How to make trackpont work under linux

[radiator]

I have been experimenting with manjaro linux and don't know how to make trackpoint (and scroll button) work under my linux. Evetything works fine except for my scroll button. Can You give a hint what to do?

[Saucey]

It has been awhile since I've used Linux, but I believe this is the script I've used in the past.

[radiator]

Thx for Your tip. There is on problem, under mint whn I typed grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg os sayes no such command. I think it is fedora command and under mint there should be sth else but still don't know what. Can You somehow help me with that? A one more thing in grup conf after GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX there are two equal sings (==) and in the egsample there is sth like this GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="psmouse.proto=bare .... should I leave one equal sign or put it at the end od that line? like this GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="psmouse.proto=bare= ?

[Glitchy]

Sorry for bumping old one but libinput does not need any input ... works right out of the box but if you use Manjaro and have issues, try to read Arch Wiki

[skx]

Code: Select all

/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-thinkpad.conf

Section "InputClass"
    Identifier		"TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint"
    Driver		"libinput"
    MatchIsPointer	"yes"
    Option		"AccelProfile"	"flat"
    Option		"AccelSpeed"	"-0,3"
EndSection

Code: Select all

xinput --set-prop 'TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint' 'libinput Accel Profile Enabled' 0, 1
xinput --set-prop 'TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint' 'libinput Accel Speed' -0.2

this is my fix for having the X220/X230 trackpoint behaving properly under debian buster

[dmdsoftware]

There are new issues with trackpoint starting with kernel 4.19 -- hence someone mentioned about buster.

My history: I'm an old-school linux and thinkpad user. Been using linux exclusively on all my thinkpads since 2012. I always use the trackpoint and disable or not use the trackpad whenever possible. I also use the "middle button scroll" functionality that any old-school Thinkpad user would be very aware of.

The issue starting in kernel 4.19 is related to "improvements" for the trackpad. A bunch of driver changes and updates. It is affecting the trackpoint, unfortunately.

But users are affected in different ways, based on what machine they have.

If you have a machine without a trackpad (such as X61 etc) or a machine where you disable the trackpad in the BIOS, you won't be affected at all.

If you have a newer machine, you might notice the trackpad has become a nuisance to your use of the trackpoint. Finger resting and other things are an issue now if your trackpad is not disabled. On systems where the trackpoint buttons are separate from the trackpad, you can disable the trackpad completely with "xinput disable X" where X is the ID of the trackpad. If you are not using the "Synaptics" driver (you use the psmouse driver instead -- since you don't use the trackpad), the trackpad does not show up as an option in the mouse applet, so you can't disable it from there but you can disable it using xinput.

If you have one of those cursed thinkpads where the trackpoint buttons are integrated into the trackpad, you are going to have issues. With finger gestures features in 4.19, they force you to switch to the "Synaptics" drivers to be able to disable the touch area of the trackpad so that you can disable the trackpad accidentally taking your fingers resting on it while using the trackpoint. The issue with being forced to use the Synaptics driver is that the middle button scroll is no longer possible. There is no way to tweak to get this functionality anymore. Also, because of the forced changes for the finger gestures, there is no way to use the non Synamptic driver that provided the ability to enable the middle button scroll unless you can train your fingers to hover over the trackpad, never touching it. Resting your fingers on it will detect it as a click, double click, right, click, etc. If you completely disable the trackpad, you will lose your trackpoint buttons. Some of the Thinkpads with these cursed trackpads have replacement parts to substitute with traditional split button layout. My Carbon Gen2 I had replaced with this fixed trackpad shortly after it was released as an orderable part. However, not all Thinkpads that had this trackpad have such a part, and the part is not interchangeable from other lines. One such Thinkpad, the Helix i7 that I still use daily has this issue. It has no available part with the corrected trackpad, and the trackpads from other models do not have the same cable pinout, so they cannot be used. The only solution, if you are one such user in the same situation as me, is to drop down to an older kernel (< 4.19).

To end off, for those who have not yet discovered the method to enable the middle button scroll, you want to create a file in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/90-evdev-trackpoint.conf with the following contents:


Section "InputClass"
Identifier "TrackPoint"
MatchProduct "TrackPoint"
MatchDriver "evdev"
Option "EmulateWheel" "1"
Option "EmulateWheelButton" "2"
Option "XAxisMapping" "6 7"
EndSection

[atagunov]

Think it "just works" under Ubuntu on X220/T520. Exactly why I'm using Ubuntu. I want things to "just work"

[MikalE]

Same here. I have tried several distributions, but I just want to use the computer. I don't want to have to work on the operating system to get the computer to do what it was made to do.

Linux still seems to be out in left field as a mainstream O/S and always will be until they get it to run turn-key with business and consumer computers. I don't think it will ever become a turn-key O/S.

If I have to type in 10 lines of code to get something to work as designed, I'll pass. Thank you very much.

It isn't that I can't do it, it's that I don't want to, nor do I think I should have to.