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SDDM keyboard layout refuses to switch (hexbear.net)
submitted 5 months ago by Tomorrow_Farewell@hexbear.net to c/archlinux@lemmy.ml
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Working inside a VirtualBox virtual machine. Installed Arch Linux using the Archinstall method. Chose KDE as the DE and SDDM as the greeting screen.

Managed to log in once, but after adding a language and rebooting, I didn't seem to be able to change the keyboard layout, making entering the correct password impossible. I have tried looking up how to switch the keyboard layout, but am coming up with nothing. What is the key combination to change the keyboard layout in SDDM?

Setting up a different virtual machine now.

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[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

I did exactly the same thing yesterday and had the same issue. However I found the solution adding the keyboard layout to the X11 as well, with the command

# localectl set-x11-keymap br abnt2

You must change the "br abnt2" to your keyboard layout, however

Also, pay attention because there is a bug at the sddm login screen that doesn't show the correct keyboard layout until you start typing, so don't worry if at the beginning is "US". Just start typing your password and take a look to see if it changed to your keyboard layout

Edit: you may wanna enter TTY3 to make these changes. Just press Ctrl+Alt+F3 to enter TTY3 and after you're done press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to be back to the previous display. You may wanna also restart your computer

[–] Tomorrow_Farewell@hexbear.net 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

I did exactly the same thing yesterday and had the same issue. However I found the solution adding the keyboard layout to the X11 as well, with the command

Where do I input that command?

You must change the "br abnt2" to your keyboard layout, however

To which one? What is the format supposed to be for, for example, English, Putonghua, Norwegian, and Russian layouts?

Also, pay attention because there is a bug at the sddm login screen that doesn't show the correct keyboard layout until you start typing, so don't worry if at the beginning is "US"

The problem is that it is initially not the US English one, while the password is in English.

Apologies if I sound rude. I am currently frustrated regarding this process. Another installation failed for no discernable reason despite no errors occurring as a result of archinstall. (EDIT: Grub did get installed, but not anything else, apparently.)

EDIT: also, I still don't know how to switch keyboard layouts in SDDM.

[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Where do I input that command?

At the terminal. To access the terminal you must change to TTY3, login as root and run the command I told. To enter TTY3 you must press Ctrl+Alt+F3. To go back to the graphic interface you must go to TTY2, pressing Ctrl+Alt+F2

To which one? What is the format supposed to be for, for example, English, Putonghua, Norwegian, and Russian layouts?

Whatever layout you want. You can find a list with all the layouts running the command # localectl list-x11-keymap-layouts. I think us is english, no is Norwegian and ru is Russian. So the command would be # localectl set-x11-keymap us,no,ru

The problem is that it is initially not the US English one, while the password is in English.

Well, that's unfortunately. But try these things I told you

Another installation failed for no discernable reason despite no errors occurring as a result of archinstall.

What happened?

Edit: Are you familiar with the syntax of Linux commands? I've written # localectl set-x11-keymap us,no,ru but that means you must run the command localectl set-x11-keymap us,no,ru as root, okay? The dash symbol (#) means you're running the command as root, while the dollar symbol ($) means you run a command as non-privileged user, for example $ echo Hi you must run the command echo Hi as your normal user (not as root nor using sudo)

[–] Tomorrow_Farewell@hexbear.net 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

What happened?

I don't know beyond the fact that only Grub got installed and, apparently, nothing else. Upon starting the virtual machine, I was still offered to boot into the Arch installation environment. I have run archinstall again to make an installation without Grub, and am running an installation on a clone of that virtual machine where I have opted into using Grub.

Are you familiar with the syntax of Linux commands?

Depends on what you mean. I am not a frequent CLI user in general.

Currently, I am not sure how I am supposed to login as root.

EDIT: also, Ctrl+Alt+F2 just produces a black screen. Ctrl+Alt+F1 works, but the other problem persists.

EDIT 2: I still do not know how to switch between keyboard layouts in SDDM, and I can't find information regarding that.

[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 1 points 5 months ago

EDIT: also, Ctrl+Alt+F2 just produces a black screen.

Then try Ctrl+Alt+F1

[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I don’t know beyond the fact that only Grub got installed and, apparently, nothing else. Upon starting the virtual machine, I was still offered to boot into the Arch installation environment. I have run archinstall again to make an installation without Grub, and am running an installation on a clone of that virtual machine where I have opted into using Grub

It seems like VirtualBox doesn't automatic removed the iso file from the boot options. Try change this configuration at the VirtualBox and select the boot to be at the virtual driver

Currently, I am not sure how I am supposed to login as root.

