Logic needed to disable built in pointing devices when external devices are connected

[Jeff Lane ]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-input-mouse

Just about every laptop and netbook these days comes with an built in trackpad. These are often very frustrating as just brushing against them, or in some cases even just moving a hand over them can trigger a mouse movement or click event. This is especially frustrating when the user is using an external pointing device such as a bluetooth or wireless mouse.

Windows has provided the functionality to disable onboard pointing devices when an external mouse is connected/attached, Ubuntu should as well. This is a welcome feature in Windows that saves a lot of hassle. Currently, I have to manually disable my onboard trackpad, which leads to issues should my mouse drop connection for whatever reason.

It would be awesome if Ubuntu could recognize that external mouse and turn off the trackpad, then turn the trackpad back on when the mouse has been detached.

Just a wishlist item for Natty.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
Package: xserver-xorg-input-mouse 1:1.5.0-2build1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.33-generic 2.6.35.4
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 260.19.06 Mon Sep 13 04:29:19 PDT 2010
 GCC version: gcc version 4.4.5 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.4.4-14ubuntu5)
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Oct 6 09:18:10 2010
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
MachineType: Alienware M15x
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=UUID=acc23352-13ab-4854-b1d7-a1099a5bf3a5 ro crashkernel=384M-2G:64M,2G-:128M quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: xserver-xorg-input-mouse
dmi.bios.date: 03/11/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: Alienware
dmi.bios.version: A05
dmi.board.vendor: Alienware
dmi.board.version: A05
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Alienware
dmi.chassis.version: A05
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAlienware:bvrA05:bd03/11/2010:svnAlienware:pnM15x:pvrA05:rvnAlienware:rn:rvrA05:cvnAlienware:ct8:cvrA05:
dmi.product.name: M15x
dmi.product.version: A05
dmi.sys.vendor: Alienware
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 codename: maverick
 architecture: x86_64
 kernel: 2.6.35-22-generic

[bugbot (bugbot)]

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for testing maverick during its development period. Unfortunately it looks like this bug report didn't get attention during the maverick development period. But I see there's not been more comments on the bug since the release, which makes me wonder if this is still an issue for you?

If you've not seen this issue since maverick's release yourself, it may have been solved by kernel or X or other updates that occurred late in the release; if so, would you mind please closing the bug for us? Go to the URL mentioned in this bug report, click the yellow icon(s) in the status column and set to 'Fix Released'.

If you no longer have the hardware needed to reproduce the problem, or otherwise feel the bug no longer needs tracked in Launchpad, you can set the status to 'Invalid'.

If you are the original reporter and still have this issue, just reply to this email saying so. (Or set the bug status to Confirmed.) If you are able to re-test this against 11.04 Natty Narwhal (our current development focus) and find the issue still affects Natty, please also run 'apport-collect <bug-number>' while running natty, which will add fresh logs and debug data, and flag it for the Ubuntu-X development team to look at.

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

Of course it was never looked at. but it's still a problem. BUT it's also a wishlist item that apparently was not addressed for Natty either. :(

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

this is something the desktop environment needs to recognize

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. The issue you are reporting is an upstream one and it would be nice if somebody having it could send the bug to the developers of the software by following the instructions at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/GNOME. If you have done so, please tell us the number of the upstream bug (or the link), so we can add a bugwatch that will inform us about its status. Thanks in advance.

[Jeff Lane  (bladernr)]

Can someone please close this, it is obviously not necessary after all this time.