USB mouse isn't working when a PP keyboard is attached?

[mikeb]

OS: PostmarketOS 23.06 with the latest updates
Hardware revision: most likely 1.2 something
PP keyboard's firmware version: 1.3, the latest
PP keyboard revision: unknown, but bought this year
PP firmware of a USB chip: the latest version from a link at https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone#F...X_firmware
U-Boot: the latest version by this instruction https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/PineP...ot_Upgrade

I wanted to use PP as a netbook - by adding the official PP keyboard, as well as a USB mouse by a simple OTG cable (which doesn't have to be powered). The PP keyboard manual says " The PinePhone’s USB-C port remains operational when mounted in the keyboard and can be used for data and peripherals. "
 However, when a PP keyboard is attached, the PP doesn't see a USB mouse - i.e. no events at dmesg kernel log. But the same USB mouse with the same OTG cable is working fine if I remove a PP keyboard.

This mouse has a built-in LED, which is OFF when a PP keyboard's battery is disabled and is ON when a PP keyboard's battery is enabled.
So I assume that enabling the built-in keyboard's battery somehow helps. But still can't get a successful mouse+keyboard experience. Other USB devices aren't working too when a PP keyboard is attached. Any ideas?

[Peter Gamma]

The only idea which I have is to look at the experience of other users with Bluetooth mice, usb keyboard, and how difficult it is to find peripherals for instance for the Orange Pi5:
https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?...973&page=2
Furthermore, isn’t it strange that a good device builder and programmer uses an usb-c keyboard for the Radxa zero and builds a device in 2023 which looks like a 40 year old TR80? Whas it the best he could do with it? To find peripherals which work with the Pinephone, the Orange Pi 5 and the Radxa zero seems to be tricky. Therefore sharing user experience about this is very helpful.

[Peter Gamma]

A solution which I suggest is also not to use the Pinephone keyboard. The battery is only 6000mAh.I did some tests with a 10 000 mAh battery. It did power a Pi Pad 5 for more than 24 hrs in idle. This power bank is not much bigger than the Pinephone keyboard, and I suppose it does not interfere with a keyboard. And I would also suggest to test the Rii mini 4 which is both 2.4 Ghz with it’s own dongle as well as Bluetooth. With the 2.4 Ghz dongle we have only one usb-c connector of the Pinephone for the dongle and the power bank, but we can also choose Bluetooth. I used Bluetooth mini keyboards for many years frequently, and did not have any issues with those.

[Peter Gamma]

According to this video:

https://youtu.be/5cIqwIye2Q0

a usb mouse should work in the configuration shown in the video. But I did not check which distro is used for this demo.

[Peter Gamma]

- I gathered all the information I know about this topic here:

https://petergamma.org/how-to-get-a-usb-...pinephone/

- But I have to admit I do not see it through why why mikeb failed but The Gibus Cap was successful.

- If you know it please let me know.

[Peter Gamma]

- The answer is here but only needs to be confimed:

https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=19304

[Peter Gamma]

- What actually needs to be confirmed, that if the Pinephone keyboard is attached, if you us only one usb plug, the usb mouse should work. The one who made the following video which shows this wrote this into the comments:

https://youtu.be/5cIqwIye2Q0

- Please confirm this if you can.

- The other thing is that the Pine64 store does not offer the Pinephone keyboard anymore.

-  And that after I worked almost a month everyday a little bit with Pine64 forum member wibble in installing LibreOffice on the Pinephone.

- Then I invested even more time in reviewing the Pinephone, it's issues and how they can be resolved on my personal website www.petegamma.org

- But without the Pinephone keyboard all this work is without value.

- And the Pinephone as well.

- I therefore have put the Pinephone on the BLACKLIST of my site .