At the archinstall script you must've set the root password, right? At the SDDM login screen, you must press Ctrl+Alt+F3 to enter the TTY3 (a big whole full screen terminal) asking for a login. Type root, press enter and then it will ask for your password. Type the password you set in the archinstall script (note: in the terminal we do not have a visual feedback from the password field, but it's being written. Just trust the process) and press enter. Now you are logged in as root

[–] Tomorrow_Farewell@hexbear.net 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It seems like VirtualBox doesn't automatic removed the iso file from the boot options. Try change this configuration at the VirtualBox and select the boot to be at the virtual driver

Not sure what you are suggesting, but it seems that the hard drive is the last active option in the boot order for that VM. I assume you are suggesting to make it the priority boot device?

At the archinstall script you must've set the root password, right?

I did, and I remember it.

At the SDDM login screen, you must press Ctrl+Alt+F3 to enter the TTY3 (a big whole full screen terminal) asking for a login. Type root, press enter and then it will ask for your password

Alright, I did that and run the command.

I still don't know how to switch between the keyboard layouts, and with this installation I opted for the US keyboard layout to be the default one, but have since added one more layout to the list. I couldn't place the keyboard layout widget for some reason, and there is no indication of what layout is chosen on the SDDM screen at all.

Right now, the user is blocked due to too many attempts to enter password, so I will have to wait.

[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Not sure what you are suggesting, but it seems that the hard drive is the last active option in the boot order for that VM. I assume you are suggesting to make it the priority boot device?

Exactly

I still don’t know how to switch between the keyboard layouts, and with this installation I opted for the US keyboard layout to be the default one, but have since added one more layout to the list. I couldn’t place the keyboard layout widget for some reason, and there is no indication of what layout is chosen on the SDDM screen at all.

Right now, the user is blocked due to too many attempts to enter password, so I will have to wait.

Read my other comment. Maybe this is the breeze setting that does not have any way to change layout at the logging screen. Also I suggest you to reboot your VM after these changes you made

[–] Tomorrow_Farewell@hexbear.net 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Exactly

Didn't work.

Read my other comment. Maybe this is the breeze setting that does not have any way to change layout at the logging screen

This issue seems to be resolved now, but the only layouts that I can switch between are the ones I manually set in the settings of the OS after I managed to change the login screen to a different one that allowed me to input the password in English.

This is weird, considering that on the previous installation, without having to manually set multiple layouts, I was able to switch between different layouts, but only outside of the 'bad' login screen. For clarity: the 'bad' login screen currently does allow me to switch between different layouts.

Also, in case you wouldn't mind helping me with this other thing that is outside the scope of the initial complaint: where do I find the KDE cube options? It doesn't seem to be in the Window management options, nor do I see a downloadable version of the such. The KDE plasma version is 6.0.5.

[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I'm glad you solved!

Also, in case you wouldn’t mind helping me with this other thing that is outside the scope of the initial complaint: where do I find the KDE cube options? It doesn’t seem to be in the Window management options, nor do I see a downloadable version of the such. The KDE plasma version is 6.0.5.

Well, I may take a look, but I'm not a KDE user at all. I'm on Gnome for over 5 years already.

Try Settings > Window Management > Desktop Effects > "Windows Management" section > Overview and configure it.

However looks like to make it work, you should have at least 3 virtual desktops.

I suggest you to open a new thread with this question, cause I really don't know enough about KDE

[–] Tomorrow_Farewell@hexbear.net 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Try Settings > Window Management > Desktop Effects > "Windows Management" section > Overview and configure it

The problem is that there is no such option there, which is why I'm asking.

It seems that I need to install kdeplasma-addons. I will need to look into how people usually use pacman, as it keeps asking me to login as root.

[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

To use pacman you must have root permissions. You can do this by using sudo.

If your installation is correct, you must just use sudo pacman -S kdeplasma-addons

sudo is a command that escalates your user's privileges to have root power

pacman -S installs a package

[–] Tomorrow_Farewell@hexbear.net 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I was wondering what I was doing wrong with sudo.

[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

And did u find out?

[–] Tomorrow_Farewell@hexbear.net 1 points 5 months ago

Yeah, I was trying to do stuff like sudo install. I was not aware that it is used in combination with other commands like that.

[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

EDIT 2: I still do not know how to switch between keyboard layouts in SDDM, and I can’t find information regarding that.

It depends on the theme you're using. Change the file /etc/sddm.conf and comment the line where KDE is setting the theme. Should be something line

[Theme]

Current=blablabla
ThemesDir=blablabla

Just comment putting a hashtag before these lines

Maybe you have to edit using Vim, Emacs or Nano at the tty

The keyboard layouts should be at the top of the logging screen at the default sddm theme