SynapticsTouchpadHowTo

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== Synaptics Touchpads == == For Newbies ==
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== for newbies ==
On laptops, the touchpad
is the built-in mouse. "Synaptics touchpad" should not be confused with "Synaptic", the Ubuntu Package Manager, or Graphical User Interface equivalent of "apt-get" in a terminal.
On laptops, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchpad touchpad] is the built-in mouse. "Synaptics touchpad" should not be confused with "Synaptic", the Ubuntu Package Manager, or Graphical User Interface for "apt-get" in a terminal.
Line 6: Line 5:
In Breezy and later versions of Ubuntu, the synaptics touchpad on laptops should work out of the box. There should be an entry like this in /etc/xorg.conf: In Breezy(5.10), laptops with a synaptics touchpad should work out of the box. Go to a terminal and {{{grep}}} (look inside) your {{{/etc/X11/xorg.conf}}} file:
{{{
grep Id /etc/X11/xorg.conf
}}}
If one of the lines is:
{{{
 Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
}}}
then you have a Synaptics Touchpad.

{{{qsynaptics}}} (or in KDE {{{ksynaptics}}}) is a GUI which allows you to configure your touchpad. At a terminal, enter:
{{{
sudo apt-get install qsynaptic
}}}
You may need to rerun qsynaptic each time you restart X.

== Turning Synaptics Touchpads On/Off with a shortcut key ==

## Thanks to noob_Lance for [http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=143095 this how-to]

You may wish to turn the touchpad on or off so that it doesn't interfere with typing when using a USB or other mouse.

Use following steps:

'''Step 1'''

from a terminal, edit /etc/xorg.conf
{{{
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
}}}
and look for the following section of code:
Line 17: Line 47:
and add one more Option at the End of the Section:
{{{
 Option "SHMConfig" "on"
EndSection
}}}
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== Turning Synaptics Touchpads On/Off == If you are using an Alps-Touchpad, which you can find out by typing
{{{
cat /proc/bus/input/devices
}}}
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KSynaptics should allow KDE users some control over their touchpad, though issues may exist. your code section should look like this
{{{
Section "InputDevice"
   Driver "synaptics"
   Identifier "TouchPad"
   Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
 Option "Device" "/dev/input/event2"
   Option "Protocol" "event"
   Option "SHMConfig" "on"
EndSection
}}}
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In Ubuntu, to turn the touchpad on or off (so that it doesn't interfere with typing) when using a USB or other mouse, use following steps: You can define some parameters which influence the behaviour of your touchpad. These parameters are presented already in [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SynapticsTouchpadWartyHowto?highlight=%28touchpad%29]. You can check if your touchpad works correct and you have the correct parameters with
{{{
synclient -m l
}}}
If everything works fine, the position of your finger will be updated everytime you move it and based on this information you can set your parameters.
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1) from a terminal, edit /etc/xorg.conf:
'''Step 2'''

Next we will create 3 files - a bash script to turn the touchpad on, one to turn it on, and a python script to use a single key combination for both. At a terminal, {{{cd}}} to {{{/usr/local/bin}}} and make a new file:
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sudo gedit /etc/xorg.conf cd /usr/local/bin
sudo gedit tpoff
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this will and paste the following code in the file, save it and close it.
{{{
#!/bin/bash
#

synclient touchpadoff=1
}}}
again, make a new file:
{{{
sudo gedit tpon
}}}
paste the following, save and close:
{{{
#!/bin/bash
#

synclient touchpadoff=0
}}}
once again, make a new file:
{{{
sudo gedit touchpad.py
}}}
paste the following, save and close
{{{
#!/usr/bin/python
import os
import string
 

def ReadFile():
 myfile = open('/tmp/synclient.tmp', 'rb')
 for line in myfile:
  TestString(line)
 myfile.close()
    
def TestString(string):
 for word in string.split():
  if word == "TouchpadOff":
   setting = string.split()
   ChangeState(setting[2])
 

def ChangeState(current):
 if current == "0":
  os.system("synclient touchpadoff=1")
 else:
  os.system("synclient touchpadoff=0")
 os.system("rm /tmp/synclient.tmp")

def Main():
 ReadFile()
os.system("synclient -l > /tmp/synclient.tmp")
Main()
}}}

and finally, change the permissions of these three files:
{{{
sudo chmod 777 tpon tpoff touchpad.py
}}}

'''Step 3'''

Next, edit your sudoers files to allow you to execute both scripts without a password.
{{{
sudo visudo
}}}
and add this line
{{{
{user} ALL = NOPASSWD: /usr/local/bin/touchpad.py
}}}
where {user} is your user name

save (in nano hit <CTRL> <o>), and make sure to save it as: {{{/etc/sudoers}}}

'''Step 4'''
Next, install xbindkeys
{{{
sudo apt-get install xbindkeys
}}}
when it's done, install xbindkeys-config, the GUI for xbindkeys
{{{
sudo apt-get install xbindkeys-config
}}}
once each is installed, start both applications:
{{{
xbindkeys
}}}and
{{{
xbindkeys-config
}}}

edit your file to the shortcut key you want. For example, to be able to switch the touchpad on/off by <Ctrl><F5>, fill in the following, under Edit:

Name: Touchpad On/Off
Key: Control + F5 | m:0x4 + c:71
Action: /usr/local/bin/touchpad.py

then click apply & save & exit

Now that that is done, restart xbindkeys:

{{{
xbindkeys
}}}

You may need to restart X.

