Numpad emulator for laptops: these are the options
If your laptop does not have a numpad, you can retrofit one using an emulator. We present various solutions and show you how to use them correctly.
1. Retrofit numpad using the on-screen keyboard on the laptop
The standard on-screen keyboard can often help. On Ubuntu Linux, OS X or macOS and Windows this is already included in the operating system. Disadvantage: The on-screen keyboard takes up additional space on the screen. It is also tiring and cumbersome to use the mouse. The standard tools are only suitable if you rarely need to use the numpad.
Standard on-screen keyboard in Windows
In Windows 10, you set the on-screen keyboard via the Start menu.
- Open the Windows Start menu and enter "on-screen keyboard" in the search. Open the desktop app "on-screen keyboard".
- The on-screen keyboard initially appears without a numpad. Change that by pressing Options (at the bottom right of the keyboard).
- Select the "Activate numeric keypad" option to turn on the numpad. With "NUM" you can switch between function keys (page up / down, end etc.) and number pad.
Standard on-screen keyboard under Linux (Ubuntu)
"Onboard" must be installed on Ubuntu so that you can use the numpad of the on-screen keyboard.
- Check whether "Onboard" is installed or do so by entering "sudo apt-get install onboard" in the terminal.
- Start "Onboard" via the application menu or via the terminal ("onboard" command).
- Make the numpad visible using the "123" and "Nm Lk" (Num-Lock) options.
Standard on-screen keyboard on Mac
On OS X, set up the on-screen keyboard using the Apple menu:
- Click on the apple icon and go to "System Settings".
- Select "Keyboard" and activate "Show keyboard and character overviews in the menu bar".
- A new icon with an asterisk appears in the task bar. Click on the icon.
- In the dropdown menu select "Show keyboard overview".
2.Numpad on the notebook: key mapping
Alternatively, you can, for example, assign the numbers 0 to 9 to the numpad numbers or the ASDW buttons. This has the advantage that no space is lost for the virtual keys on the screen and you can operate the keys much faster. The latter is often an advantage for games and complex software.
Key mapping with AutoHotKey under Windows
With "AutoHotkey" you can create your own keyboard layouts and map keys under Windows. Thanks to the graphical user interface, you can easily navigate to the desired numpad emulator with this tool.
- Download AutoHotkey. Install the program using the installer and restart Windows. During installation you will be asked whether you want to open the "AutoHotkey.ahk" configuration file. Choose "Yes".
- Enter the following text in the file to map the number keys 0-9 to the numpad numbers. The computer then sends a keyboard command of the virtual numpad key to the system each time a number key is pressed (top row of the keyboard).
- 0 :: Send, {Numpad0} 1 :: Send, {Numpad1} 2 :: Send, {Numpad2} 3 :: Send, {Numpad3} 4 :: Send, {Numpad4} 5 :: Send, {Numpad5} 6: : Send, {Numpad6} 7 :: Send, {Numpad7} 8 :: Send, {Numpad8} 9 :: Send, {Numpad9}
- You can also map other buttons, such as the ASDW buttons. You can find further instructions here.
Key mapping with xev and xmodmap under Linux
On Linux, xmodmap serves the same purpose as AutoHotkey on Windows: It maps certain mechanical keys to the virtual numpad numbers:
- xev and xmodmap are already preinstalled on Ubuntu by default.
- Start xev with the command "xev" in the terminal. An output of the keyboard events entered during the runtime appears. Tap the numbers 0-9 to read out the associated keycodes. Also read out the name of the behavior of the pressed key (expression in front of round brackets). By default, the keycodes for the numeric keys are 10 to 19 and the numpad names are KP_1 to KP_0.
- Now enter the commands for mapping in the terminal one after the other: xmodmap -e "keycode 10 = KP_1 and so on for the nine digits. Replace the digits and behavior names with the respective values read with xev.
