Comments on: Thinkpad Middle Mouse Scrolling in Ubuntu 8.10

By: aliencam

aliencam — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:39:53 +0000

Another reason that there isn't much demand for these kind of simple configurations is that most linux users can figure out things like this, through google or some other means, even if they aren't programmers. I certainly do not claim to be a programmer, the most I can do is HTML and some BASH scripting. Most of what I post here is compiled from pieces I found on other websites (thats why I post a "sources" at the end usually).

because windows and OSX aren't free, the companies that make them can afford to hire artists, and "normal people" to see how things could be easier. Linux is rarely sponsored by a commercial company, and most of it's developers are volunteers. It is much harder to get these people who aren't inherently interested in something like Linux (artists, design people, etc) to volunteer their time and efforts.

By: Jerk

Jerk — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:30:52 +0000

To answer your question more directly, which I figure is the least I can do after my shi**y comment, it's not as if the developers went out of there way to make Linux difficult — its just that the Windows and Macintosh developers /did/ go out of their way (probably because they were paid good money to do so) to make things easy in those operating systems.

For example, in Windows, this probably works very similarly to how it apparently works in Linux — there are low-level drivers that load some configuration data to decide how to behave. The only difference is, that in Windows, someone was paid good money to do the boring work of writing a GUI to write those configuration files, whereas in Linux, nobody has bothered.

Since the source is open, instead of complaining about it, a good solution would be to fix it yourself by writing a GUI to manipulate the .fdi files. It wouldn't be that difficult and afterwards you could stop feeling insecure about not being a programmer because you would be one.

-gmt

By: Jerk

Jerk — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:16:25 +0000

Typical shi**y response that will just make you feel even more alienated, I suppose, but that isn't code and this isn't programming, imo.

By: masterwang

masterwang — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:30:23 +0000

It actually worked! I have a X200 running Ubuntu 9.10. I tried everything from editing that fdi file to putting terminal commands in etc/rc.local… all failed. But your little script trick did the magic! May I kiss you?

By: Driver Detective

Driver Detective — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:20:21 +0000

Linux seems to makes things so difficult for users that aren't already programmers. There's no way I would get all that code right if I had to go in and try to get it working this way.

By: Wincent

Wincent — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:13:12 +0000

I had it working fine on my t500 (jaunty/x64), using the fdi file fix. But because of instability with the 64 bit system (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+...
I switched to 32 bit. The only way i could get it to work now, is setting it manually, with xinput, and specifying "Evdev" in each stanza, ie:
xinput set-int-prop "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint" "Evdev Wheel Emulation" 8 1

Hope this helps someone.

By: aliencam dot net blog. » Blog Archive » Ubuntu Setup Guide Part IV. Middle Mouse Scrolling

Tue, 19 May 2009 06:52:13 +0000

[...] uses the same evdev system that Intrepid used, that I had some troubles with. However, the solution should be the same, and I just hope it works correctly this [...]

By: David

David — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:18:23 +0000

Hi aliencam

The first part about creating the /etc/hal/fdi/policy/mouse-wheel.fdi file works perfect with Ubuntu 9.04 64bit on a Thinkpad X200

this is what xinput –list-props "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint" told me before reboot:
Device 'TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint':
Device Enabled (99):1
Evdev Axis Inversion (236):0, 0
Evdev Reopen Attempts (233):10
Evdev Axis Calibration (234):
Evdev Axes Swap (235):0
Evdev Middle Button Emulation (237):2
Evdev Middle Button Timeout (238):50
Evdev Wheel Emulation (239):0
Evdev Wheel Emulation Axes (240):0, 0, 4, 5
Evdev Wheel Emulation Inertia (241):10
Evdev Wheel Emulation Timeout (242):200
Evdev Wheel Emulation Button (243):4
Evdev Drag Lock Buttons (244):0

and this is what I get now:
Device 'TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint':
Device Enabled (99):1
Evdev Axis Inversion (236):0, 0
Evdev Reopen Attempts (233):10
Evdev Axis Calibration (234):
Evdev Axes Swap (235):0
Evdev Middle Button Emulation (237):1
Evdev Middle Button Timeout (238):50
Evdev Wheel Emulation (239):1
Evdev Wheel Emulation Axes (240):6, 7, 4, 5
Evdev Wheel Emulation Inertia (241):10
Evdev Wheel Emulation Timeout (242):200
Evdev Wheel Emulation Button (243):2
Evdev Drag Lock Buttons (244):0

Thanks for the info

By: Winner

Winner — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:32:32 +0000

Why does everything in Linux have to be so F*@&^#&ing complicated?

