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xakepp35
Asked: 2019-10-30 00:54:56 +0800 CST

How to stop Ubuntu from changing numlock state on boot?

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There is no problem in other OS. Default expected behavior for standart PC - is that you:

  • Set up NumLock initial status in the bios
  • It remains same in bootloader
  • It remains same at login screen
  • It remains same in desktop session, until you intentionally change it.

So here seems to be a problem, in some "malicious" code, that forcefully disables it, during boot. Question is: What exactly disables it? What binary? Or what source file? Can I remove it, at least locally, on my machine, in order to stop Ubuntu from changing NumLock state at boot?

Or maybe that's a tweak, like Troubleshooting features > [V] Force disable num lock at boot, that was occasionally enabled by default?

I've concluded some searches, what I've found is that:

  • Official information is outdated. There is no such menu in Ubuntu Settings as per 18.04 LTS.
  • A couple of threads, here and there, are also not answering where does the illness seats.
  • Installing and using numlockx is a stub. Why do we need disable (initially enabled) NumLock, and then use additional software to re-enable it? Such an advice really sounds like somthing "conceptually wrong".

Can you help to find out, where is the disease source, and how to fight it?

keyboard boot login-screen numlock 18.04

2 Answers

  1. Ubuntu 20:

    All the same reasoning applies but the specific key/values have changed

    org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.keyboard remember-numlock-state true
org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.keyboard numlock-state false
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  2. Best Answer

    For Ubuntu Gnome 18.04+

    When you are at the login screen the user ID active is gdm (Gnome Desktop Manager). To change that profile login with your own user ID and use:

    sudo -i
xhost +SI:localuser:gdm
su gdm -s /bin/bash
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.peripherals.keyboard numlock-state 'on'
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.touchpad tap-to-click true

    For a plethora of even more options:

    For Ubuntu Unity 16.04+

    Install the the program numlockx:

    $ sudo apt update && sudo apt install numlockx

$ numlockx -h
NumLockX 1.2
(C) 2000-2001 Lubos Lunak <[email protected]>
(C) 2001      Oswald Buddenhagen <[email protected]>

Usage: numlockx [on|off|toggle|status]
on     - turns NumLock on in X ( default )
off    - turns NumLock off in X
toggle - toggles the NumLock on and off in X
status - gets the NumLock status

    Next step is to get it running during login screen:

    $ locate 50-unity-greeter.conf
/usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-unity-greeter.conf

$ sudo -H gedit /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-unity-greeter.conf

    At bottom of file add:

    greeter-setup-script=/usr/bin/numlockx on

    Save file and login again.

    Catchall when everything fails

    Install numlockx as show above. Then

    $ sudo -H gedit /etc/rc.local

    At bottom of file add:

    /usr/bin/numlockx on

    Save file and reboot.

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