124

I am trying to force numlock to be on upon initial boot at the login screen on Ubuntu 12.04. The only solutions I have found so far switch numlock on only after initial login.

I'm looking to force numlock to be on when the login screen is displayed, and before the user has logged in. Can anyone assist?

5
  • is it during login screen on lightdm or after logging in under unity? cause i know solution to both May 2, 2012 at 17:11
  • 1
    From darryn.ten -- NOT an exact duplicate, as I need numlock on BEFORE I login not after.
    – Jjed
    Jul 24, 2012 at 21:58
  • For Ubuntu 18.04 using Gdm3 see @Faisal answer Feb 14, 2020 at 16:11
  • If you want to enable numlock during cryptdisk boot password prompt in plymouth: superuser.com/a/1085795
    – geekley
    Mar 23, 2021 at 5:01
  • To enable numlock for SDDM, add Numlock=on under the [General] section. See man sddm.conf
    – stollr
    May 11, 2021 at 20:59

13 Answers 13

79

On many machines, you can set whether or not Number Lock is turned on on boot, in the BIOS settings (accessible when you first power on the machine).

Otherwise, there are a number of ways to enable (or disable) Number Lock in software, depending on your specific needs. The most useful ways are listed here.

If you want Number Lock turned on when Ubuntu starts (not before that on the GRUB menu, and not afterwards when logging in, and not just for specific virtual consoles), then install numlockx and make the initialization script /etc/init.d/rc.local use it to enable Number Lock:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get -y install numlockx
sudo sed -i 's|^exit 0.*$|# Numlock enable\n[ -x /usr/bin/numlockx ] \&\& numlockx on\n\nexit 0|' /etc/init.d/rc.local

Source: NumLock, by Contributors to the Ubuntu documentation wiki, last line taken verbatim (as this source permits).

6
  • So I followed the instructions over at the wiki page you linked to. I did the update command you list here. I did sudo apt-get install numlockx. But I didn't use the y option. Is that necessary? Didn't say anything about it over at the wiki page so I didn't do any of that. I rebooted and everything but Numlock is still disabled at boot and at login screen. Will try the update command. Other than that, am I missing something else here? The option "default numeric keypad keys" from keyboard preferences doesn't concern boot settings so I didn't enable that. Should I?
    – Samir
    Jul 21, 2013 at 13:26
  • 1
    This did not work for me. Answer by +luvr did however.
    – Clarkey
    Aug 24, 2013 at 19:16
  • 8
    This no longer works on Xubuntu LTS 12.04. May 9, 2014 at 16:39
  • 3
    -y option is for force answer "Yes" if apt-get question about to install it. BECAREFUL WITH THIS: sometimes -I think here it is not the case, at least not in my case- there is some cases when apt-get says that something is needed to remove; in that cases apt-get will ask you confirm that action. But, sometimes remove packages automatically using apt would cause several problems on your machine. As an example sometimes ask you for remove some graphical packages that are use for GUI'S. Even sometimes it has asked me to remove gnome-desktop and some gpu drivers...that will really messed up SO Mar 12, 2015 at 18:55
  • 1
    kubuntu 20.4 error sudo sed -i 's|^exit 0.*$|# Numlock enable\n[ -x /usr/bin/numlockx ] \&\& numlockx on\n\nexit 0|' /etc/init.d/rc.local sed: can't read /etc/init.d/rc.local: No such file or directory
    – SL5net
    Dec 31, 2021 at 10:29
43

Here's what worked for me:

  1. Ensure that numlockx is installed:

     sudo apt-get install numlockx
    
  2. Edit the file /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf:

     sudo nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf
    
  3. Add the following line to the file:

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

    Press Ctrl + X to exit Nano.

