Hi all

Is there a way to disable the synaptic touchpad automatically if a usb mouse is plugged into the laptop? This touchpad gets in the way when typing and I mainly use my laptop with an usb mouse connected anyway.

Would like to have the touchpad disabled if an usb mouse is present.

This is on my TODO list for a Synaptics touchpad. What sort of touchpad do you have?

Preparatory research found this on the ArchLinux BBS:

To automatically disable Touchpad on plugging in USB mouse and vice versa:

Code:

ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="input", ID_CLASS="mouse", RUN+="/home/venator/Desktop/touchpad off" 
ACTION=="remove", SUBSYSTEM=="input", ID_CLASS="mouse", RUN+="/home/venator/Desktop/touchpad on"

/home/venator/Desktop/touchpad:

Code:

#!/bin/bash 
[ "$1" = "off" ] && cmd='TouchpadOff=1' || cmd='TouchpadOff=0' 
/usr/bin/synclient -s $cmd >/home/venator/log_$1 2>&1

Hi thanks, I also use a synaptic touchpad.

Are you OK with following a procedure similar to the one suggested on the ArchLinux BBS?

Wow, I was actually thinking about doing the same thing too last night and stumbled upon a similar thread here http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...inkpad-864828/. I figured since I was on the same path until I found out that there's a way to disable the Touchpad momentarily while I'm typing through the use of syndaemon I might as well post it here. The parameters I use for syndaemon are:

# -i 2 - sets idle time to 1 seconds - specifies how many seconds to
# wait after the last key-press before enabling the touchpad again.
#
# -t - don't disable mouse movement when typing and only disable
# tapping and scrolling
#
# -k - ignore modifier keys when monitoring keyboard activity (ie:
# allows ctrl+left click)
#
# -d - starts as a daemon in the background

/usr/X11R6/bin/syndaemon -t -k -i 2 -d

Hi, it gives me:

Hello,
I had similar problem too some time ago. Here is my thread, that may be of use to you. My touchpad was Alps, but the method used should fit any touchpads.

Best regards.

When are you running syndaemon? I use KDE so I have the above mentioned in a script that's located in ~/.kde/Autostart.

That happened when you ran the command as root? If so you may (I am not very sure abut this) need your GUI user to allow access by running [[ $DISPLAY ]] && /usr/bin/xhost +localhost during logon and root to export DISPLAY=':0.0' before running the command (change :0.0 to the GUI user's $DISPLAY value).

Howdy:

I forgot where I got this, but I've been using it a while:

I saved it with the name ~/.scripts/tptoggle, made it executable, and then execute it when I plug in the usb mouse, and it disables trackpad...

I ended up using xfce keyboard shortcut to bind F9 key to which disables or enables the trackpad, after prompting for my password.

It doesn't automatically disable or enable it according to presence of usb mouse, but at least it tames the trackpadness.