--- a/src/daemon/CMakeLists.txt

+++ b/src/daemon/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ target_link_libraries(sddm

                       Qt5::DBus

                       Qt5::Network

                       Qt5::Qml

+                      udev

                       ${LIBXCB_LIBRARIES})

 if(PAM_FOUND)

     target_link_libraries(sddm ${PAM_LIBRARIES})

--- a/src/daemon/Greeter.h

+++ b/src/daemon/Greeter.h

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ namespace SDDM {

     private:

         bool m_started { false };

+        int m_hw_keyboards { -1 };

         Display *m_display { nullptr };

         QString m_authPath;

@@ -73,6 +74,8 @@ namespace SDDM {

         Auth *m_auth { nullptr };

         QProcess *m_process { nullptr };

+        QString getInputMethod();

+        bool hwKeyboardPresent();

         static void insertEnvironmentList(QStringList names, QProcessEnvironment sourceEnv, QProcessEnvironment &targetEnv);

     };

 }

--- a/src/daemon/Greeter.cpp

+++ b/src/daemon/Greeter.cpp

@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@

 #include <QtCore/QDebug>

 #include <QtCore/QProcess>

+#include <libudev.h>

+

 namespace SDDM {

     Greeter::Greeter(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent) {

         m_metadata = new ThemeMetadata(QString());

@@ -114,7 +116,7 @@ namespace SDDM {

             env.insert(QStringLiteral("DISPLAY"), m_display->name());

             env.insert(QStringLiteral("XAUTHORITY"), m_authPath);

             env.insert(QStringLiteral("XCURSOR_THEME"), xcursorTheme);

-            env.insert(QStringLiteral("QT_IM_MODULE"), mainConfig.InputMethod.get());

+            env.insert(QStringLiteral("QT_IM_MODULE"), getInputMethod());

             m_process->setProcessEnvironment(env);

             // start greeter

@@ -180,7 +182,7 @@ namespace SDDM {

             env.insert(QStringLiteral("XDG_VTNR"), QString::number(m_display->terminalId()));

             env.insert(QStringLiteral("XDG_SESSION_CLASS"), QStringLiteral("greeter"));

             env.insert(QStringLiteral("XDG_SESSION_TYPE"), m_display->sessionType());

-            env.insert(QStringLiteral("QT_IM_MODULE"), mainConfig.InputMethod.get());

+            env.insert(QStringLiteral("QT_IM_MODULE"), getInputMethod());

             QFile localeFile(QStringLiteral("/etc/sysconfig/i18n"));

             if (localeFile.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly | QIODevice::Text)) {

@@ -309,4 +311,52 @@ namespace SDDM {

         Q_UNUSED(error);

         qWarning() << "Error from greeter session:" << message;

     }

+

+    QString Greeter::getInputMethod() {

+	QString input_method(mainConfig.InputMethod.get());

+	if( input_method.isEmpty() ) {

+	    if( hwKeyboardPresent() ) {

+		return QStringLiteral();

+	    } else {

+		return QStringLiteral("qtvirtualkeyboard");

+	    }

+	} else {

+	    return input_method;

+	}

+    }

+

+    bool Greeter::hwKeyboardPresent() {

+	if( m_hw_keyboards < 0 ) {

+	    // detect hardware keyboard

+            struct udev *udev;

+            struct udev_enumerate *enumerate;

+            struct udev_list_entry *devices, *dev_list_entry;

+            struct udev_device *dev;

+

+            udev = udev_new();

+            if( udev ) {

+                m_hw_keyboards = 0;

+                enumerate = udev_enumerate_new(udev);

+                udev_enumerate_add_match_property(enumerate, "ID_INPUT_KEYBOARD", "1");

+                udev_enumerate_scan_devices(enumerate);

+                devices = udev_enumerate_get_list_entry(enumerate);

+                udev_list_entry_foreach(dev_list_entry, devices) {

+                    const char *path, *devnode;

+                    path = udev_list_entry_get_name(dev_list_entry);

+                    dev = udev_device_new_from_syspath(udev, path);

+                    devnode = udev_device_get_devnode(dev);

+                    if (devnode) {

+                        m_hw_keyboards++;

+                    }

+                    udev_device_unref(dev);

+                }

+                udev_enumerate_unref(enumerate);

+                udev_unref(udev);

+            } else {

+                m_hw_keyboards = 1; // have hardware keyboard by default

+                qWarning() << "Can't create udev handle.";

+            }

+	}

+	return (m_hw_keyboards > 0)? true: false;

+    }

 }