Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 23

Thread: Touchpad Control

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    242

    Touchpad Control

    There are two drawbacks to using a laptop: the touchpad and the touchpad.

    First, you are typing something and the touchpad decides you've tapped in the secret code for "destroy, destroy, frustration is irrelevant" and whatever it was you were doing is gone.

    Second, this still happens even though you've plugged in an external mouse and aren't using the touchpad at all.

    The route to solving the first problem is through syndaemon and the route to solving the second is through synclient. Both are command line apps already installed in Knoppix (6.4.4. at least).

    To get the right settings automatically when Knoppix start-ups you need an additional script in /etc/X11/Xsession.d and to get the settings to change automagically when you plug-in or unplug a USB mouse, you need to add an extra pair of rules to /etc/udev/rules.d.

    There are examples of how to do this out there but they usually start with someone complaining what used to work has stopped and could they crib a new solution from someone who has already done all the hard work.

    Seems Knoppix is no exception and none of the solutions out there work. Seems xhost + is missing somewhere for sentimental reasons or perhaps Knoppix is just using a very new X server with new and improved security (the kind that got Windows Vista such a bad name).

    Here's my take on this:

    Code:
    # /etc/udev/rules.d/75-touchpad.rules
    # Disable touchpad when USB mouse is plugged in and reenable when USB mouse is removed
    
    ACTION=="add",    SUBSYSTEM=="input", ENV{ID_INPUT_MOUSE}=="1", RUN+="/etc/X11/Xsession.d/50touchpad 1"
    ACTION=="remove", SUBSYSTEM=="input", ENV{ID_INPUT_MOUSE}=="1", RUN+="/etc/X11/Xsession.d/50touchpad 0"
    
    # EOF
    and

    Code:
    #!/bin/sh
    # /etc/X11/Xsession.d/50touchpad
    
    if pidof X >/dev/null; then
    
      # Turn touchpad off when a USB mouse is present
    
      pidfile=/var/run/syndaemon.pid;
    
      if [ -n "${XAUTHORITY}" ]; then
        # Xsession initialisation
    
        if lsusb -v 2>/dev/null | grep -qF Mouse; then
          synclient TouchpadOff=1;
        else
          syndaemon -d -t -k -p $pidfile;
        fi
      else
        # udev hotplug event
    
        DISPLAY=":0";
        USER=$(who | awk "/ $DISPLAY /"'{print $1}');
        XAUTHORITY=/home/$USER/.Xauthority;
        export DISPLAY XAUTHORITY;
    
        synclient TouchpadOff=$1;
    
        if [ "$1" -eq 1 ]; then
          [ -f $pidfile ] && kill $(cat $pidfile);
          [ -f $pidfile ] && sync;
        else
          [ ! -f $pidfile ] && syndaemon -d -t -k -p $pidfile;
          [ ! -f $pidfile ] && sync;
        fi
      fi
    
    fi
    
    # EOF
    The second must be executable as it is called by the rules in the first.

    Enjoy.
    Last edited by Forester; 03-17-2011 at 11:30 PM.

  2. #2
    Senior Member registered user
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Columbia, Maryland USA
    Posts
    1,631
    I was wondering if your 6.4.4 DVD version of gconf-editor was like my CD version.
    The CD version does NOT having a nice touchpad_enable choice to finagle.
    Ubuntu 10.10 does.

    Your solution is nice. Could it play an appropriate Irish tune, do you suppose.

  3. #3
    Senior Member registered user
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Columbia, Maryland USA
    Posts
    1,631
    @ Forester

    I was surprised to find how much built-in (meaning man synaptics)
    control and info exists for the synaptics touchpad.
    In so doing I ran across the following interesting tidbits:

    controls GuestMouseOff(Boolean) and SynapticsOff(Values 0,1,2).

    Perhaps you are already aware of these; if not maybe they offer some
    refinements for your keypad/mouse amendments. The ff gives even more
    details than the man pages.

    http://www.x.org/archive/X11R7.5/doc...naptics.4.html

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    242
    Quote Originally Posted by utu View Post
    @ Forester

    I was surprised to find how much built-in (meaning man synaptics)
    control and info exists for the synaptics touchpad.
    I'm not. I've just never used a laptop consistently enough to have had an interest in studying what I could do with the touchpad. Handy for scrolling in long documents both in and out of a browser. Best discovery yet is a gentle tap with two fingers is equivalent of clicking the middle button on a mouse.


    Quote Originally Posted by utu View Post
    controls GuestMouseOff(Boolean) and SynapticsOff(Values 0,1,2).

    Perhaps you are already aware of these.
    I believe (read the man page again) SynapticsOff is equivalent to TouchpadOff you are already using. I believe in the current X server the default has been changed from 0 to 2 but I'm none the wiser.

    Remember IBM ThinkPads ? I think they had Guest Mice. We called them nipples.

    Quote Originally Posted by utu View Post
    The ff gives even more details than the man pages.

    http://www.x.org/archive/X11R7.5/doc...naptics.4.html
    This is just an html representation of what you get when you type

    Code:
    man 4 synaptics
    under Knoppix. No surprise there.

