinclair ZX81? Or the ZX Spectrum with the rubber keyboard? This is more or less what we have in the XO. (Yeah, yeah, old grampa talking about the war. )

Sorry, people, forget about the isopropol. ... BTW, I really don't think it would be a good idea to peel of the membrane from the metal plate.

In my opinion the problem is the glue: The rubber mat is glued to the upper layer of the actual keyboard during manufacturing - I don't know exactly why they do this, the ZX Spectrum worked fine without glue (and the ZX81 even without a rubber mat). So the spilled glue seems to get between the rubber keys and the upper keyboard layer.

So - for those of you who still wonder what this rubbing is all about: You actually rub away the glue (which is dispensable anyway, IMHO). ... So - basically it would be a good idea to be kind of gentle. But this double layer keyboard can take quite a bit: Don't be too shy, be sure to remove all splotches of that glue you can find with the tip of your finger. Also check the rubber mat, not just the keyboard membrane.

Afterwards I even dared to run the firmware diag which just the keyboard cable plugged back in, main part and keyboard part still lying loosely on the table. After all looked fine, I reassembled the XO - good news, I didn't even have leftover screws.

So - who dares wins.

[LaPaglia]

I had two choices, liken it to something people could understand and I could write, or go the long way and be ultra technical. The alcohol, removes the gunk (glue) as I called it. On mine there was surface contaminant that made the corner sticky. When I cleaned it off it stopped sticking.

Doesn't matter how or why, yours and mine are both working and thats what matters. 

[GeroZ]

Ah, OK. I really thought you meant to clean metal contacts with isoprop - which helps a lot for TV remotes. Cleaning off the spill glue (or "gunk") propably is a pretty good idea.

[voodoo]

Hey, i got an idea. Would this work?


I'd like to disable the internal keyboard (with stuck keys) but still be able to plug in an external usb keyboard. I know that would effect portability but would still help get around the stuck keys without requiring major intensive wiring surgery.

Would i just follow the instructions to remove the keyboard? is there a software code i could enter that would ignore the internal keyboard and only accept the usb plugged in keyboard? any other ideas?

[GeroZ]

I saw someone who did exactly this: He got himself a tiny USB keyboard and placed it roughly instead of the internal one.

Well ... Almigthy Google help me ... Ah - here it comes:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Installing-a-USB-Keyboard-into-an-OLPC-XO-Laptop-/

[voodoo]

This isn't exactly what i'm looking for. I saw that too. I want an easy way i could ignore the internal keyboard and have the computer recognize an external usb keyboard. Any ideas?

[jsiegel]

I had ctrl and both alt keys stuck and for some reason disabling them through xmodmap wasn't working. i was skeptical about trying this but it seriously worked. no more sticky keys. thank you.

before after

What commands do you use to get that display?  My keyboard just started sticking and we're not sure how many are involved.  The left shift and the "A" key are having issues.  Keyboard goes into cap lock mode when I use either of those keys and won't un-shift

Update: we got the keyboard to start working again by pulling up the rubber and cleaning beneath but still would like to know how to get the display above.

[jsiegel]

Question:  once the rubber keyboard is peeled off, do you need to peel off the hard plastic covering of the membrane?  It looks like it will crack if forced up.   Or, is just rubbing the hard plastic below the rubber keyboard what unstuck things?

Update: all we did was pull up the rubber keyboard a bit, rub the hard plastic a little bit and then put everything back together.   Seems to be working now, hopefully it will continue.

[bc]

Last week, my keyboard started acting up as well (until now, I thought that maybe my XO wasn't afflicted), so I tried the keyboard de-gunking suggested here. I'm pleased to report that it appears to have worked (knock on wood). Before de-gunking, if I ran the keyboard diagnostics (at boot, press the escape key and type "test keyboard"), it showed the Ctrl key as being problematic. Now, when I run the keyboard diagnostics, all keys are "green". In limited testing today, I've had no problems with the Ctrl key.

Yay!!!

- Bill

[bc]

Last week, my keyboard started acting up as well (until now, I thought that maybe my XO wasn't afflicted), so I tried the keyboard de-gunking suggested here. I'm pleased to report that it appears to have worked (knock on wood). Before de-gunking, if I ran the keyboard diagnostics (at boot, press the escape key and type "test keyboard"), it showed the Ctrl key as being problematic. Now, when I run the keyboard diagnostics, all keys are "green". In limited testing today, I've had no problems with the Ctrl key.

Yay!!!

I've written up my experience on my blog:
http://bc.tech.coop/blog/080327.html

- Bill

[cmonkey]

Amusingly, I had the sticky CTRL key issue until my CTRL key started to fall off.  The problem is now fixed :p

[wolf9545]

I followed the instructions on how to take apart the XO and I used my fingernail to remove any "gunk" that is under the CTRL key area on the left side.  My laptop seems to work fine now.  Ran the diagnostic program and pressed the CTRL key a bunch but it never became "stuck".  Odd but the XO seems to be a bit faster now too.

[brisalta]

I followed the instructions on how to take apart the XO and I used my fingernail to remove any "gunk" that is under the CTRL key area on the left side.  My laptop seems to work fine now.  Ran the diagnostic program and pressed the CTRL key a bunch but it never became "stuck".  Odd but the XO seems to be a bit faster now too.

Why is that odd?  It makes sense because the system is not having to process excess scan codes from the stuck CTRL key.

[wolf9545]

It's odd because even when the keyboard was working the system seemed slower than after I fixed it.

[colinwhipple]

Rubbing on the sensor seems to work for me, too.

Not sure I got it back together right, though.  It works, but the bottom plate bulges out a little.