leaving numlock on

[geezer]

I would like for Linux to leave the numlock toggle alone during boot.

Now it positively insists on turning numlock OFF.

I understand that this is because of laptops, which do not have a separate numeric keypad.

Is there anyway, without recompiling the kernal, to get Linux to leave the numlock the way that BIOS sets it

No this is NOT KDE doing the dastardly deed, but the Linux kernal itself.

I have tried setting KDE to turn numlock on when KDE boots, but that doesn't really work because KDE turns numlock on, but leaves the numlock LED OFF, which is very confusing.

I have also tried the command inserted in the init scripts for turning numlock on/off. Forget the name of the command now, but it works like KDE and does not affect the LED.

Both of the above solutions also have the disadvantage of not affecting the numlock status during the login, which is the first time I need the numeric keypad.

So, is there a method of informing Linux itself to leave the numlock status alone during boot

Seems rather archaic of the developers to insist on turning it off, when the numlock status can be set by the BIOS. Or is this just something they put in there years and years back and have not bothered to rethink?

[integr8e]

Re: leaving numlock on

This sounds like a driver issue to me; have you checked to make sure Ubuntu supports your hardware?
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/

[geezer]

Re: leaving numlock on

I'm using the MicroSoft wireless mouse and keyboard. Came with the computer and I don't care to spend extra $$ for another keyboard and mouse setup.

Everything works except trying to get the s/w to turn numlock on and the LED also.

I am having trouble trying to understand it being (K)Ubuntu only, since it is done by the Linux kernal during boot. Seems that would affect pretty much all distros.

If I could get the Linux kernal to just leave the state set by BIOS, then it would work fine.

Unfortunately the LInux kernal insists on turning numlock off.

I can hit the numlock key during boot after the kernal turns it off and the kernal proceeds to turn it off again. This repeats until the login screen is displayed at which point, the numlock key is left as I set it.

[integr8e]

Re: leaving numlock on

The Linux kernel and its modules are like a bucket of Legos; the components with which it is constructed, and the way by which they are implemented, are up to the engineer constructing the kernel, and certain options may be compiled into the kernel, while others are left out. Ubuntu's devs do their best to make their distro as hardware-compatible as possible, but sometimes a piece of hardware pops up that hasn't had its driver compiled into Ubuntu's kernel, or that (rarely) doesn't have a Linux driver at all. If you happen to have an unsupported piece of hardware, you just have to research your options (and maybe even compile the driver yourself).

Try Googling your specific keyboard -- you can find solutions to most of your problems that way.