13.10 server CD-ROM installation: Enter key stops working

[henrylaw]

Installing ubuntu-13.10-server-amd64.iso on an HP Proliant ML115 G5. MD5 hash checks on the downloaded ISO.

I boot, confirm the pre-selected English language by pressing the Enter key, get the main menu. I first selected the CD-ROM test (by pressing Enter) and it confirmed that the burned CD-ROM was good. But then the Enter key no longer works (i.e. I can't select "Continue") and have to re-boot.

Selecting the Install option (by pressing Enter) the next panel is the installation language, pre-selected with English. Again, Enter doesn't work and after pressing it no key works and I have to reboot.

This is a reinstallation so I booted the existing (12.04) system off the disk. Both Enter keys work perfectly. (It's a USB keyboard with a Return key in the middle block and one labelled "Enter" in the numeric pad area to the right).

Am I doing something wrong? It's difficult to believe because to that point you can't really do much! I've googled without finding anything. Any suggestions on how to debug this, or get round it somehow?

[egeezer]

Never had that problem myself, but it seems to me you might do better using the Return key, as I suspect that the Num Lock is turned off when you have started the other processes, and the number keypad is no longer active.

[henrylaw]

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I tried both Enter and the return key ... and every other key on the keyboard too!

I've actually got round the problem by installing 12.04.4 instead, so I'm OK, but I'm happy to try the first parts of the installation if anyone has further suggestions as to what to try. It doesn't take long to find out whether or not it works!

[egeezer]

This isn't an answer, but it is a comment made from experience this time: I've run both 12.04 (and all the other releases up to 12.04.4) and 13.10, and 12.04 is the better by far. In fact, I'm finding 13.10 is about the least usable (polished, working, effective, etc) of all the Ubunti since 8.10.

[henrylaw]

I'm going to mark this "solved" for tidiness's sake but it's not really, only avoided by installing a different version.