No, I don't use extkbd, so you can keep your shoe.

I'll update the upgrade instructions accordingly to take care fore this extkbd issue. It's not a big thing, basically one just has to backup the old Easy Debian xkb folder instead of reimporting it from Maemo.
However I'd like to have a solution for the extkbd-xkb folder in Easy Debian because that would allow to use the N900 as a true emergency computer by connecting it to a TV and a keyboard and working with the full Debian software instead of sticking to Maemo.

I did a complete diff of the two archives you provided. I had no idea how extensive the changes are that extkbd makes.
At first sight nothing there seems to be obviously related to the problems you described but I'm sure it's in there. I'll have to investigate it further.

Did you ever use Easy Debian with an external keyboard? If so, how did it behave? My guess is that it should behave like Maemo without extkbd.

Edit:
Argh! I hate Mediawiki! I just wanted to add the extkbd thing to the article (adapted #2 of "regressions") and stumbled upon the bug that Mediawiki can't handle monospace text blocks within lists that are numberes with '#'. So I changed all the '#' to a <ol><li> structure but now none of the monospace text blocks is recognized anymore. My desperate attempts with {{, {code and code{ were not successful. Can somebody who knows Mediawiki syntax please tell me how to restore the blocks?