I can't figure this one out... I was using a nicely running install of Sabayon 5.2 Gnome 64bit AMD, with all recent updates through 5-17-10.
I plugged a SD/MMC card reader (which had been working until today) into a USB port, and the reader device mounted in Nautilus. As soon as I inserted the SD memory card. The mount points (icons in the GUI)for the reader disappeared. I disconnected the USB cable, and did a normal restart (reboot).
The start up proceeded normally and presented the usual log in screen and text box with cursor, but no mouse pointer, and no keyboard response. Both the keyboard, and the mouse are USB, so right away I assumed the card reader had "overloaded" and shutdown, my USB port power supply. I shutdown, disconnected the power cord, waited 5 minutes, and rebooted to the exact same problem.
I shutdown again, replaced the USB keyboard and mouse with PS2 style (mini-DIN connector) replacements, and rebooted to the same problem. I shutdown and switched to my backup hard-drive with a good install of Sabayon 4.0 Gnome AMD 64, and everything worked correctly with both the PS2 peripherals, and the original USB Keybord and mouse. I booted a generic Debian live DVD and everything worked correctly also.
I mounted the original hard-drive with the problem Sabayon 5.2 install, after booting with a Sabayon live DVD, but I could not see the xorg.conf file I was looking for, I guess because I don't know how to deal with the LVM to get the files displayed.
My assumption is that the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file is corrupted, or possibly the input driver files it references. My problem is, I can't figure out how to get to a console command prompt so I can look around. Obviously, Ctrl-Alt-F1 or backspace is not going to work. I don't know how to force a run level either. I tried the recovery mode, but it ends at the same non-responsive log in prompt. The keyboard works until X starts, and then it is dead, no lights, nothing.
I would be happy with any direction on how to mount my hard drive files in the live CD environment, or at least how to force the hard drive bootloader to not load the GUI.
Thank you,
N.D.