How to tune touchpad for smaller area?

Question

I just purchased the Asus Zenbook UX31A and I require some advice regarding tuning the touchpad.

Basically my problem is that the mouse buttons are withing the touch area and I would like it to be disabled. Such that only part of the touch area is recognized. I have attached an image to clarify the idea. Basically only the red area in the image should be recognized.

I have two reasons for this request: Firstly, I like to hold my thumb on the mouse button instead of holding it in the air. This is problematic, because touchpad thinks that I'm trying some kind of two finger gesture all the time and cursor stops moving.

Clicking is also problematic since every finger movement -- regardless of how insignificant it might be -- on the "button" will move the cursor.

I have been playing with some synclient settings like AreaBottomEdge etc. They have some effect but then I cannot highlight text or right button stops working.

How could I solve this?

Solution 1

It is very simple to accomplish this:

First discover the width and height of your touchpad typing in the terminal:

less /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -i range

In my case the output was this:

[    24.188] (--) synaptics: SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: x-axis range 1472 - 5772
[    24.188] (--) synaptics: SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: y-axis range 1408 - 5086

So the width is 5772 and the height is 5086. Now you can have a notion of the bottom area to disable, just try out values to get the desired area disabled. The command in the terminal is:

synclient AreaBottomEdge=**VALUE**(in my case 730)

That is all.

Solution 2

For me, doing this was not enough. I needed to let my thumb at the bottom of the touchpad (ready to click). Actually, the AreaBottomEdge don't disable the "finger counting" on the dead zone and resting your thumb enable the scroll. Quite annoying.

To fix that, I used this patch : http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=4v9JP2pe

Don't forget to change to the AreaBottomEdge value in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-synaptics.conf

Source : #24

Edit: by the way, the bug is referenced here : https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-input-synaptics/+bug/1026046

Comments

[Jo-Erlend Schinstad]

There is a setting in System settings that enables you to deactivate clicking by touching the touchpad. Perhaps that can solve your problem?

[M.L.]

Unfortunately this does not help. It does decrease the area, but then text highlighting and right mouse button stops working.

[Rodrigo Martins de Oliveira]

So the right mouse button, is it a real button? I mean, it makes like, it needs to be pressed? Or it is a touch-button, that you need no presssure? Because mine, that need pressure, still works after reducing touchpad area, but if the button works with the touch technology it may be almost impossible to accomplish what you are intentioning to do.

[VIVEK]

In my case it helps, but with the following side effect. while holding one finger on the button (already inactive area) and moving the other over the active area either nothing is happening or scrolling is occurring.

[Rodrigo Martins de Oliveira]

Sorry, but I won't be able to help you any further than this, I just know this solution.

[VIVEK]

Thanks. I'll try to investigate further this problem myself.

[Luis Lobo Borobia]

If you want to make it stick during logins: askubuntu.com/a/339588/414

[cgogolin]

You can also use synclient | grep -e " \(Left\|Right\|Top\|Bottom\)Edge" to discover the width and height of your touchpad, in case they are not printed in the Xorg.0.log.

[shukshin.ivan]

Works even on Ubuntu 16.04 in future 2018 :)