Installing 12.10 server from cd - minimal installation: basic system, ssh server,postgreSQL, manual updates.

Hardware is brand new HP server that also runs Win 2003 Server Standard as a DNC excellently - I installed the grub boot manager on the primary partition and it is working fine - can boot to Win or Ubuntu without issue.

Everything seemed to go OK on the installation - BUT when I restarted the system after install and booted to Ubuntu, I got the command prompt for Ubuntu, but the keyboard was UNREPSONSIVE - dead. There is nothing wrong with the keyboard - works fine if I boot to Win.

With a completely unrepsonsive keyboard I had to hit the power switch - when I restarted and booted to Ubuntu, Ubuntu started but no command prompt came up at all - just black screen.

I powered down and rebooted to advanced Ubuntu options - it tried to reinstall/initliaze a long list of packages - when it got to 'waiting for network configuration' it waited, then a message 'waiting 60 seconds for network configuration'... it waited 60 seconds and then I got a 'failed to configure network message' and it continued.

Finally it finished, I hit enter and got to a prompt - but again, keyboard UNREPSONSIVE - dead.

I went through this several times - tried 'repairing broken installation' option and also reinstalling entirely - always same results.

I am flummoxed.

The only clue I have is that for the Windows DNC config, the IP address is static - not via DHCP. But I don't think that should impact Ubuntu at all - perhaps I am mistaken.

What is wrong?