HOWTO: thumb buttons

[panickedthumb]

Have a Microsoft Intellimouse or a Logitech Mouseman? This will get you going with using the side buttons.

You can also find this document on the wiki at:
https://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/Int...ForwardButtons

Step 1: Editing the config file:

Edit your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 or /etc/X11/xorg.conf file so that the mouse section looks like this:

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
        Driver          "mouse"
        Option          "CorePointer"
        Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/mice"
        Option          "Protocol"              "ExplorerPS/2"
        Option          "Buttons"               "7"
        Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "6 7"
        Option          "Resolution"            "100"
EndSection

Note1: The resolution option is optional, that's just for mouse accuracy.
Note2: even if you're using a Logitech Mouseman with only one thumb button, this will still work.

Step 2: Installing imwheel:

Now we need to install imwheel using apt-get:

$ sudo apt get install imwheel

or by using synaptic to find and install it.

Step 3: Creting the imwheel config file

Create a file called /etc/X11/imwheelrc using your favorite text editor, in this case, nano:

$ sudo nano /etc/X11/imwheelrc

and put this text in it:

".*"
None,Up,Alt_L|Left
None,Down,Alt_L|Right

Step 4-1: Configuration for GDM, KDM, and XDM

If you don't use GDM, KDM, or XDM (if you log in through a graphical interface, you DO use one of these), skip this step. If you do, create a file called "57xmodmap" in /etc/X11/Xsession.d/:

 sudo nano /etc/X11/Xsession.d/57xmodmap

and put this code in it:

#/bin/bash
xmodmap -e "pointer = 1 2 3 6 7 4 5"

Save the file and then change the permissions so that it can be executed:

sudo chmod 777 /etc/X11/Xsession.d/57xmodmap

To explain the naming convention, the number at the beginning tells the xsession when to load a process. If you list the contents of /etc/X11/Xsession.d/ you'll notice that the file starting with 60 is the imwheel script. It was automatically created when installed. We need the xmodmap to run before that, so I chose 57. Now log out and log back in to get everything working. You should now be able to use the forward and back buttons (or just the back button, depending on how many buttons your mouse has). Log out and log back in to see the changes.

Step 4-2: Editing for startx users

If you use GDM, KDM, or XDM, you're already done. If you use text mode login and use startx to enter X, put the following in your /home/username/.xinitrc file, before the line that starts your window manager (which you have to have if you're using an .xinitrc, as far as I can tell):

xmodmap -e "pointer = 1 2 3 6 7 4 5" &
exec imwheel -k -b "67" &

You may have to make this file. If so, be sure you put in

gnome-session &

or

startkde &

or whatever command your Window Manager uses at the very end of it. Log out and log back in to see the changes.

This concludes the tutorial. Maybe that expensive mouse wasn't a waste after all!

[panickedthumb]

Edited to include instructions for GDM users.
See if there's anything you think I should add/remove or if there's any easier ways to do some of these things.

I hope this helps some people with their mouse problems! Maybe I'll even get stickied!

[panickedthumb]

Could a mod please change the title of this topic to "Intellimouse/Mouseman extra buttons config"? I changed it in the title on the top post, but I guess that just changes the title of the first post and not the topic title itself. Thanks!

[volvoguy]

Hey thumb man.

The GDM instructions work great! This was the last major thing that was bugging me in Ubuntu, so I'm a happy man.

I signed up to the forums to elect this as a sticky. Is this all I need to do?

Thanks again!

[panickedthumb]

Originally Posted by volvoguy Hey thumb man. The GDM instructions work great! This was the last major thing that was bugging me in Ubuntu, so I'm a happy man. I signed up to the forums to elect this as a sticky. Is this all I need to do? Thanks again!

Thanks for the support volvoguy. I guess more people need to think that its useful before it'll get stickified. I think it's useful, you think its useful, but what do other people think? If you really like it you can give it a high rating (see the rating section at the top). I don't know if that's what they base what gets sticky and what doesn't, but hey, it's still giving the thread a high rating.

[oddabe19]

Excellent Job!!!!!! My intellimouse works perfectly now.

You my friend, are my hero.

I could never fully get thumbbuttons to work on gentoo.

[HiddenWolf]

If it works in GDM, I'll go and try it right now, and you are my savior.

This is indeed the last thing that bugged me.

[panickedthumb]

Originally Posted by HiddenWolf If it works in GDM, I'll go and try it right now, and you are my savior. This is indeed the last thing that bugged me.

It was the one thorn in my side for a couple years until I pieced together all the documentation I could find and figured out how to do it.

Let me know how it works!

[Zundfolge]

Originally Posted by panickedthumb Step 2: Installing imwheel: Now we need to install imwheel using apt-get: $ sudo apt get install imwheel or by using synaptic to find and install it.

Hmm ... can't find imwheel

when I type $ sudo apt-get install imwheel

I get:

Reading Package Lists... Done Building Dependency Tree... Done E: Couldn't find package imwheel

and I can't find it using synaptic

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