Extra mouse buttons!!

[locutus]

I took Mandriva-Spring out for a test drive and found the same thing as in 2007: that they are the **only** distro to enable the forward and back thumb buttons on a mouse by default. I don't understand why this is not more common in Linux. Each distro asks what mouse you have and then cripples it. Some even correctly identify my mouse as a Logitech MX1000. Well, if it knows what mouse it is then it should also know its features. I think that in trying 100+ distros there was one, maybe two that I couldn't enable on my own. All the rest I could do, so why do I have to jump thru hoops to do this? It's not hard!

I think Mint could really stand apart from the crowd by enabling them by default and then promoting that fact in the news release that distrowatch quotes from.

Actually, just try out the install routine: the live-CD asks what special effects you would like: none, compiz or matisse, and then enables one of those to start automatically too. Then it sets it up to start automatically upon installation. Mint shold do that, too.

[lakehousetech]

I totally agree, and ultimately wish that Logitech would release a tray app so the thumb buttons could be set as keystrokes or whatever function you want (like you can do in Windows). I am curious as to whether there is already a project out there (maybe on sourceforge) that could do the job. Something as simplistic as a mouse should be more of a given. I'll look into it.

[xvedejas]

Ubuntu 8.04 worked perfectly with my seven mouse buttons, and since mint 5.0 will be somewhat based on that...

[locutus]

Actually (and correct me if I'm wrong) Mint 5 will be based on Ubuntu's repositories, not the base code. Mint writes their own code to be compatible with those repositories and the packages in them.

I'm not sure how Ubuntu configured it, but to do it manually usually requires the installation of "imwheel" as shown here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=28374
and if Mint decided not to include the imwheel package in it's default install then it wouldn't work.

But I hope you're right and it will work. I'm just making the formal request is all.

[locutus]

Ubuntu 8.04 worked perfectly with my seven mouse buttons, and since mint 5.0 will be somewhat based on that...

You were right after all, my apologies. All my mouse buttons work on Mint 5 gnome edition without any tweaking.

[lakehousetech]

That good to hear. I don't have time to test the RC, but am looking forward to the main release once it's ready.