Wrong keyboard layout during login in Ubuntu

[acki]

I have a Windows 7 client, which I want to connect to a Linux server, where NoMachine is running. Both computers are using German input layout. However, in the login screen of Ubuntu (18.04) it will only allow US layout.

When I am logged in, it will switch to German layout. What can I do about this issue? That are my first steps with NoMachine and this is quite disappointing. Because the original plan was to upgrade to a multiuser license.

Version 6.x client and server.

[graywolf]

You need to change the system keyboard layout:

localectl set-x11-keymap de

You can specify multiple layouts (you’ll be able to chose in the login screen):

localectl set-x11-keymap de,us

[acki]

This does not help unfortunately.

Why do I have to change this in my Ubuntu profile anyway?

I connect from a Windows system which has German keyboard layout and it should forward the layout as is, to an Ubuntu system which has also a German layout…

[graywolf]

As client connects to a remote desktop, it leaves the keyboard layout unchanged to avoid messing with existing setting.

To apply changes, you have to restart the display manager:

systemctl restart gdm

(is GDM your display manager?)

If that doesn’t help, modify layout to “de” in the file /etc/default/keyboard and restart GDM again.

[acki]

Display manager restart doesn’t help.

And my /etc/default/keyboard was already XKBLAYOUT=de

Anyway, I think it is a problem with NoMachine, not with the server setup. Other colleagues might connect with an English keyboard and for them it should work too. So What can I do about it to fix it?

 

[xand]

I’ve got the same issue

cat / etc / default / keyboard

XkbLayout = “en”

Backspace = “guess”

XkbModel = “pc105”

XkbVariant = “ibm”

XkbOptions = “terminate: ctrl_alt_bksp”

but when I connect NoMachine the layout looks like an American.

 

Is it possible to configure the server to lock the keyboard layout in some conf file?

[graywolf]

@acki

I assumed your display manager was GDM. Can you confirm? cat /etc/X11/default-display-manager should provide a clue, as well as ps -C gdm3 -f and pstree $(pidof gdm3).

In the posts above I wrote how to set multiple layouts in GDM login screen, so users connected from remote can choose the layout they want. I tried on my own on Ubuntu 18.04 with GDM and works as expected.

[graywolf]

@xand

Did you access a login screen like acki? In that case, please tell us the GNU/Linux distro and display manager (gdm, lightdm, kdm…) in use.
Otherwise, please tell me: Is that a physical display sharing or a virtual desktop session?

[xand]

I have sparkylinux with lightdm and physical display, there is a solution? thanks 😀

[acki]

Here is my output:

