19

How do I make my system keep the numlock turned on at startup?

I am puzzled by this defect, and I want to solve this without having to install an external program as I am convinced that there is a setting somewhere.

So, how can I make my system keep numlock on at boot?

terdon
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Ballie
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4 Answers4

19

I too was puzzeled by this dilemma. I searched hard and long to find a solution that doesn't require numlockx, as I was convinced it must be a setting in a '.conf' file. Guess what... I found it!

To keep numlock turned on at startup you need to edit the following file:

/etc/sddm.conf

Find the label general and add the following

Numlock=on

Now save your file and reboot. It's as simple as that.

In my case I had already turned on numlock in my BIOS, so I don't know if this works with numlock turned off in your BIOS. I haven't tested that. However, I assume that if you're looking to keep numlock turned on at boot time, you've probably already turned that on.

amc
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Ballie
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6

The only solution I know of requires the numlockx package. To install it, open a terminal (Alt-Ctrl-T) and type the following lines:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install numlockx

Then edit your Startup Applications and add a new entry. The command for the new entry should be numlockx on.

That's it! If you find a solution that doesn't require the numlcokx package, I'd love to hear about it.

(See also: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Activating_Numlock_on_Bootup )

Nick Weinberg
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0

in ubuntu 18.04 you can

sudo apt install gnome-tweaks

(assuming this are names of menu items in english (added germans in brackets))

'keyboard and mouse' (Tastatur und Maus) /
'additional options' (Zusätzliche Belegungsoptionen) /
x 'various options for compatibility' (Verschiedene Optionen zur Kompatibilität) /
set this checkbox:
O 'Numlock On: Numbers; shift changes to arrows'

gnome tweak installed allows a lot more to "tweak" on the system

Josef Klotzner
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0

Simple GUI point and click solution here: This is the case with Cinnamon and I'm pretty sure any Ubuntu flavor.

Go to SYSTEM SETTINGS -> KEYBOARD LAYOUT -> click on the OPTIONS button on the bottom right corner -> look for "misc. compatibility options" and click "default numeric keypad keys" and "numeric keypad keys always enter digits".

At this point you may need to restart your system for it to take full effect and will continue working from then on.

I do not recommend installing numlockx or any other third party extension if you do not need it as this creates additional dependencies and can introduce bugs or security risks.

flyingdrifter
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