LinuxQuestions.org - Logitech MX610 mouse: configuring the thumb buttons

I'm trying to get the thumb buttons on my MX610 mouse to work consistently. I want to get them to work as a middle mouse button (specifically as "open new tab in background" under Firefox), but they only do this sometimes.

When I go into HardDrake and use the setup module on my mouse, I have to designate it as an MS Explorer mouse to get things working right. Even then, though, the thumb buttons operate inconsistently. When I press them in the setup test screen (where it shows you the mouse and what buttons are being pushed graphically), the wheel operates as it should, the left and right mouse buttons work right, even the thumb buttons operate as they should (that is, as middle mouse buttons). However, when I go into Firefox or Opera, the thumb buttons now operate as the left mouse button (i.e., "Open link in current tab", which is exactly what I don't want).

I've actually been able to get the volume buttons on the mouse to operate as volume buttons in Gnome, and I know the thumb buttons work sometimes, so it shouldn't be anything fundamentally wrong with my system.

I'd actually like to be able to do more configuring than just making the thumb buttons work as middle mouse buttons, too, if possible, but I'll definitely settle for that.

Here's the relevant section of my xorg.conf:

Code:

Section "InputDevice"

    Identifier "Mouse1"

    Driver "mouse"

    Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"

    Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"

    Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7"

EndSection

How do I get the thumb buttons to correctly and consistently map to the middle mouse button?

Thanks in advance!