user@computer:~$ cat /etc/X11/default-display-manager
/usr/sbin/lightdm
user@computer:~$ ps -C gdm3 -f
UID        PID  PPID  C STIME TTY          TIME CMD
user@computer:~$ pstree $(pidof gdm3)
systemd─┬─ModemManager───2*[{ModemManager}]
├─NetworkManager─┬─dhclient
│                └─2*[{NetworkManager}]
├─accounts-daemon───2*[{accounts-daemon}]
├─acpid
├─agetty
├─at-spi2-registr───2*[{at-spi2-registr}]
├─atd
├─automount───8*[{automount}]
├─avahi-daemon───avahi-daemon
├─2*[baloo_file───{baloo_file}]
├─blkmapd
├─boltd───2*[{boltd}]
├─chronyd
├─cntlm
├─colord───2*[{colord}]
├─cron
├─cups-browsed───2*[{cups-browsed}]
├─cupsd
├─dbus-daemon
├─fwupd───4*[{fwupd}]
├─gnome-keyring-d───3*[{gnome-keyring-d}]
├─gsd-printer───2*[{gsd-printer}]
├─ibus-daemon─┬─ibus-dconf───3*[{ibus-dconf}]
│             ├─ibus-engine-sim───2*[{ibus-engine-sim}]
│             └─2*[{ibus-daemon}]
├─ibus-daemon─┬─ibus-dconf───3*[{ibus-dconf}]
│             └─2*[{ibus-daemon}]
├─irqbalance───{irqbalance}
├─2*[kerneloops]
├─lightdm─┬─Xorg───{Xorg}
│         ├─lightdm─┬─gnome-session-b─┬─at-spi-bus-laun─┬─dbus-daemon
│         │         │                 │                 └─3*[{at-spi-bu+
│         │         │                 ├─baloo_file───{baloo_file}
│         │         │                 ├─blueman-applet───3*[{blueman-ap+
│         │         │                 ├─deja-dup-monito───3*[{deja-dup-+
│         │         │                 ├─evolution-alarm───5*[{evolution+
│         │         │                 ├─gnome-shell───41*[{gnome-shell}+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-a11y-settin───3*[{gsd-a11y-+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-clipboard───2*[{gsd-clipboa+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-color───3*[{gsd-color}]
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-datetime───3*[{gsd-datetime+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-disk-utilit───2*[{gsd-disk-+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-housekeepin───3*[{gsd-house+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-keyboard───3*[{gsd-keyboard+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-media-keys───3*[{gsd-media-+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-mouse───3*[{gsd-mouse}]
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-power───3*[{gsd-power}]
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-print-notif───3*[{gsd-print+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-rfkill───2*[{gsd-rfkill}]
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-screensaver───2*[{gsd-scree+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-sharing───3*[{gsd-sharing}]
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-smartcard───4*[{gsd-smartca+
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-sound───3*[{gsd-sound}]
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-wacom───2*[{gsd-wacom}]
│         │         │                 ├─gsd-xsettings───3*[{gsd-xsettin+
│         │         │                 ├─indicator-appli───2*[{indicator+
│         │         │                 ├─indicator-messa───3*[{indicator+
│         │         │                 ├─kdeconnectd───5*[{kdeconnectd}]
│         │         │                 ├─nautilus-deskto───3*[{nautilus-+
│         │         │                 ├─ssh-agent
│         │         │                 ├─tracker-extract───15*[{tracker-+
│         │         │                 ├─tracker-miner-a───4*[{tracker-m+
│         │         │                 ├─tracker-miner-f───4*[{tracker-m+
│         │         │                 ├─update-notifier─┬─livepatch-not+
│         │         │                 │                 └─3*[{update-no+
│         │         │                 └─3*[{gnome-session-b}]
│         │         └─2*[{lightdm}]
│         └─2*[{lightdm}]
├─lvmetad
├─master─┬─pickup
│        └─qmgr
├─networkd-dispat───{networkd-dispat}
├─nmbd
├─nvidia-persiste
├─nxserver.bin─┬─nxd─┬─nxserver.bin─┬─nxexec───nxnode.bin───24*[{nxnode+
│              │     │              └─4*[{nxserver.bin}]
│              │     └─6*[{nxd}]
