Touchpad disable script help

[uggbootcity]

Like so many laptop owners, erratic touchpad interference whilst typing drives me nuts! I use an external usb mouse and disable the touchpad totally.

I have a little script that I can run manually:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
# Script to look for USB mouse and, if present, disable touchpad
# Can also be run to re-enable touchpad if usb mouse removed 

if lsusb | grep "Darfon"  ; then
    rmmod psmouse
else
    modprobe psmouse
fi

Of course, I have to run this as root, so password needs to be entered.

How can I run this automatically startup so I don't need the password?

Is this the best way of doing what i am trying to do? The touchpad does not use the synaptic driver, so synclient/gsynaptic type solutions don't work.

[900i]

This is basically how to run apps at startup, but I made the video for Beryl. The steps are the same, just input the name of your script.

http://www.900i.me.uk/Beryl.ogg

Edit: - You may have to change file permissions on your script?

[uggbootcity]

Still does not work. The only whay it works is when I run it as root, so simply putting it in session manager will try and execute it as a normal user.

How do I run it automatically as root?

MV

[antiquexray]

...erratic touchpad interference whilst typing drives me nuts...I have a little script that I can run manually...I have to run this as root...How can I run this automatically...

I'm feeling very comfortable with Mint, but still a noob with the linux command line. Since the touchpad makes me crazy as well, can you provide some detail instruction on how to make this script, or a least point me to a tutorial where I can learn it. Thanks.

[Boo]

the script can be run from /etc/rc.local at boot.

in the rc.local file put the full path to your script.
it will be run as root.

[uggbootcity]

Boo, Thanks for your help. Works perfectly!

AntiqueXRay, This is what i did to get this to work.

Needed to find out what the computer sees the usb mouse as, so used lsusb from terminal to list connected usb devices:

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:~$ lsusb
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 08ca:2010 Aiptek International, Inc. Pocket CAM 3 Mega (webcam)
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 03f0:3f11 Hewlett-Packard PSC-1315/PSC-1317
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0d62:1000 Darfon Electronics Corp. 
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
:~$ 

Unplug mouse try again to confirm that "Darfon" is my mouse.

Then created a text file called touchpadoff.sh

My thinking about the process was:

Pipe the output of "lsusb" into the "grep" command to test for the "Darfon" word. If it is there then "rmmod psmouse" which is what my touchpad appears as.

If it is not there, then test and reactivate the touchpad.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
# Script to look for USB mouse and, if present, disable touchpad
# Can also be run to re-enable touchpad if usb mouse removed

if lsusb | grep "Darfon"  ; then
    rmmod psmouse
else
    modprobe psmouse
fi

For this to work, I made it executable, owned by root (chown) then followed Boo's instructions to get it to run automatically.

Result: One Happy Camper!

Hope that helps....

[antiquexray]

...used lsusb from terminal to list connected usb devices...created a text file called touchpadoff.sh...Pipe the output of "lsusb" into the "grep"...test for the "Darfon" word...then "rmmod psmouse"...reactivate the touchpad.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
# Script to look for USB mouse and, if present, disable touchpad
# Can also be run to re-enable touchpad if usb mouse removed

if lsusb | grep "Darfon"  ; then
    rmmod psmouse
else
    modprobe psmouse
fi

...made it executable, owned by root (chown)...followed Boo's instructions to get it to run automatically.

Righhhht

[uggbootcity]

Plug in your usb mouse, and in terminal enter the command:

Code: Select all

lsusb

What is the resulting output? Can you paste it in a reply?

[antiquexray]

Plug in your usb mouse, and in terminal enter the command:

Code: Select all

lsusb

What is the resulting output? Can you paste it in a reply?

OK

Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 046d:c50e Logitech, Inc. MX-1000 Cordless Mouse Receiver
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

[uggbootcity]

Being such a noob myself, I feel a little out of my depth explaining this, so apologies for any syntax inaccuracies, or if this is not the best way of doing this. I just know it worked for me.

Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 046d:c50e Logitech, Inc. MX-1000 Cordless Mouse Receiver
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

What this tells me is that your MX-1000 mouse is what is being seen. I need some unique text to search for, so I am using "MX-1000"

I would change my script to take out "Darfon" (my mouse) and look for "MX-1000" instead.

Paste the following in your text editor:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
# Script to look for USB mouse and, if present, disable touchpad
# Can also be run to re-enable touchpad if usb mouse removed

if lsusb | grep "MX-1000"  ; then
    rmmod psmouse
else
    modprobe psmouse
fi

In my HOME directory, I have a subdirectory called Utilities. I saved the new file there and called it "touchpadoff.sh"

I need to make it executable, so I can run it like a program, so

Code: Select all

chmod 755 touchpadoff.sh

Now I can test it from terminal

Code: Select all

sudo bash touchpadoff.sh

Let me know if that works so far!

[antiquexray]

I feel a little out of my depth explaining this...I just know it worked for me.

Let me know if that works so far!

COOL! That worked and my touchpad mouse no longer does! Now what?--this is so cool--thanks.

PS. How do you reactivate the usb mouse?

[Boo]

plug in usb mouse.

well you can reboot... overkill

or just run the script again

sudo touchpadoff.sh

[antiquexray]

the script can be run from /etc/rc.local at boot.

in the rc.local file put the full path to your script.
it will be run as root.

I obviously am missing something in my understanding and or syntax. Here is the contents of my rc.local file:

#!/bin/sh -e
#
# rc.local
#
# This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel.
# Make sure that the script will "exit 0" on success or any other
# value on error.
#
# In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution
# bits.
#
# By default this script does nothing.

/home/phil/Utilities/touchpadoff.sh

exit 0

but it doesn't disable automatically.

***EDIT***

OK, I figured it out. The correct syntax is:

sudo bash /home/phil/Utilities/touchpadoff.sh

...and yes it works great.

[uggbootcity]

OK, I figured it out. The correct syntax is:

sudo bash /home/phil/Utilities/touchpadoff.sh

...and yes it works great.

You should not need to have sudo in the command, because the script gets run as root.

I am glad you sorted it out. I was so frustrated by the touchpad, and lost so much time before I was able to fix it...

[antiquexray]

...correct syntax is sudo bash /home/phil/Utilities/touchpadoff.sh...

You should not need to have sudo in the command...

You're right! It does work. I too will no long have the inadvertant deletion of text. Thanks again.

[Boo]

try:
sudo modprobe psmouse

i would write the script this way:

#!/bin/sh
if [ $( lsusb | grep MX310 ) ]
then
modprobe -r psmouse
else
modprobe psmouse
fi

Boo