Numlock keeps re-activating by itself in Linux Aspire 5 A515-43-R19L

ineuw

Installed Linux Mint 20.1 on my dual boot Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R19L, and I can't keep the Numlock disabled, to use the Numpad for navigation. After a couple of keystrokes, like Home or End, it reverts to numbers. Is there a way to have complete manual control?

Thread was edited to add model name to the title

JackE

Probably, I'm using Cinnamon 19.3 right now. Try this from the Mint forums (which are very good BTW so I recommend signing up). Click 'preferences' in the Linux start menu. Click' keyboard'. Click 'mouse keys'. Click disable "pointer can be controlled using the keypad". My version doesn't have the mouse key option but yours may. See what happens.

ineuw

JackE said:

Probably, I'm using Cinnamon 19.3 right now. Try this from the Mint forums (which are very good BTW so I recommend signing up). Click 'preferences' in the Linux start menu. Click' keyboard'. Click 'mouse keys'. Click disable "pointer can be controlled using the keypad". My version doesn't have the mouse key option but yours may. See what happens.

 

@JackE, Thanks for the suggestion. I am a long time member of the Linux Mint forums, but posted here, because I thought it was a hardware issue. Looked in the BIOS but found no related settings. Also looked at the keyboard/mouse options but missed this one.  Thanks again.

JackE

Is it stable now? If not what BIOS version do you have? Especially if it happens in Windows too. Jack E/NJ

ineuw

JackE said:

Is it stable now? If not what BIOS version do you have? Especially if it happens in Windows too. Jack E/NJ

My apologies for the delay, and thanks for the help. That option is no longer listed in either the keyboard, or the mouse system panels. But, it stabilized by the installation of this applet https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/applets/view/83, which requires a reboot. It is what I needed, a subtle status indicator and this does it. In Windows 10, I am using a freeware called KeyboardLED which is also a discreet status indicator.

JackE

Yeah. But status indicators shouldn't be needed to keep numlock turned off? Are you perhaps inadvertently hitting numlock or capslock keys?

ineuw

JackE said:

Yeah. But status indicators shouldn't be needed to keep numlock turned off? Are you perhaps inadvertently hitting numlock or capslock keys?

Status indicators are needed for poor typists like me, but ignorance is worse. Must get used to the differences between a 104 key desktop and a laptop with a Numpad to navigate a document and text selection. Also, I do a lot of inadvertent key hits. A question, how do others know the status of such modifier keys?

JackE

For mint I use the KBled equvalent, indicator-keylock. I think it was already installed by default or via SoftWareMgr SynapticsPM.