│              ├─nxexec───nxnode.bin─┬─nxclient.bin───11*[{nxclient.bin+
│              │                     └─48*[{nxnode.bin}]
│              └─7*[{nxserver.bin}]
├─packagekitd───2*[{packagekitd}]
├─polkitd───2*[{polkitd}]
├─pulseaudio─┬─gconf-helper
│            └─3*[{pulseaudio}]
├─python───{python}
├─python─┬─magent───8*[{magent}]
│        └─mrouter───16*[{mrouter}]
├─rpc.gssd
├─rpc.idmapd
├─rpc.mountd
├─rpcbind
├─rsyslogd───3*[{rsyslogd}]
├─rtkit-daemon───2*[{rtkit-daemon}]
├─savd─┬─savscand───2*[{savscand}]
│      └─5*[{savd}]
├─smartd
├─smbd─┬─cleanupd
│      ├─lpqd
│      └─smbd-notifyd
├─snapd───65*[{snapd}]
├─sshd
├─sssd─┬─sssd_autofs
│      ├─3*[sssd_be]
│      ├─sssd_nss
│      └─sssd_pam
├─systemd─┬─(sd-pam)
│         ├─dbus-daemon
│         ├─dconf-service───2*[{dconf-service}]
│         ├─dolphin───4*[{dolphin}]
│         ├─evolution-addre─┬─evolution-addre───5*[{evolution-addre}]
│         │                 └─4*[{evolution-addre}]
│         ├─evolution-calen─┬─evolution-calen───9*[{evolution-calen}]
│         │                 └─4*[{evolution-calen}]
│         ├─evolution-sourc───3*[{evolution-sourc}]
│         ├─gnome-calendar───5*[{gnome-calendar}]
│         ├─gnome-documents───40*[{gnome-documents}]
│         ├─gnome-screensav───3*[{gnome-screensav}]
│         ├─gnome-shell-cal───5*[{gnome-shell-cal}]
│         ├─gnome-software───3*[{gnome-software}]
│         ├─gnome-terminal-─┬─bash───pstree
│         │                 └─3*[{gnome-terminal-}]
│         ├─goa-daemon───3*[{goa-daemon}]
│         ├─goa-identity-se───3*[{goa-identity-se}]
│         ├─gvfs-afc-volume───3*[{gvfs-afc-volume}]
│         ├─gvfs-goa-volume───2*[{gvfs-goa-volume}]
│         ├─gvfs-gphoto2-vo───2*[{gvfs-gphoto2-vo}]
│         ├─gvfs-mtp-volume───2*[{gvfs-mtp-volume}]
│         ├─gvfs-udisks2-vo───2*[{gvfs-udisks2-vo}]
│         ├─gvfsd─┬─gvfsd-burn───2*[{gvfsd-burn}]
│         │       ├─gvfsd-trash───2*[{gvfsd-trash}]
│         │       └─2*[{gvfsd}]
│         ├─gvfsd-fuse───5*[{gvfsd-fuse}]
│         ├─gvfsd-metadata───2*[{gvfsd-metadata}]
│         ├─ibus-portal───2*[{ibus-portal}]
│         ├─obexd
│         ├─tracker-store───7*[{tracker-store}]
│         └─tumblerd───4*[{tumblerd}]
├─systemd─┬─(sd-pam)
│         ├─dbus-daemon
│         ├─gvfsd───2*[{gvfsd}]
│         ├─gvfsd-fuse───5*[{gvfsd-fuse}]
│         └─ibus-portal───2*[{ibus-portal}]
├─systemd-journal
├─systemd-logind
├─systemd-resolve
├─systemd-udevd
├─udisksd───4*[{udisksd}]
├─unattended-upgr───{unattended-upgr}
├─upowerd───2*[{upowerd}]
├─whoopsie───2*[{whoopsie}]
├─wpa_supplicant
└─xinetd
user@computer:~$

I dont know what GDM is. In the top taskbar, there is a button where I can even choose between german and english. But this does not change anything. And I dont know whether it means the keyboard input or something else…

 

[xand]

Nothing I’ve tried everything!

I changed all the possible layouts, but my keyboard is detected in English and not Italian.

I have lightdm with physical display, can I change some settings on the server or client to force the Italian keyboard as default?

[graywolf]

@xand

You can create a file 99-kb.conf in /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d with content:

[SeatDefaults]
greeter-setup-script=setxkbmap it

It makes lightdm run the setxkbmap command just before launching the login screen, overriding other configurations.

@acki

You have lightdm as well, so you can do the same (replace “it” with “de”).

If you need to handle multiple layout, it is easier if you switch from lightdm to gdm and set the locale as seen above:

sudo apt-get install gdm3 (and chose gdm as default display manager when you are asked)
sudo systemctl stop lightdm
sudo systemctl start gdm3
sudo localectl set-x11-keymap de,us (setting the locale to get double layout in login screen)

If you want to switch back to lightdm:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm
sudo systemctl stop gdm3
sudo systemctl start lightdm

[acki]

For me it works now. Thanks!

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