In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of disabling the on-screen keyboard in SDDM on Ubuntu 20.04. This can be a useful modification if you’re using a physical keyboard and don’t require the on-screen version.
To disable the on-screen keyboard in SDDM on Ubuntu 20.04, you can modify the SDDM configuration file by setting the InputMethod parameter to be blank. Alternatively, you can switch to a different login screen manager such as gdm3 or lightdm that doesn’t display an on-screen keyboard by default.
What is SDDM?
SDDM or Simple Desktop Display Manager is a modern display manager for X11 aiming to be fast, simple and beautiful. It uses modern technologies like QtQuick, which brings design freedom and smooth animations.
Disabling the On-Screen Keyboard
To disable the on-screen keyboard in SDDM, you’ll need to modify the SDDM configuration file. This file allows you to customize various aspects of SDDM’s functionality, including the on-screen keyboard.
Locating the Configuration File
The configuration file for SDDM is typically located at /etc/sddm.conf. If this file doesn’t exist, you can create it using the touch command:
sudo touch /etc/sddm.confThe touch command is used to create a new file in the specified location.
Editing the Configuration File
Once the file is located or created, open it using a text editor. In this example, we’ll use nano:
sudo nano /etc/sddm.confIn the nano text editor, you’ll need to add or modify the line that controls the input method. Specifically, you’ll want to set the InputMethod parameter to be blank. This effectively disables the on-screen keyboard.
[General]
InputMethod=Save and close the file. In nano, you can do this by pressing Ctrl + X, then Y to confirm saving changes, and finally Enter to confirm the file name.
Applying the Changes
For the changes to take effect, you’ll need to restart SDDM. You can do this with the following command:
sudo systemctl restart sddmThe systemctl command is used to control the systemd system and service manager, and restart tells it to restart the specified service, in this case, sddm.
Alternative Method
If you prefer not to modify system files directly, you can switch to a different login screen manager that doesn’t display an on-screen keyboard by default. Two popular alternatives are gdm3 and lightdm.
You can install gdm3 with the following command:
sudo apt install gdm3Or lightdm with:
sudo apt install lightdmDuring the installation process, you’ll be asked to select the default display manager. Choose the one you just installed.
Conclusion
Disabling the on-screen keyboard in SDDM on Ubuntu 20.04 is a straightforward process that involves modifying or creating a configuration file. However, it’s important to be cautious when making changes to system files. Always make sure to back up any files before you modify them, and only make changes that you understand.
SDDM stands for Simple Desktop Display Manager. It is a modern display manager for X11 that aims to be fast, simple, and beautiful. It uses technologies like QtQuick for design freedom and smooth animations.
To disable the on-screen keyboard in SDDM on Ubuntu 20.04, you need to modify the SDDM configuration file. The file is typically located at /etc/sddm.conf. If it doesn’t exist, you can create it using the touch command. Open the file with a text editor, such as nano, and set the InputMethod parameter to be blank. Save the file and restart SDDM using the sudo systemctl restart sddm command.
Yes, you can switch to a different login screen manager like gdm3 or lightdm. You can install gdm3 by running sudo apt install gdm3 and lightdm by running sudo apt install lightdm. During the installation process, you’ll be asked to select the default display manager. Choose the one you just installed.