  5. #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    16
    I actually want to enable the touchpad. How do you do it?

    I have given up trying to modify xorg.conf. Yeah, I delete the line that says it has to be deleted to save changes, but what do I do next?

    Perhaps someone out there can write a guide for dummies to enable touchpads.

    I have written a script that contains the required synclient options. At the moment I click it after booting and it enables the touchpad.
    This is a clumsy solution. So how, keep it simple guys, can I make the script boot automatically, like the batch files of old.

    So this post asks two separate questions. Any takers?

    Peter Perros, Brisbane Australia.

  6. #6
    Senior Member registered user
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    512
    Did you read the thread "How do I enable touchpad-tapping?"?

  7. #7
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    16
    Hello Klaus2008.
    Yes I have read the thread countless times. I have written a simple script file with the synclient options I need (eg., HorizonalEdgeScroll) but this script file only works if I click on it with the mouse using button1.
    I understand how to edit the xorg.conf file by logging on as root in terminal, and I know vi from my unix days in the 70's, but to date have been unable to work out what lines/code to add to xorg.conf to get the touchpad working automatically from boot.
    Is it as simple as copying code from a ubuntu distro xorg.conf file?
    I would be happy just to have my script file executed at boot up. Any tips appreciated.
    Peter Perros, Brisbane Australia.

  8. #8
    Senior Member registered user
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    512
    Hello Peter Perros.

    I think that you should create the configuration file /etc/X11/Xsession.d/15x11-synaptics using your favourite text editor. The content of that file could be
    Code:
    #
    synclient TapButton1=1 TapButton2=3 TapButton3=2 HorizEdgeScroll=1
    The file should end with a single blank line.

    I hope that helps.

  9. #9
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    16
    thank you, I will give it a try.

  10. #10
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    16
    Dear Klaus2008,
    I created the file as instructed but sadly it didn't do the trick.
    At least I have a script that does what I want it to do.
    Thank you klaus2008 for offering to help, but I feel that knoppix is unintuitive and well beyond my limited computing expertise.
    Peter Perros

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


A-Tech 8GB DDR3 1600 PC3-12800 Laptop SODIMM 204-Pin Memory RAM PC3L DDR3L 1x 8G picture

A-Tech 8GB DDR3 1600 PC3-12800 Laptop SODIMM 204-Pin Memory RAM PC3L DDR3L 1x 8G

$13.99



HyperX FURY RAM DDR4 16GB 8GB 32GB 4GB 3200 2666 2400 2133 Desktop Memory DIMM picture

HyperX FURY RAM DDR4 16GB 8GB 32GB 4GB 3200 2666 2400 2133 Desktop Memory DIMM

$9.64



CRUCIAL DDR3L 8GB 16GB 32GB 1600 MHz PC3-12800 Laptop Memory RAM SODIMM 204-Pin picture

CRUCIAL DDR3L 8GB 16GB 32GB 1600 MHz PC3-12800 Laptop Memory RAM SODIMM 204-Pin

$14.35



A-Tech 8GB PC3-12800 Desktop DDR3 1600 MHz Non ECC 240-Pin DIMM Memory RAM 1x 8G picture

A-Tech 8GB PC3-12800 Desktop DDR3 1600 MHz Non ECC 240-Pin DIMM Memory RAM 1x 8G

$13.99



A-Tech 16GB 2 x 8GB PC3-12800 Laptop SODIMM DDR3 1600 Memory RAM PC3L 16G DDR3L picture

A-Tech 16GB 2 x 8GB PC3-12800 Laptop SODIMM DDR3 1600 Memory RAM PC3L 16G DDR3L

$27.98



Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Intel picture

Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Intel

$35.99



Kingston HyperX FURY DDR3 8GB 16GB 32G 1600 1866 1333 Desktop Memory RAM DIMM picture

Kingston HyperX FURY DDR3 8GB 16GB 32G 1600 1866 1333 Desktop Memory RAM DIMM

$13.25



A-Tech 16GB 2x 8GB PC3-12800 Desktop DDR3 1600 MHz 240pin DIMM Memory RAM 16G 8G picture

A-Tech 16GB 2x 8GB PC3-12800 Desktop DDR3 1600 MHz 240pin DIMM Memory RAM 16G 8G

$27.98



Hynix 64GB 4Rx4 PC4-2133P-L LRDIMM DDR4-17000 ECC Load Reduced Server Memory RAM picture

Hynix 64GB 4Rx4 PC4-2133P-L LRDIMM DDR4-17000 ECC Load Reduced Server Memory RAM

$64.99



A-Tech 32GB 2x 16GB PC4-25600 Laptop SODIMM DDR4 3200 MHz Non-ECC Memory RAM 32G picture

A-Tech 32GB 2x 16GB PC4-25600 Laptop SODIMM DDR4 3200 MHz Non-ECC Memory RAM 32G

$59.99