Remember that each time you restart X, you will need to run xbindkeys again in order for the shortcut to work.

## if anyone knows how to have it autorun, please let me know and i'll include it here... -brallan

For Newbies

On laptops, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchpad touchpad] is the built-in mouse. "Synaptics touchpad" should not be confused with "Synaptic", the Ubuntu Package Manager, or Graphical User Interface for "apt-get" in a terminal.

In Breezy(5.10), laptops with a synaptics touchpad should work out of the box. Go to a terminal and grep (look inside) your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file:

grep Id /etc/X11/xorg.conf

If one of the lines is:

        Identifier      "Synaptics Touchpad"

then you have a Synaptics Touchpad.

qsynaptics (or in KDE ksynaptics) is a GUI which allows you to configure your touchpad. At a terminal, enter:

sudo apt-get install qsynaptic

You may need to rerun qsynaptic each time you restart X.

Turning Synaptics Touchpads On/Off with a shortcut key

You may wish to turn the touchpad on or off so that it doesn't interfere with typing when using a USB or other mouse.

Use following steps:

Step 1

from a terminal, edit /etc/xorg.conf

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

and look for the following section of code:

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Synaptics Touchpad"
        Driver          "synaptics"
        Option          "SendCoreEvents"        "true"
        Option          "Device"                "/dev/psaux"
        Option          "Protocol"              "auto-dev"
        Option          "HorizScrollDelta"      "0"
EndSection

and add one more Option at the End of the Section:

        Option          "SHMConfig"             "on"
EndSection

If you are using an Alps-Touchpad, which you can find out by typing

cat /proc/bus/input/devices

your code section should look like this

Section "InputDevice"
        Driver          "synaptics"
        Identifier      "TouchPad"
        Option          "SendCoreEvents"        "true"
        Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/event2"
        Option          "Protocol"              "event"
        Option          "SHMConfig"             "on"
EndSection

You can define some parameters which influence the behaviour of your touchpad. These parameters are presented already in [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SynapticsTouchpadWartyHowto?highlight=%28touchpad%29]. You can check if your touchpad works correct and you have the correct parameters with

synclient -m l

If everything works fine, the position of your finger will be updated everytime you move it and based on this information you can set your parameters.

Step 2

Next we will create 3 files - a bash script to turn the touchpad on, one to turn it on, and a python script to use a single key combination for both. At a terminal, cd to /usr/local/bin and make a new file:

cd /usr/local/bin
sudo gedit tpoff

and paste the following code in the file, save it and close it.

#

synclient touchpadoff=1 

again, make a new file:

sudo gedit tpon

paste the following, save and close:

#

synclient touchpadoff=0

once again, make a new file:

sudo gedit touchpad.py

paste the following, save and close

import os
import string
        

def ReadFile():
        myfile = open('/tmp/synclient.tmp', 'rb')
        for line in myfile:
                TestString(line)                
        myfile.close()
    
def TestString(string):
        for word in string.split():
                if word == "TouchpadOff":
                        setting = string.split()
                        ChangeState(setting[2])
        

def ChangeState(current):    
        if current == "0":
                os.system("synclient touchpadoff=1")
        else:
                os.system("synclient touchpadoff=0")
        os.system("rm /tmp/synclient.tmp")

def Main():
        ReadFile()
os.system("synclient -l > /tmp/synclient.tmp")
Main()

and finally, change the permissions of these three files:

sudo chmod 777 tpon tpoff touchpad.py

Step 3

Next, edit your sudoers files to allow you to execute both scripts without a password.

sudo visudo

and add this line

{user}   ALL = NOPASSWD: /usr/local/bin/touchpad.py

where {user} is your user name

save (in nano hit <CTRL> <o>), and make sure to save it as: /etc/sudoers

Step 4 Next, install xbindkeys

sudo apt-get install xbindkeys

when it's done, install xbindkeys-config, the GUI for xbindkeys

sudo apt-get install xbindkeys-config

once each is installed, start both applications:

xbindkeys

and

xbindkeys-config

edit your file to the shortcut key you want. For example, to be able to switch the touchpad on/off by <Ctrl><F5>, fill in the following, under Edit:

Name: Touchpad On/Off Key: Control + F5 | m:0x4 + c:71 Action: /usr/local/bin/touchpad.py

then click apply & save & exit

Now that that is done, restart xbindkeys:

xbindkeys

You may need to restart X.

Remember that each time you restart X, you will need to run xbindkeys again in order for the shortcut to work.

SynapticsTouchpadHowTo (last edited 2008-08-06 17:00:08 by localhost)