[Post-Install] Numlock not ON on Login Screen

[Striderden]

Hello folks,
So, it seems to be a classic, I had this same issue back when I installed kubuntu 24, but the same solutions doesn't seem to work.
After updating to 26.04, as before, I would like to have the Numlock option ON when right from the Login Screen.

System settings > Keyboard > Numlock on startup is ON

"/etc/sddm.conf" does exist, with:
[General]
Numlock=on
written on it

"/etc/sddm.conf.d/" also exists, with the following files inside it (I use X11 session):
10-wayland.conf
20-kubuntu.conf
kde_settings.conf
kubuntu_settings.conf
And for test, I tried to add the Numlock=on option inside them all, none worked.

I also tried it via "numlockx on" command, and no positive result as well.

Is there something I'm missing here?

Many thanks!

[die.boer]

try to create a dedicated override file:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/sddm.conf.d

sudo nano /etc/sddm.conf.d/90-numlock.conf​

put only this inside file
[General]
Numlock=on
save and exit ( ctrl+O - enter - crtl+X)
reboot ,not just log out/in

if that works , it is important to undo the Numlock=on lines you added into the other SDDM config files, unless they are specifically under a [General] section.

[Striderden]

try to create a dedicated override file:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/sddm.conf.d

sudo nano /etc/sddm.conf.d/90-numlock.conf​

put only this inside file
[General]
Numlock=on
save and exit ( ctrl+O - enter - crtl+X)
reboot ,not just log out/in

if that works , it is important to undo the Numlock=on lines you added into the other SDDM config files, unless they are specifically under a [General] section.

Thank you, I did as instructed, unfortunately didn't work!

[Schwarzer Kater]

It should be sufficient to do this in the GUI:

open -> System Settings -> Keyboard (section: Input & Output) -> set Numlock on startup: to "Turn on"

go to -> Colours and Themes (section: Appearance & Style) -> Login Screen (SDDM) -> click [Apply Plasma Settings…] (button at the top) -> confirm by clicking [Apply] and entering your password

I honestly don't know if it already works by logging out and in after this - it should after a reboot though.

[die.boer]

if you still not come right with GUI like Schwarzer Kater says , please do this :
at the login screen: press NumLock manually
can you type numbers with keypad afterward?

just so we can narrow things down...

EDIT : ignore this , see next post

[die.boer]

ok ...i'm also on 26.04 with X11 , my numlock comes on after login , not AT login
i tried a hole bunch of stuff now but none works ...
it seems with Kubuntu 26.04 / SDDM: the greeter initializes keyboard state after startup scripts and ignores the legacy Numlock=on handling
your best bet probably is to install another display manager like LightDM ,which could handle NumLock more reliably
or just have numlock come on AFTER login

[claydoh]

Setting numlock in the Keyboard config to "turn on", then applying Plasma settings to SDDM works for me.

It edits /etc/sddm/conf.d/kde_settings.conf

[Autologin]
Relogin=false
Session=plasma
User=***
[Autologin]
Relogin=false
Session=plasma
User=***

[General]
HaltCommand=
Numlock=on
RebootCommand=

[Theme]
Current=kubuntu
CursorSize=42
CursorTheme=breeze_cursors
Font=Noto Sans,10,-1,0,400,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1

[Users]
MaximumUid=60000
MinimumUid=1000​

I rebooted and double-checked. Numlock is on at sddm.

Next, I logged in, and physically turned NumLock off on my keyboard, then I logged out to sddm.
The numlock indicator on the Kb then lit up, and was enabled.

[Schwarzer Kater]

I can confirm what claydoh wrote:
After setting it in the KDE Plasma System Settings (both Keyboard and Login Screen) numlock is always on in the log in screens (SDDM) of e.g. 24.04 LTS, 25.10 and 26.04 LTS - and it seems to make no difference whether X11 or/and Wayland is installed.
If it still doesn't work: perhaps reverse the manual changes you made in e.g. /etc/sddm.conf.d/ or /etc/sddm.conf (or even /usr/share/sddm/themes/) first…

I would advise against changing the log in manager from SDDM to something else (like LightDM) - unless you are aware of all the consequences that this entails.

[Striderden]

Setting numlock in the Keyboard config to "turn on", then applying Plasma settings to SDDM works for me.

It edits /etc/sddm/conf.d/kde_settings.conf

[Autologin]
Relogin=false
Session=plasma
User=***
[Autologin]
Relogin=false
Session=plasma
User=***

[General]
HaltCommand=
Numlock=on
RebootCommand=

[Theme]
Current=kubuntu
CursorSize=42
CursorTheme=breeze_cursors
Font=Noto Sans,10,-1,0,400,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1

[Users]
MaximumUid=60000
MinimumUid=1000​

I rebooted and double-checked. Numlock is on at sddm.

Next, I logged in, and physically turned NumLock off on my keyboard, then I logged out to sddm.
The numlock indicator on the Kb then lit up, and was enabled.

I tested this specific solution and it worked this time.

I'm not sure why it didn't work the first time, but what was different in the first attempt:
- I had the "Numlock-on" line added in several other files in the sddm.conf.d folder;
- It wasn't exactly between the "HaltCommand=" and "RebootCommand=" lines;

Many thanks, people!