11
  • How can I just verify that numlockx is installed? Should it appear on a dash search?
    – Samir
    Jul 21, 2013 at 13:32
  • Do I have to remove greeter-session=unity-greeter or the user-session=ubuntu` from the file (lightdm.conf)? Or just the greeter-setup-script line below them?
    – Samir
    Jul 21, 2013 at 13:35
  • 6
    On Ubuntu 13.10 this method prevented the display of the login screen on my machine. After the initial display of the Ubuntu logo, the monitor was simply showing that there is no signal (I tried to reboot a couple of times but it always ended up the same). Not knowing what else to do, I booted the system from a live USB and removed the line from lightdm.conf. After that the system loaded up again just fine.
    – tmt
    Jan 3, 2014 at 15:57
  • 5
    While I know this trick worked for me in past versions, it no longer seems to works in 14.04. Adding this line to lightdm.conf breaks the login process, sending me to Low Graphics mode and preventing a login with Nvidia drivers. Removing this line fixed the problem.
    – cowbell40
    Jan 12, 2015 at 19:28
  • 1
    I don't have the file /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf But I have this /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/70-linuxmint.conf and it works!!! :D
    – Shayan
    Feb 28, 2018 at 15:20
24

14.04

Yes, use locate command as follow:

locate 50-unity-greeter.conf

The output is:

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

So, the file you need to edit is the above file.

sudo apt-get install numlockx
gksu gedit /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-unity-greeter.conf

Add this line at the end of file:

greeter-setup-script=/usr/bin/numlockx on
9
  • 1
    What's the difference between /usr/share/lightdm/ and /etc/lightdm? Wouldn't the settings in the former folder be overwritten with updates, while in the second they wont or did I misunderstand the meaning of the folders? Oct 21, 2014 at 8:39
  • @PeterRaeves: You are absolutely correct. Radu, I would suggest that you edit your answer accordingly. Editing a package file which is not under /etc can't be anything but a temporary hack. Nov 8, 2014 at 22:32
  • This one worked for me Sep 18, 2015 at 4:19
  • This is the closest answer that helped me. I use Xubuntu 14.04 and the file was /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/10-xubuntu.conf and I added the greeter-setup-script=/usr/bin/numlockx on to the end of that file and it worked great! +1 for pointing me in the right direction!
    – Terrance
    Feb 3, 2016 at 1:00
  • 2
    in 16.04 beta2 this will lead to this problem askubuntu.com/questions/141606/… Apr 6, 2016 at 9:28
18

For Enabling it on Login Screen

First, ensure that numlockx is installed, by typing these in terminal:

sudo apt-get install numlockx

Then, edit the file /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf

gksudo gedit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf

Add the following line to the file:

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

For Enabling Numlock by Default after Logging In..

  1. In Dash Search for Keyboard Layout and open it
  2. In the window that opens on the ottom right there is Options, click on it.
  3. Under Miscellaneous compatibility options, Enable Default Numeric Keys.

enter image description here

2
  • 1
    it's not this case, i make this procedure by the way. I press the button "Num Lock" and immediately it's goes off, "don't stay on". I had checked the keyboard and it's ok in other machine and other o.s. I change the keyboard to an older ps/2 keyboard to test. It seems that works, ie, there is some problem with USB keyboard in ubuntu 12.04
    – Brunno
    May 4, 2012 at 14:12
  • what is a Dash Search? my mine is ubuntu 16.4, and i have not seen Keyboard Layout options (searched under settings, only for keyboard, and it did not have the 'default numeric keypad keys'. Nov 1, 2018 at 11:14
7

Ubuntu 18.04

Open terminal by Ctrl+Alt+T

Run commands

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

That's it...

Solution by

In Ubuntu 20.04

To Keep it on

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.keyboard remember-numlock-state true

To Keep it off

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.keyboard numlock-state false

You can configure the way you like.

8
  • 1
    I get: Command 'gdm' not found
    – Hakaishin
    Jul 26, 2019 at 7:05
  • This is the solution if you use Gdm3 in Ubuntu 18.04 (the last line is not needed) Feb 14, 2020 at 16:10
  • 1
    I get No such key “numlock-state”
    – khatchad
    Sep 18, 2020 at 14:02
  • @RaffiKhatchadourian Shouldn't be a problem if you update to 20.04 Oct 9, 2020 at 17:14
  • 1
    I was getting the "No such key" error in 22.04 when trying to set org.gnome.settings-daemon.peripherals.keyboard. The key was actually in "desktop": gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.keyboard numlock-state true. Apr 18, 2023 at 7:26
6

I have done this, and it worked for me. First, make sure you have universe repository added.

