ESXi 6.0 installation: keyboard dead?

[JarryG]

I'm having one strange problem:

When I try to install esxi 6.0 on server (where I previously installed 5.0, 5.1 and 5.5), my usb-keyboard becomes dead and I can not continue. I mean, at the very beginning when ESXi installation-CD boots and asks if I want to start ESXi-installer or boot from disk, it still works (arrow-keys, enter, etc). Then it goes further, loads various modules, and then it asks if I want to install ESXi. I press <Enter> but nothing happens. Switching NumLock On/Off shows that my keyboard is "dead". I tried to plug it out/in, still not working. I tried it once again with different keyboard, different usb-ports, it was all the same. How can I fix this?

[virtualkingraj]

have u installed vmware tools?

[JarryG]

No, I'm not that far. I'm talking about installation of ESXi, which I can not perform due to keyboard not working...

[sakthivelramali · Accepted solution]

Hi..please refer the KB VMware KB: Troubleshooting issues when a mouse or keyboard stop functioning during installation or u...

[JarryG]

Definitely relevant information, even though not valid for ESXi 6. In the meantime, I "solved" this problem by using KVM-port of my server. Strangely, remote "keyboard" worked and works. But even after I finished installation, attached keyboard still does not work. And ESXi 6.0 does not have that file (/etc/modules.conf). So I still have no idea how to make local attached usb-keyboard work...

Similar problem has been discussed in this thread, and surprisingly varnav's solution worked for me too:

Keyboard Error. Keyboard not working at ESXi install screen.

[kipalex]

Good afternoon! Whether this problem was solved? At me such problem arose after updating from version 5.5 on 6.0. Connection of other keyboard doesn't yield result. PS/2 isn't present on the motherboard.

ESXi 6.0 does not have that file (/etc/modules.conf)