Idea #6605: Remember state of Numlock on system shutdown

312

Written by Auzy the 8 Apr 08 at 02:05. Category: System.
Related to: Nothing/Others. Status: New

Description

I suggest remembering the state of the numlock key when the computer is shutdown, and on startup, restoring it to the same state. This fixes everyones problems with the num lock.

PROS:
* Does not need any GUI changes.
* You can disable the behavior by disabling the service
* Doesn't require a daemon. Just a small shutdown/start script
* Most users want the same state as when they last shut down
* Does not potentially screw up laptop keyboards or other foreign keyboards like most other suggestions. All users are advantaged
* Very easy to code. No patches needed to be made against upstream code.
* Could also be executed per user, on login/logout, but it is more complex then.

CONS:
* May be a bit confusing to multi-user system users. But its really no worse behavior then now.

NOT A DUPE!!!
Please note, this is not a dupe. The other ideas involve a default state. This is a better way of approaching it.

Tags: (none)

Attachments

Bug #213838 : numlock state should be remembered per user

Duplicates

[Report a duplicate and merge its votes to this idea]

Comments

eld1e6o wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 03:06

Very good idea. I need it

+1

brettalton wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 04:44

Automatic num lock? Of course.

Wasn't this a problem around the time of Breezy/Dapper and Automatix?

BrokeBody wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 08:40

No it's still a "problem".

Not really a problem, it just doesn't turn on by default.

Anyway, +1.

Ralf.Nieuwenhuijsen wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 09:07

Great solution!

Straight from the book of usuability guidelines:

"when people are all using this feature, but when asked have no clue they did, than the usuability has become perfected"

Somebody that prefers capslock, will likely just turn it on themselves. The next time they boot up, they notice its on and never think about it again. This is likely the kind of feature that would just be completely unnoticed, yet achieves satisfaction. It just works (tm).

Ralf.Nieuwenhuijsen wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 09:12

>Could also be executed per user, on login/logout, but it is more complex then.

> CONS: * May be a bit confusing to multi-user system users. But its really no worse behavior then now.

Well, technically thats not any more complicated. Everything is setup to be multi-user anyway. Is just moving the exact same code to another run-level.

The only question that would remain, is is it on during login-time? I would say YES. No need, for home/page/up/pagedown during login-time. But some people might have numbers in their password.

So always on during login, then go into last-remembered state of user.

Suggested place of implementation: gnome-session-deamon
It takes one gconf key to store the current setting, monitoring the state-changes and keeping the setting in sync, after logging in.

Ralf.Nieuwenhuijsen wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 09:23

Added a bug report about this, since it's pretty much ready for implementation if the developpers' agree.

Auzy wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 09:27

Awesome, thanks

edm1 wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 10:34

It is already implemented apart from num lock being on for login.

Eldmannen wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 10:47

Just set the NumLock setting in the BIOS instead...

Auzy wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 11:00

U sure EDM1?

Auzy wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 11:09

And actually, this works better then the numlock in bios, because its automatic, and people shouldn't be touching the bios at all just to adjust their numlock setting

sf_007 wrote on the 8 Apr 08 at 19:25

I agree with Auzy, the only problem that I see in being a shutdown/start script is that if the computer freezes and is reseted the hard way, this will not work next time it is booted...
Nevertheless, it is a very good idea.

mp3phish wrote on the 13 Apr 08 at 02:09

Numlock will waste electricity if left on en mass. I think the system should start up with numlock off. That is how all other systems work, and its expected by the users. Same for capslock.

Cubitus wrote on the 15 Apr 08 at 20:18

Auzy,

yes, I can confirm that the Numlock is automatically activated on login if you have activate it a sessions before...

So I think this feature request is implemented (hardy heron).

v1nce wrote on the 17 Sep 08 at 19:46

> The only question that would remain, is is it on during login-time? I would say YES. No need, for home/page/up/pagedown during login-time. But some people might have numbers in their password.

+1

> yes, I can confirm that the Numlock is automatically activated on login if you have activate it a sessions before...

it doesn't work here

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