Remapping The Mouse Buttons, Etc?

[chaosmage]

How do I remap the mouse buttons to the A and B and swap the L/R button functions from SHIFT on L and CTRL on R to SHIFT on R and CTRL on L?

Why, you might ask? Since I have a rather unreliable Right Nub (I got a no-nubber), using the nub for mouse buttons is rather... unreliable. I don't really use Home/End (though pgup and pgdn is verrrry handy). As for the L/R swap... we already have a SHIFT on the left side. It drives me nuts that I don't have one on the right side.

I am pretty much a Linux newb, btw. So I'll probably need stuff spelled out... I've used the terminal a few times now, but I have to look up the syntax for doing even simple stuff like cp and ummm... whatever the other commands are.

 

[paddy]

Ahh this ole chestnut !

 

[Loon]

I'd love to know this too as I find it incredibly frustrating to use an analogue stick to emulate a button press, and that is when it works! IMHO it was a total brainfart to use the nubs to emulate what are probably the most frequently used OS buttons on a device which is covered in buttons.

Also some of the software I use needs to be able to press both mouse buttons at the same time to work fully.

Is there a relatively simple way of reassigning the mouse buttons?

Any links to a solution for 'this old chestnut' would be hugely appreciated.

Just for info my right nub seems prone to losing calibration so using it for mouse buttons is a real chore.

 

[God Ginrai]

I'd love to know this too as I find it incredibly frustrating to use an analogue stick to emulate a button press, and that is when it works! IMHO it was a total brainfart to use the nubs to emulate what are probably the most frequently used OS buttons on a device which is covered in buttons.

Also some of the software I use needs to be able to press both mouse buttons at the same time to work fully.

Is there a relatively simple way of reassigning the mouse buttons?

Any links to a solution for 'this old chestnut' would be hugely appreciated.

Just for info my right nub seems prone to losing calibration so using it for mouse buttons is a real chore.

I can't see how using the right nub for mouse buttons can be any worse than using the left nub for mouse movement. (it sucks!)

-God Ginrai

 

[chaosmage]

Just for info my right nub seems prone to losing calibration so using it for mouse buttons is a real chore.

Not to mention that the nub seems prone to 'snap' when clicking if I am not realllly careful, which then immediately right clicks after my left click. And don't get me started on dragging... the nub is NOT useful when dragging. I can get used to using the left nub for mousing, really. It's not great, but it works for most things. In most cases using the nub is preferable to keyboarding + stylus, otherwise.

 

[j.pickens]

Does anyone have a tutorial on how to do key remapping?

 

[Loon]

I can't see how using the right nub for mouse buttons can be any worse than using the left nub for mouse movement. (it sucks!)
-God Ginrai

Being right handed it started off as pretty weird and uncomfortable to me, but by increasing the mouse speed and using the device a bit it is getting a lot better for me.

Surely one of you Linux Gurus has an idea of how to set up and select different key / button configurations?

 

[chaosmage]

I can't see how using the right nub for mouse buttons can be any worse than using the left nub for mouse movement. (it sucks!)
-God Ginrai

Being right handed it started off as pretty weird and uncomfortable to me, but by increasing the mouse speed and using the device a bit it is getting a lot better for me.

Surely one of you Linux Gurus has an idea of how to set up and select different key / button configurations?

Here's a thread about it, but I am too much of a Linux newb to understand it:
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/54077-changing-the-function-of-buttoms/

 

[God Ginrai]

Being right handed it started off as pretty weird and uncomfortable to me, but by increasing the mouse speed and using the device a bit it is getting a lot better for me.

It's not how it feels for me, I could use a stick to control a mouse with either thumb. The problem is the way it's coded, the mouse just doesn't move around well.

-God Ginrai

 

[Loon]

...
Here's a thread about it, but I am too much of a Linux newb to understand it:
http://www.gp3 2x.com/board/index.php?/topic/54077-changing-the-function-of-buttoms/

Yeah, I remember that one, it left me really confused, was hoping for a newb friendly tutorial.

Or if the Pandora gods were feeling really benevolent, a dedicated utility for configuring the keyboard layout. Would be a really nice addition to the base OS don't you think?

 

[mali]

^ The actual keyboard is no problem, the other buttons are a different story it seems.

 

[zapman]

...
Here's a thread about it, but I am too much of a Linux newb to understand it:
http://www.gp3 2x.com/board/index.php?/topic/54077-changing-the-function-of-buttoms/

Or if the Pandora gods were feeling really benevolent, a dedicated utility for configuring the keyboard layout. Would be a really nice addition to the base OS don't you think?

Indeed!

 

[Loon]

^ The actual keyboard is no problem, the other buttons are a different story it seems.

You're right Mali, should have said keyboard and button layout. Though come to think of it I'd probably change a few keys as well. Don't think I've ever typed the Yen symbol and I don't even know what this one is : §

 

[j.pickens]

Tutorial with procedure, anyone?
Bueller...Bueller???

 

[Loon]

OK, it looks like us noobs who want to remap their buttons are going to have to get our hands dirty.

Found this article which starts with the following introduction :

This page teaches how to map the mouse buttons on the keyboard on XFree86. This is useful, for instance, to make the keyboard more comfortable by making good use of the otherwise useless Windows and Menu keys.

What I can't quite fathom is whether the methods used are applicable to the Pandora.

Any thoughts?

 

[God Ginrai]

OK, it looks like us noobs who want to remap their buttons are going to have to get our hands dirty.

Found this article which starts with the following introduction :

This page teaches how to map the mouse buttons on the keyboard on XFree86. This is useful, for instance, to make the keyboard more comfortable by making good use of the otherwise useless Windows and Menu keys.

What I can't quite fathom is whether the methods used are applicable to the Pandora.

Any thoughts?

Actually, the Windows Key is not useless on a standard Linux system. They are normally already mapped to Super or Meta. As for the Menu key, I believe that is normally mapped to Compose.

-God Ginrai

 

[tsh]

So it seems that changing the mouse buttons means understanding the kernel - so it's out for today

The file /etc/keymap-extension-2.6.map is more helpful got basic keys, it has a line with 'one <tab> <tab> section' so it looks like it might do something - however, if you get it wrong it might be impossible to type anything to change it back. I couldn't trivially google anything relevant about it...

 

[Loon]

So it seems that changing the mouse buttons means understanding the kernel - so it's out for today

The file /etc/keymap-extension-2.6.map is more helpful got basic keys, it has a line with 'one <tab> <tab> section' so it looks like it might do something - however, if you get it wrong it might be impossible to type anything to change it back. I couldn't trivially google anything relevant about it...

Yeah, my thoughts too. However my plan is to set up the Pandora to boot from SD, backup the SD card and then tinker with the OS on the SD card if it goes horribly wrong it won't then have horrible consequences.

 

[tsh]

OK, when you find out anything useful, make a note here:
http://pandorawiki.org/Keyboard_remapping

(This contains nothing new yet, but it's a common question and i hate trawling the forum to find something I think I saw in the past)

 

[Loon]

OK, when you find out anything useful, make a note here:
http://pandorawiki.org/Keyboard_remapping

(This contains nothing new yet, but it's a common question and i hate trawling the forum to find something I think I saw in the past)

Nice one tsh, really like the idea of having this as a wiki page.

Just wondering where you heard that 'currently only the nubs (or an external mouse) will generate mouse button events, and this is not trivial to change (for a user).'

Not disputing the fact but if there is a reason attached to that statement it might help with the quest for the remappable mouse button.