Just press Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard to open Terminal. When it opens, run the commands below.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install numlockx

Now that numlockx is installed, create a file named Default in /etc/X11/ with these contents:

if [ -x /usr/bin/X11/numlockx ]; then
    /usr/bin/X11/numlockx on
fi

exit 0

Turn off your Num Lock and reboot. Voilà!

1
  • 2
    doesn't work in 18.04
    – equitharn
    May 2, 2018 at 14:38
4

Xubuntu specific.

Versions from 14.10 include a pkexec mousepad action.

Follow previous answers to install numlockx

Edit /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/60-lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf as root

Alt+F2 then

pkexec mousepad /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/60-lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf

Add

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

then save.

2

Most BIOSes allow this to be enabled. You can check your BIOS for this feature.

OR

Go to : System Settings -> Keyboard Layout -> Options -> Miscellaneous compatibility options

Check "Default numeric keypad keys"

Sources : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/NumLock

0
2

Here is a little bash script which takes care of everything in an automated way:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
FILE='/etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf'
KEYVALUE='greeter-setup-script=/usr/bin/numlockx on'
sudo apt --yes install numlockx
grep --quiet "$KEYVALUE" "$FILE" || echo "$KEYVALUE" | sudo tee --append "$FILE"

Do not forget to first make your bash script executable with chmod +x scriptname, then execute it with ./scriptname.

3
  • @Phantômaxx The fourth line in my script reads sudo apt --yes install numlockx Feb 25, 2021 at 16:03
  • I didn't notice that. Feb 25, 2021 at 19:38
  • Anyway, it didn't work for me (Ubuntu Studio 20.10). No automatic numlock at login. Feb 25, 2021 at 20:04
2

If you are using lightdm you can add a file /etc/lightdm/slick-greeter.conf with

[Greeter]
activate-numlock=true

That will enable numlock at the login screen. I have encountered a small bug in the panel LED applet that shows indicators for numlock, scroll lock and caps lock. If you use this method then the indicator will show off, despite numlock being on. If you toggle numlock it will show the correct status.

To fix this add a startup application with the startup application app and add this command.

bash -c 'numlockx off && numlockx on'

Of course you need to install numlockx. If you do not use the indicator applet then you can probably ignore this last part.

1
  • Ubuntu Mate 20.04: With all the different similar config files I couldn't believe it would just be that file. So I tried the setting in 10's of files. Then I found a settings panel Login Window , where I could just turn this on. Which writes /etc/lightdm/slick-greeter.conf with exactly that value. After which it works as expected.
    – Spangaer
    Oct 31, 2021 at 12:19
0

19.04 DISCO DINGO

SETTINGS > KEYBOARD> BEHAVIOUR> GENERAL

Num Lock state reset

1
  • 1
    Is that for user setting after they log in? May 27, 2019 at 19:39
0

From the K Menu, launch System Settings and click on Keyboard (Edgy users: K Menu -> System Settings -> Keyboard and Mouse -> Keyboard). You can see in the middle section the options for "NumLock on KDE Startup", where you can choose to Turn On, Turn Off, or Leave Unchanged.09.07.2021

a copy from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/NumLock

0

For Ubuntu Mate 22.04 (Jammy Jelly) with lightdm and arctica-greeter you can edit the configuration with dconf-editor in /org/ArcticaProject/arctica-greeter/. This is the official way and requires to run dconf-editor as the lightdm user, which is a problem. Settings done here take no effect if done as root or user. enter image description here

A workaround for this bug is to create a gschema.override in /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/ with for example sudo vim /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/99_arctica_greeter.gschema.override and then recompile the schemas with sudo glib-compile-schemas /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/

The schema could look something like this:

[org.ArcticaProject.arctica-greeter]
background='/home/user/Pictures/fuchs/snowfox.jpg'
activate-numlock=true
play-ready-sound=false

Add any other keys that you see in dconf-editor and adjust as required and then recompile the schemas.

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