By: icykiss

icykiss — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:07:28 +0000

thanks. your guide made my t60's little red dot be useful again.

By: Ben

Ben — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:27:56 +0000

Thanks for this! It worked perfectly for me. I'm running Crunchbang 8.10 on an IBM X31.

Here is my original configuration:

$ xinput -list-props "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint"
Device 'TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint':
Device Enabled:1
Middle Button Emulation:2
Middle Button Timeout:50
Wheel Emulation Inertia:10
Wheel Emulation:0
Wheel Emulation X Axis:0, 0
Wheel Emulation Y Axis:4, 5
Wheel Emulation Timeout:200
Wheel Emulation Button:4
Drag Lock Buttons:0

And here it is after creating the hald conf file:

$ xinput -list-props "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint"
Device 'TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint':
Device Enabled:1
Middle Button Emulation:1
Middle Button Timeout:50
Wheel Emulation Inertia:10
Wheel Emulation:1
Wheel Emulation X Axis:6, 7
Wheel Emulation Y Axis:4, 5
Wheel Emulation Timeout:200
Wheel Emulation Button:2
Drag Lock Buttons:0

Both X and Y-axis movement work.

By: unknownmosquito

unknownmosquito — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:43:31 +0000

Hey just wanted to say that the original setup that you said didn't work for you worked for me. Weird! (I'm running Crunchbang 8.10 currently… but I doubt that has anything to do with it)

By: Wooppssy

Wooppssy — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:24:58 +0000

Hi,
Thanks for all the work you've done, don't feel inept I still cant get my middle mouse scroll to work ;-). I still have to try the shell script though. I hope it will work… Had absolutely no problem on the older versions of Ubuntu. Why change things all the time! Anyway good luck for the rotation script… I was completely off track when I tried.

By: pirates can use computers » Blog Archive » Linux on a Lenovo Thinkpad X200

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:46:28 +0000

[...] Getting the middle mouse laptop button to scroll [...]

By: aliencam

aliencam — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 07:26:30 +0000

dang… how did that comment get deleted?… strange. I am certain I did not delete it, and I believe I am the only administrator…

By: Sunil

Sunil — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 02:23:31 +0000

Thanks for this post! You did a great job of presenting the solution, as well as explaining why it works. Much appreciated for the time taken to put this together.

By: aliencam

aliencam — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 08:09:59 +0000

Here is a temporary fix. I have also added this to the end of the post.
run these commands in terminal (be careful, the first one disables your mouse):
sudo rmmod psmouse

sudo modprobe psmouse

By: aliencam

aliencam — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 08:00:31 +0000

Here is the URL for the bug filed on launchpad if you want to track it, I will make a post when there is a sure fix and I have tried it out.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver...

By: aliencam

aliencam — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:46:25 +0000

It does that to everyone I believe :( usually I just have to suspend/resume again and it comes back, but sometimes it requires an entire reboot.

By: aliencam

aliencam — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:00:18 +0000

Strange that the .fdi file with misspellings works perfectly for about 80% of people…

and nope, no pen yet. I'm borrowing the digitizer pen from my girlfriend for now (she has the same laptop and doesn't use her pen often), but it never showed up in any lost & found on campus, and loss of it is not covered under warranty, so I'll have to find some money for a new one somewhere…

By: aliencam

aliencam — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:26:41 +0000

is what what the configuration looks like before doing anything? how weird… wheel emulation button is 4 and the y axis looks like it should be working…