I've seen this bug reported in a number of places, but the keyboard just stops working when trying to create a player profile.

I'm using Lutris/Wine to run the CD version, and it's installed and running fine, but no amount of setting compatibility modes or other suggested fixes will get it working.

Keyboard just dies when trying to create the player profile.

Any ideas?? Would really like to make this game work.

Give Gamescope a try; see if setting it up to run in a resolution it prefers helps.