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Thread: All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

  1. #1
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    Kubuntu 6.10 Edgy

    All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

    This guide works well for the MX610 Mouse - if you own another mouse, I suggest you find a howto for that exact mouse.

    Preface
    Well, everything except horizontal scrolling works - I have done some research and attempted to get horizontal scrolling to work with no luck so for. This is as quick and easy as I could manage.

    If you are just looking for back/forward buttons in firefox, I wrote this guide. Also check out this howto, which has info about cruise control, as well as a different approach for evdev.

    This guide uses the evdev driver, which should work for any usb-attached mouse.

    There is a section at the end of this guide specifically for getting MX610 email and IM indicator lights working.

    This has been tested with Kubuntu 6.10 Edgy and a logitech mx610 mouse. The mx600 and mx700 mice don't work well under this setup.

    I realize there are other similar guides on this forum. I am trying to improve upon them, with a focus on simplicity and clarity for new linux/ubuntu users.

    This guide is based on Dankoozy's blog post, with several changes.


    The Quick & Easy Guide

    1. Backup your xorg.conf file

    Code:
    sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.good     #(think: Copy Source Destination)
    now you have a good version (xorg.conf.good) of the file to fall back on if something goes wrong. If, after rebooting, you wind up at a text prompt, type in your username and pass. Then type:
    Write this down!

    Code:
    sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.good /etc/X11/xorg.conf
    startx  # this command will load Xorg (the GUI)
    2. Equipment Check
    We need three packages, which we can get with the following console command all at once (these might require universe or multiverse to be enabled in your package manager):

    Code:
    sudo apt-get install xvkbd xbindkeys xserver-xorg-input-evdev
    xserver-xorg-input-evdev is the generic usb driver we will be using for the mouse.
    xvkbd will allow mouse button presses to simulate keyboard buttons, such as Alt + Left/Right for forwards/backwards.
    xbindkeys is a program that will run in the background and map the mouse buttons to the actions we will set. Optionally, get the xbindkeys-config package - this is a GUI for editing the xbindkeys bindings text file, but this guide will simply edit the text file manually.

    3. Create Two Text Files

    a. create a new rule file for udev with the following command:
    Code:
    sudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/19-local.rules
    (replace gedit with kate in kubuntu)

    in this text file, paste the following:

    Code:
    KERNEL=="hiddev*", NAME="%k", MODE="666"
    KERNEL=="event*", SYSFS{../name}=="Logitech USB Receiver", NAME="input/mx610"
    The bold mx610 part can be replaced with whatever you want - just make a note of what you have written here, because it must correspond to what you will write in the xorg.conf file.

    b. now create the xbindkeys bind file:

    Code:
    gedit ~/.xbindkeysrc
    and paste the following: ( go to the xbindkeys site for more info and example configuration files)

    People with other mice and some expertise - please add your bind files.


    Code:
    # Backward and Forward buttons
    "xvkbd -xsendevent -text "\[Alt_L]\[Left]""
    m:0x0 + b:8
    "xvkbd -xsendevent -text "\[Alt_L]\[Right]""
    m:0x0 + b:9
    
    #Email Button - put in a console command to launch your mail app, such as thunderbird or kmail
    "firefox -new-tab http://mail.google.com/mail/"
    m:0x0 + c:236
    XF86Mail
    
    # sad note - the IM button is not a real button - as far as I can tell
    
    # Volume +
    "amixer set PCM 1+"
    m:0x0 + c:176
    
    # Volume -
    "amixer set PCM 1-"
    m:0x0 + c:174
    
    # Mute
    "amixer set PCM toggle"
    m:0x0 + c:160
    4. Autostart xbindkeys
    Next, we need to add the xbindkeys process to the autostart.
    In Ubuntu:
    System > Preferences > Sessions
    select the Startup Programs tab
    Add: /usr/bin/xbindkeys

