TouchEgg on Kubuntu 18.04 ... a quick fix (again)

[MikeBraxner]

Just as under 17.04/10, touchegg won't work under 18.04 out of the box due to changes in xserver's synaptics driver. For those who would like to use touchegg, there is a simple fix, i.e. replace the synaptics driver with a forked version.

sudo apt install -y git build-essential libevdev-dev autoconf  automake libmtdev-dev xorg-dev xutils-dev libtool
sudo apt remove -y xserver-xorg-input-libinput
sudo apt remove -y xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
git clone https://github.com/urbie-mk2/xf86-input-synaptics.git
cd xf86-input-synaptics
./autogen.sh
./configure --exec_prefix=/usr
make
sudo make install

... now ensure /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/70-synaptics.conf contains ...

 Section "InputClass"
   Identifier      "evdev touchpad catchall"
   Driver          "synaptics"
   MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
   MatchIsTouchpad "on"
   Option          "Protocol" "event"
   Option          "SHMConfig" "on"
EndSection

After a reboot, install touchegg ...

sudo apt install touchegg

Configure using touchegg-gce, or by hand, e.g. ...

<touchégg>
    <settings>
        <property name="composed_gestures_time">300</property>
    </settings>
    <application name="All">
        <gesture type="DOUBLE_TAP" fingers="4" direction="">
            <action type="MINIMIZE_WINDOW"></action>
        </gesture>
        <gesture type="DRAG" fingers="4" direction="LEFT">
            <action type="SEND_KEYS">Control+Alt+Right</action>
        </gesture>
        <gesture type="PINCH" fingers="5" direction="ALL">
            <action type="SEND_KEYS">Control+F8</action>
        </gesture>
        <gesture type="DRAG" fingers="4" direction="DOWN">
            <action type="SEND_KEYS">Control+F9</action>
        </gesture>
        <gesture type="DRAG" fingers="4" direction="UP">
            <action type="SEND_KEYS">Control+F10</action>
        </gesture>
        <gesture type="TAP" fingers="3" direction="">
            <action type="MOUSE_CLICK">BUTTON=2</action>
        </gesture>
        <gesture type="DRAG" fingers="3" direction="ALL">
            <action type="DRAG_AND_DROP">BUTTON=1</action>
        </gesture>
        <gesture type="DRAG" fingers="4" direction="RIGHT">
            <action type="SEND_KEYS">Control+Alt+Left</action>
        </gesture>
    </application>
    <application name="Chrome-browser, Firefox, Google-chrome-stable, Navigator, Chromium-browser">
        <gesture type="DRAG" fingers="3" direction="RIGHT">
            <action type="SEND_KEYS">Control+Tab</action>
        </gesture>
        <gesture type="DOUBLE_TAP" fingers="3" direction="">
            <action type="SEND_KEYS">Control+w</action>
        </gesture>
        <gesture type="DRAG" fingers="3" direction="LEFT">
            <action type="SEND_KEYS">Control+Shift+Tab</action>
        </gesture>
        <gesture type="DRAG" fingers="3" direction="DOWN">
            <action type="SEND_KEYS">Control+r</action>
        </gesture>
    </application>
    <application name="nautilus, Kpat, Dolphin, Nautilus">
        <gesture type="DRAG" fingers="3" direction="ALL">
            <action type="DRAG_AND_DROP">BUTTON=1</action>
        </gesture>
    </application>
    <application name="vlc">
        <gesture type="DRAG" fingers="3" direction="ALL">
            <action type="MOVE_WINDOW"></action>
        </gesture>
    </application>
</touchégg>

... and start it up via autostart script, e.g. ...

synclient ClickFinger3=0
synclient TapButton3=0
touchegg &

[priosfilho]

Hello, very nice tutorial, indeed. But I'm facing some troubles on implementing it correctly and then am not able to get Touchegg to work.

I am using a Hp Laptop with TouchScreen with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS installed.

When I remove xserver-xorg-input-libinput, my keyboard (and Touchscreen) stop working. Actually, it will only work on the Login screen. As soon as the system logs to my user, it stops working... The Touchpad is the only input that seems to work, then.

When I install back the libinput, everything is normal again.

Also, other two details are:

1) My X11 folder (where I can find 70-synaptics.conf file) is located within /usr/share/
2) The 70-synaptics.conf content is like this:

# Example xorg.conf.d snippet that assigns the touchpad driver
# to all touchpads. See xorg.conf.d(5) for more information on
# InputClass.
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE, your distribution will likely overwrite
# it when updating. Copy (and rename) this file into
# /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d first.
# Additional options may be added in the form of
# Option "OptionName" "value"
#
Section "InputClass"
Identifier "touchpad catchall"
Driver "synaptics"
MatchIsTouchpad "on"
# This option is recommend on all Linux systems using evdev, but cannot be
# enabled by default. See the following link for details:
# http://who-t.blogspot.com/2010/11/ho...on-errors.html
# MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
EndSection


Section "InputClass"
Identifier "touchpad ignore duplicates"
MatchIsTouchpad "on"
MatchOS "Linux"
MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/mouse*"
Option "Ignore" "on"
EndSection


# This option enables the bottom right corner to be a right button on clickpads
# and the right and middle top areas to be right / middle buttons on clickpads
# with a top button area.
# This option is only interpreted by clickpads.
Section "InputClass"
Identifier "Default clickpad buttons"
MatchDriver "synaptics"
Option "SoftButtonAreas" "50% 0 82% 0 0 0 0 0"
Option "SecondarySoftButtonAreas" "58% 0 0 15% 42% 58% 0 15%"
EndSection


# This option disables software buttons on Apple touchpads.
# This option is only interpreted by clickpads.
Section "InputClass"
Identifier "Disable clickpad buttons on Apple touchpads"
MatchProduct "Apple|bcm5974"
MatchDriver "synaptics"
Option "SoftButtonAreas" "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0"
EndSection

I edited the first Section to looks like you suggested. Shall I keep like above?

Many thanks!

[MikeBraxner]

The original post was explicitly about Kubuntu 18.04, not Ubuntu 18.04. The former uses KDE's Plasma Desktop as GUI, while the latter uses Gnome.

It's been years since I've used Gnome, so I'm afraid I won't be able to help a whole lot here, other than to say that it used to be is possible. However, when GNOME 3.20 switched to using libinput instead of synaptics, things went sideways for Touchegg, since it won't work with libunit. So it's either adjusting Gnome to work properly with synaptics instead of libunit, or get them to play nicely side-by-side, or kiss Touchegg goodbye all together. For this, you need someone who knows what their doing with regard to Gnome, i.e. not me ... sorry

To your second point, i.e. the config file 70-synaptics.conf. The one you found in /usr/share is in essence a preset. The one I referenced is a specific configuration file you are supposed to create in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/. Rule of thumb, don't fool around with stuff you find under /usr, /opt, ... unless you sure you know what you're doing. If you choose to overwrite presets, well, that what the stuff in /etc is for.

Again, I'm sorry I can't be of any real help here. Unless you get Gnome to play nice with the synaptics driver, you'll be stuck with libunit alone, and therefore have to find an alternative to touchegg ... unless you would like to fork touchegg onto libunit. Have you ever thought of giving KDE a try?

[MikeBraxner]

Just in case I got things wrong ... you might want to take a look at the Arch Wiki for touchegg. There's a section on Gnome, though I have no clue if that's going to help.

Also, have a look at here, and here, for some practical suggestions that might turn out to be helpful.