How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

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Husse

How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post 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

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syndaemon -d
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

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gksudo gedit /etc/hal/fdi/policy/shmconfig.fdi
For KDE

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kdesudo kate /etc/hal/fdi/policy/shmconfig.fdi
This brings up an empty file
Add the following to that file

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<?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
emorrp1

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post 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.
RichardH

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post 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.
Husse

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post 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 :)
Schiphol

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post 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
Schiphol

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post by Schiphol »

Just thought I'd bump. Thanks
emorrp1

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post by emorrp1 »

Schiphol, run the following command:

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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:

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ii  xserver-xorg-input-synaptics               0.99.3-2ubuntu4                                Synaptics TouchPad driver for X.Org/XFree86
Schiphol

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post by Schiphol »

Thanks! The output of

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 dpkg -l | grep xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
is, indeed,

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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
emorrp1

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post 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.
Schiphol

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post 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:

Code: Select all

syndaemon
gives

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Can't access shared memory area. SHMConfig disabled?
While I do have the right /etc/hal/fdi/policy/shmconfig.fdi in place...

Manolo
DrHu

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post 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.
Schiphol

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post by Schiphol »

I meant, after reading your reply. Now dpkg -l | grep xserver-xorg-input-synaptics shows:

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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 :)
samadhi

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typing

Post 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?
steveperry

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typ

Post by steveperry »

This the amazing thanky you for finding this!
aljoriz

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typ

Post by aljoriz »

Wherever you are Husse you are a hero. Your legacy of helping people still lives in mint.

FOR LXDE:

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sudo leafpad /etc/xdg/lxsession/Mint/autostart

At the last list line:
add

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synadaemon -d
and save
IMAyNeed

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typ

Post 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.
musetto

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typ

Post 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.
caprus

Re: How to make the touchpad turn off automatically when typ

Post 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
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