    In Kubuntu:
    Code:
    kate ~/.kde/Autostart/start-xbindkeys
    Insert this into the file:
    Code:
    #!/bin/sh xbindkeys
    Make it executable:
    Code:
    chmod +x ~/.kde/Autostart/start-xbindkeys

    5. Edit The xorg.conf File
    Open up your xorg.conf file in a text editor:

    Code:
    sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
    find the Module Section and add the evdev module:

    Code:
    Section "Module"
      Load "i2c"
      Load "bitmap"
      ....
      ....
      load "evdev"
    EndSection
    Next, change the InputDevice section for the mouse to this:

    Code:
    Section "InputDevice"
      Identifier "Configured Mouse"
      Driver "evdev"
      Option "Device" "/dev/input/mx610"
    EndSection
    Make sure that the bold mx610 name part corresponds to the name part in the file 19-local.rules that we made before.

    Make sure the Identifier name, Configured Mouse, is the same as in the ServerLayout section:

    Code:
    Section "ServerLayout"
    	...
    	InputDevice	"Configured Mouse"
    	...
    EndSection

    6. Save and Reboot

    save the xorg.conf file, and the other two text files previously created. Then Restart the computer. Remember: if the xorg.conf file is not edited properly (ie typos) you will need to revert to the backup as explained above.

    An alternate backup strategy for xorg.conf is to comment out old stuff by adding # to the start of an old line. Then to edit xorg.conf and check for mistakes, you can say "sudo nano etc/X11/xorg.conf" right there before loading Xorg.


    Optional: Indicator lights with the mx610hack

    Get the mx610hack here

    Then extract it.

    Delete the debcomp link file, and replace it with this file

    Open up a console window, change to the directory where you extracted the files.

    Compile the mx610 hack:

    Code:
    ./configure
    make
    sudo make install
    Now you should be able to control the lights! In the console, try "mx610hack --usage" and "mx610hack --help". For example:

    Code:
    mx610hack --email-on /dev/hiddev0
    mx610hack --email-off /dev/hiddev0
    I use an email notifier called checkgmail, which can execute a command when there is mail, and another command when there is no new mail. This is very cool, because the blue email LED stays on as long as I have new mail, so I don't have to have the monitor on. I also use Kopete, and I have setup my IM light to pulse when I get an IM, and then it turns off, with this one command in the Notifications:

    Code:
    mx610hack -i /dev/hiddev0 && sleep 1.5 && mx610hack -O /dev/hiddev0
    You can use the same idea for your mail application if there is only one command you can execute on a new mail event. The sleep value is how long the light will stay on before the second part of the command is executed to turn it back off.
    Last edited by kogber; February 9th, 2007 at 11:00 PM.

  2. #2
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    Re: All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

    Hope it's ok to post here...

    I'm looking forward with great anticipation to having all (or at least almost all) of my mouse buttons working. But when I get to step 2, the terminal reports that
    Code:
    Reading state information... Done
    Package xvkbd is not available, but is referred to by another package.
    This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
    is only available from another source
    E: Package xvkbd has no installation candidate
    Being an almost complete ubuntu newb, what should i do now? I'd try to go download it myself, but i have no idea if it would work the same, or if i could even find it when i got it.

  3. #3
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    Re: All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

    apathos, you need to enable universe and multiverse in your package manager. These are repositories that hold packages that are not in the main Ubuntu OSS package category. I am going to assume that you are using Ubuntu with the default Synaptic package manager, in which case it would go like this:

    in Synaptic Package Manager
    goto Settings > Repositories

    and um, make sure all of the check boxes are checked. After doing so, click Reload, and try searching for xvkbd to see if that package is listed as a part of your available package list. Then see if you can install it again. Let me know if you have any more trouble.
    Last edited by kogber; January 13th, 2007 at 10:59 PM.

  4. #4
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    Re: All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

    well, ok. Thank you for the previous help, that did take care of the problem.

    Now I've followed all the remaining instructions meticulously (as best I can being Utternewb), but am willing to consider I may have made some mistakes.

