Keyboard not working on Asus Vivobook 15 during installation!
Keyboard not working during ZorinOS installation. Using USB 2.0 and laptop keyboard.
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Hi and welcome to the forum.
I'm confused as to whether it is a USB keyboard connected to a laptop or the laptop's internal keyboard. Please clarify.
Did the keyboard work from the installation USB in "Try Zorin" mode,
No, the keyboard didn't work in the Try Zorin mode. It is a built-in keyboard from the laptop. I found a similar post here on the forums (Keyboard not working while installing) but it did not help.
The USB is just the installation medium.
It appears to be a kernel issue:
You may have to wait for Zorin 18?
Thank you, but didn't yet install Zorin, as even the installation doesn't get the keyboard input. I can't configure anything properly.
The askubuntu link in Swarf's post#5 states it is fixed in kernel 6.9.
According to this post: NVram Locked (Zorin not found in efibootmgr) - #14 by AZorin
Z17.2 will get kernel 6.11 in next 2 months ahead of the Z17.3 release.
Maybe @Gargamel can find another distro with kernel >6.9, then come back to ZorinOS again after that time.
Welcome to the Forum!
You could try it with an external Keyboard and after the Installation and Updates look if the Keyboard of Your Laptop works.
As a Test, you could use POP OS on a USB stick and look if Your Keyboard is supported there. They have a higher Kernel Version.
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I noticed something - using a Bluetooth keyboard does work. Does that change things? If I use an external keyboard to install Zorin, will I be able to make the keyboard work later?
Possibly which is what @Ponce-De-Leon is referring to. Potentially after your install and then you do some updates and upgrades after the fact, it may include functionality to make it work, but we can't guarantee.
It is possible to install another kernel after the install as well, to give the system a newer one, but I know that within the next month or two we should be getting kernel 6.11, so it could also be an option to wait until then and try again.
Brings back memories of Dream Linux. Seem to remember using an external keyboard on a Dell. Worth trying.
So, until the 6.11 kernel, I shouldn't download Zorin?
Why not ? You can install it and upgrade the kernel to another version.
Update the kernel to 6.9.x
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Thing is, I'm not completely sure it's a kernel problem, and I'm not completely sure I can fix it after install. As I said, I couldn't find a lot of this phenomenon on the Internet, so I can't really be sure what's going on.
stupid question... what were you on before trying installing zorin ? Did the keyboard work then ?
I would hedge bets it is.
The kernel includes a mass of the hardware drivers like keyboards and peripherals.
Michel really hit the nail on the head in this post:
All you need to do is use the working keyboard for the install. Post install log in with the working keyboard and use it temporarily and install a kernel later than 6.9
Installing the kernel is safe and easy, so nothing to be concerned with. You can use the TuxInvader kernel, too. Easy as pie:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tuxinvader/jammy-mainline
sudo apt update && sudo apt install linux-generic-6.12
Once done, reboot and test.
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Aravisian gets my vote, and I concur with both his assessment, and his solution. If it were me, I would use that method. Also, I would use an external keyboard plugged into the notebook, in order to do the installation.
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Thank you. One last question - I couldn't find the on-screen keyboard in the Try Zorin OS mode. Is it present? I would prefer using it.
>Click Zorin 
icon bottom of screen, go to 
settings. Scroll down and click on Accessibility. And there you will find your on screen keyboard.
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I was concurring with Michels assessment and solution, 