Linux anarki 3.2.0-2-amd64 #1 SMP Fri Jun 1 17:49:08 UTC 2012 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Distributor ID: LinuxMint
Description: Linux Mint Debian Edition
Release: 1
Codename: debian
When my laptop boots I need to enter a harddrive password. I also have to manually skip the memory test during POST with the escape key so I know my keyboard works.
After booting into Linux I get to GDM3 or LightDM (tried both) login screen but my keyboard and mouse won't work. This includes a mouse and keyboard that have been connected via USB. When I unplug the USB keyboard and mouse and plug them in again, they work, but not the internal keyboard and trackpad, because I can't unplug/plug those. The numlock and capslock keys don't even light up when I press them. CTRL-ALT-F1 does not work.
I have found problem descriptions on the internet from 2011, with solutions like renaming /var/run/udev or /run/udev. There also was a proposed solution of removing the keyboard and mouse settings from xorg.conf because that is handled by evdev now, but all of these solutions didn't work.
The problem does not occur when I start in recovery mode. The keyboard works fine in the terminal, but as soon as I start X by doing startx or starting gdm3 or lightdm the keyboard and mouse cease to work. In the scenario of going through the recovery boot option the screen also stays blank when I start X.
I will be browsing through stackexchange looking for other possible solutions to try out.