Thank you for posting the kernel configuration.
input is available as a module but perhaps it doesn't work either if the base kernel was set to NO rather than MODULE... This is what I was starting to suspect!
As Barb from
Princess of Wands would say: Sugar!
I don't suppose there is any chance of reconfiguring the kernel to Module for:
CONFIG_INPUT
CONFIG_INPUT_KEYBDEV
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV
Like for perhaps a 2.8.1 release?
And yes, I'm not crazy enough to flash my own Kernel without JTAG.