    But I'd first like to consider another problem. I've been working with the understanding my mouse is an MX610. I just discovered it's an MX600. Quite similar, but still a different model (as best, I can tell, no pretty lights).

    Might this explain why this isn't working, or is it more likely I just messed something up?

  5. #5
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    Re: All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

    apathos,

    I believe I figured out the problem. The words left and right need to be capitalized in the bind file for the xvkbd command to work in Ubuntu (The text editor uses the same bracket system for code and quote tags so this caused Left and Right to go lowercase on my initial post of the guide, this has been fixed now):

    # Backward and Forward buttons
    "xvkbd -xsendevent -text "\[Alt_L]\[Left]""
    m:0x0 + b:8
    "xvkbd -xsendevent -text "\[Alt_L]\[Right]""
    m:0x0 + b:9

    so edit the bind file with the correction, and then goto System Monitor, find xbindkeys in the Processes, click End Process with it selected, and type xbindkeys in the console to restart the process. Then the back/forward buttons should be working.

    I have also updated the Guide with the correction. I actually have an mx600 mouse/keyboard set, so I booted up Ubuntu on my desktop and tested it out. The back/forward works in firefox and the File Browser, but the zoom in/out buttons are not being registered (only the 100% button is being detected). On the flipside, the horizontal scroll events are being detected by the kernel, so I should be able to get that working whenever I get some time to play around with it.
    Last edited by kogber; January 18th, 2007 at 06:56 AM.

  6. #6
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    Re: All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

    That did it! Thanks! This is really a big help.

    and I look forward to the horizontal fix as well (as you have time, of course).

    Thanks again!

    --apathos

  7. #7
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    Re: All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

    Hi, got the main mouse buttons working without an problems. The only ones that did not go with the standard edgy install where the mouse forward and backwards, so I'm glad I have them back

    I tried compiling the mx610 hack to get the indicator lights working but got the following error after the ./compile.

    /bin/bash: /home/chrisst/missing: No such file or directory
    configure: WARNING: `missing' script is too old or missing
    checking for gcc... gcc
    checking for C compiler default output file name... configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables
    See `config.log' for more details.

    The config.log did not really shed any light on the issue.

    BTW - I am newbie, only installed Ubuntu 4 days ago, but used unix about 10 years ago.

  8. #8
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    Re: All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

    cez801, the line about the 'missing' script is irrelevant - i have the same warning. It's the errors you gotta watch out for.

    Anyways, my guess is you are missing some c libraries needed to compile, so I would suggest you try:

    Code:
    sudo apt-get install libc6-dev
    or, if you are running amd64:

    Code:
    sudo apt-get install libc6-dev-amd64
    Let me know if that fixes it or not, i'll edit the guide for others.
    Last edited by kogber; January 19th, 2007 at 10:06 PM.

  9. #9
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    Re: All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

    I did not notice your update. But I managed to find a solution. I was trying to get bluetooth installed and in those instructions you needed to have these packages.
    • build-essential
    • automake
    • autoconf

    So I installed those packages as well, and managed to complete the mx610 hack.
    Works like a charm.

    BTW - this is a pretty new Ubuntu install - so adding those three packages should sort it out for any one else. I used the Synaptic Package Manager UI to do it, but I'm sure you know a terminal command to make it easier for the guide.

    Great guide, Ironically I never managed to get the lights working under windows (for Outlook or Express) using the Logitech drivers

  10. #10
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    Re: All Logitech MX Mouse Buttons (MX610) - The Quick & Easy Guide

    Yeah, I find it funny that I get far more functionality out of this logitech mouse in linux without the windows Logitech drivers. This is all thanks to the kde developer who made the mx610hack. The led's would only theoretically work with Outlook and MSN in windows - both of which are disgusting programs I never touched. Glad to hear the guide was useful.
    Last edited by kogber; January 19th, 2007 at 11:31 PM.

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