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How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 6:39 am
by Husse
I've been looking for a solution for this off and on for a long time - and now I found it
There's a handy little CLI tool called syndaemon that does this for you
Shuts off the touchpad when you type and enables it two seconds after the last keystroke
If you add -t you only disable tapping and scrolling, not mouse movement (Just for your info - mostly it's the movement you want to disable)
If you add -i 1 it's enabled after one second
To make syndaemon start automatically add the command to the "Startup Applications" (for Gnome)
Open the menu and type star and you see it
Click the add button and enter syndaemon -d and give it a name (Notouch perhaps?)
In KDE 4 (Gloria) it is Applications > System > System settings > the Advanced tab > Autostart
Click Add program and enter syndaemon -d
To make sure that it works you should enable SHMConfig
In all editions except main and KDE you have to install SHMConfig
For Gnome
Code: Select all
gksudo gedit /etc/hal/fdi/policy/shmconfig.fdi
For KDE
Code: Select all
kdesudo kate /etc/hal/fdi/policy/shmconfig.fdi
This brings up an empty file
Add the following to that file
Code: Select all
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<deviceinfo version="0.2">
<device>
<match key="input.x11_driver" string="synaptics">
<merge key="input.x11_options.SHMConfig" type="string">True</merge>
</match>
</device>
</deviceinfo>
Save, close the file and reboot and you should be done
Note - for versions earlier than Felicia (Mint 6) this is added to xorg.conf
In
Section "InputDevice"
you add
Option "SHMConfig" "true"
Reference
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:38 pm
by emorrp1
Thanks, this'll be so useful whenever I can't take my wireless keyboard with me, I always accidentally changed focus because of this.
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:44 pm
by RichardH
Thanks, Husse!
For Xfce4
substitute mousepad for gedit in Gnome,
all the rest is the same.
This is a great little tool for the AA1.
The little touch pad is very sensitive when typing in unusual positions.
I usually connect a mouse but it's a pain also.
Now I don't scroll the screen by accident while typing.
I feel the need to tell people about this.
This is one of those papercut sort of annoyances.
Well done.
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 6:19 pm
by Husse
I think you can add a custom keyboard shortcut and use it to execute
syndaemon -d
It may be possible to fix a notification but that's over my head now
You could probably fix something that reads HAL and makes a message
NOTE
This will be obsolete with Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic as there will be no HAL but rather DeviceKit and udev
Have to figure out a new guide then
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:46 am
by Schiphol
Mmh. I've followed this tutorial, but I'm still getting "Unable to find a synaptics device." when I try to execute syndamon.
Any ideas what may be wrong? I'm using a Philips Freevents with Linux Mint 7.
Thanks
Manolo
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:09 am
by Schiphol
Just thought I'd bump. Thanks
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:02 am
by emorrp1
Schiphol, run the following command:
Code: Select all
dpkg -l | grep xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
If this command just returns you to the terminal prompt, you don't have the synaptics driver and likely do not have a synaptics touchpad. If the command gives similar to this, then you do have the synaptics driver, which means you're likely to have a synaptics touchpad:
Code: Select all
ii xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 0.99.3-2ubuntu4 Synaptics TouchPad driver for X.Org/XFree86
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:32 am
by Schiphol
Thanks! The output of
Code: Select all
dpkg -l | grep xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
is, indeed,
Code: Select all
ii xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 1.1.2-1ubuntu1~wgrant1 Synaptics TouchPad driver for X.Org server
But, nevertheless, the howto will not work in my computer. Any ideas as to what might be going wrong? If you need any further info, please let me know.
Manolo
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:17 am
by emorrp1
Well, according to that, you're not running a current Mint release, you've enabled the karmic repos, so I guess that's just one of the drawbacks of trying beta software. Either try it directly from current Mint, or try and find the solution yourself, I have no idea what's going on.
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:47 am
by Schiphol
Thanks again. No, I'm running a current Mint release and have not enabled KK repositories. Is there any way to know from which repository is a particular file version coming?
Anyway, I have forced the jaunty version of xserver-xorg-input-synaptics and the problem remains:
gives
Code: Select all
Can't access shared memory area. SHMConfig disabled?
While I do have the right /etc/hal/fdi/policy/shmconfig.fdi in place...
Manolo
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:49 am
by DrHu
Schiphol wrote:Thanks again. No, I'm running a current Mint release and have not enabled KK repositories. Is there any way to know from which repository is a particular file version coming?
Anyway, I have forced the jaunty version of xserver-xorg-input-synaptics and the problem remains:
I have forced the jaunty version of xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
And it apparently didn't work..
Linux Mint 7 (Gloria) 32 bit main edition
- dpkg -l | grep xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
ii xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 0.99.3-2ubuntu4
Synaptics TouchPad driver for X.Org/XFree86
0.99.3-2ubuntu4
--that is the version that is installed for linux mint 7 from the default repositories.
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:55 am
by Schiphol
I meant, after reading your reply. Now dpkg -l | grep xserver-xorg-input-synaptics shows:
Code: Select all
ii xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 0.99.3-2ubuntu4 Synaptics TouchPad driver for X.Org/XFree86
as expected. I've rebooted and, as I say, the problem remains.
EDIT: Sorry, DrHu, not
your reply. I've just noticed
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing
Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:54 am
by samadhi
Thanks Husse.
This simple command, syndaemon -i -d , put into the Startup Applications control of Mint 7 Gnome works great on my Compaq Presario touchpad. No more jumping insertion point/ cursor. I found the one second delay long enough.
Maybe there is a half-second delay switch?
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typ
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:47 am
by steveperry
This the amazing thanky you for finding this!
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typ
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 4:41 am
by aljoriz
Wherever you are Husse you are a hero. Your legacy of helping people still lives in mint.
FOR LXDE:
Code: Select all
sudo leafpad /etc/xdg/lxsession/Mint/autostart
At the last list line:
add
and save
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typ
Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 1:50 am
by IMAyNeed
I am a newbie, so you may choose to really check what I write, but do not choose "disable touchpad while...." from the mouse menu.
It will just override any other command or package, and activate the touchpad.
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typ
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:22 pm
by musetto
Thank you very much! I am always "charged" and this causes me a lot of nuisances when typing due to that damnit keypad. At least, now I can write without losing focus.
Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typ
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:31 pm
by caprus
Just used this 3 year old tip to successfully solve a customer's problem on a laptop running openSUSE 12.1 & KDE4.8.4.
Thank you Husse. You are missed, but your legacy lives on