Synaptics touchpad, SHMConfig, xorg.conf and Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10
EDIT – Please note that this post only refers to the 64 bit version of Ubuntu.
Some significant changes have been happening to the X server over the past couple of releases of Ubuntu. One of the most noticeable alterations has been the removal of the xorg.conf file from the default Ubuntu install (edit – it was removed during the development cycle but reappeared in the release version).
It is a great thing that X is now at the stage where it knows devices well enough to configure them with no user input, but occasionally a device may be incorrectly set up, or one may want to customise beyond default settings.
Such is the case with my synaptics touchpad. I really like the fact that in Linux I can configure the touchpad to trigger a middle mouse button event when it is tapped with 3 fingers. Left click – one finger, right click – two fingers, middle click – three fingers. In addition, I want to be able to disable the touchpad while typing.
In the past, disabling the touchpad temporarily when the keyboard is in use was done by adding a line:
SHMConfig On
to the synaptics device section of the xorg.conf (/etc/X11/xorg.conf), and running the command:
syndaemon -i 0.7 -m 50 -d
at the start of every session (best done by adding it to System>Preferences>Sessions as a new startup program). Things are done slightly differently now, and there is no need to add the line to xorg.conf. Or at least there isn’t if you use the synaptics driver provided by Ubuntu developer William Grant on this forum thread, .deb available here.
You may have to remove the existing driver first:
sudo apt-get remove xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
I had to lock the version to prevent the default Intrepid driver appearing as an update. This can easily be done in Synaptic Package Manager, by searching for synaptics, highlighting the xserver-xorg-input-synaptics package and selecting Package>Lock Version. Now after restarting the X server (Ctrl, Alt and Backspace) and issuing the syndaemon command, the touchpad should be disabled when typing without having to enable SHMConfig.
In order to adjust the various custom settings for the synaptics touchpad, one can enter a section in xorg.conf. One also needs a ServerLayout section, similar to the one below.
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "LeftEdge" "1900"
Option "RightEdge" "5000"
Option "TopEdge" "1400"
Option "BottomEdge" "4500"
Option "FingerLow" "25"
Option "FingerHigh" "35"
Option "MaxTapTime" "180"
Option "MaxTapMove" "220"
Option "ClickTime" "0"
Option "VertEdgeScroll" "1"
Option "VertScrollDelta" "45"
Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "1"
Option "HorizScrollDelta" "45"
Option "MinSpeed" "0.08"
Option "MaxSpeed" "0.60"
Option "AccelFactor" "0.003"
Option "EdgeMotionMinSpeed" "200"
Option "EdgeMotionMaxSpeed" "200"
Option "TapButton1" "1"
Option "TapButton2" "3"
Option "TapButton3" "2"
EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Inputdevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection
In: Linux · Tagged with: 8.10, ibex, intrepid, SHMConfig, synaptics, touchpad, ubuntu, xorg.conf
on 24/11/2008 at 1:21 pm
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I found the default setting with the synaptics driver rather unacceptable under gentoo, but your config suggestion works great. Thanks!
on 26/11/2008 at 5:30 pm
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Thanks for the info and for the link to the forum thread.
I was wondering how to enable SHMConfig in xorg.conf as there was no section for Synaptic. So, I actually added a section copied from the internet just to enable SHMConfig and without even trying whether syndaemon was working without having to do that.
on 28/11/2008 at 10:47 pm
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Thanks Stephen, Abhishek, I’m really glad the config helped.
Abishek, from posts from William Grant on the Ubuntu forums, I think the idea is to have a UI developed by 9.04 (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=5968851&postcount=17) which will give more configuration options for the touchpad, obviating the need to edit xorg.conf at all. We’ll see!
on 21/01/2009 at 8:29 pm
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It’s built into intrepid: System->Preferences->Mouse->Touchpad
Maybe your post just applies to the amd64 version.
later,
andrew.
on 22/01/2009 at 9:38 am
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Hi Andrew, do you mean that there’s an option to disable the touchpad while typing in the Mouse properties dialogue? There isn’t one on AMD64 certainly…
on 10/02/2009 at 12:55 pm
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Please modify article entry to indicate it refers to 64-bit AMD only.
At least judging by the .deb package that is made available for download. I have similar problem with Ubuntu 8.10 32-bit on a Dell XPS M1530. Cannot for the love of XYZ disable the friggen touchpad. I have tried each and every article’s method; no dice. It seems to be one of the causes of spurious ‘~’s appearing when I type. Very irritating.
on 10/02/2009 at 4:40 pm
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Hi Andre, I’ve changed the article. In Jaunty things are changing yet again, so it’s quite possible your problems will be fixed by release in April if you upgrade.
on 12/02/2009 at 10:23 am
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Very helpful and fantastic write up. Exactly what I needed! Thank you.