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1.. _trackpoint_configuration:
2
3==============================================================================
4Trackpoint configuration
5==============================================================================
6
7The sections below describe the trackpoint magic multiplier and how to apply
8it to your local device. See :ref:`trackpoint_range` for an explanation on
9why this multiplier is needed.
10
11.. note:: The magic trackpoint multiplier **is not user visible configuration**. It is
12           part of the :ref:`device-quirks` system and provided once per device.
13
14User-specific preferences can be adjusted with the
15:ref:`config_pointer_acceleration` setting.
16
17.. _trackpoint_multiplier:
18
19------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20The magic trackpoint multiplier
21------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22
23To accomodate for the wildly different input data on trackpoint, libinput
24uses a multiplier that is applied to input deltas. Trackpoints that send
25comparatively high deltas can be "slowed down", trackpoints that send low
26deltas can be "sped up" to match the expected range. The actual acceleration
27profile is applied to these pre-multiplied deltas.
28
29Given a trackpoint delta ``(dx, dy)``, a multiplier ``M`` and a pointer acceleration
30function ``f(dx, dy) → (dx', dy')``, the algorithm is effectively:
31
32::
33
34     f(M * dx, M * dy) → (dx', dy')
35
36.. _trackpoint_multiplier_adjustment:
37
38..............................................................................
39Adjusting the magic trackpoint multiplier
40..............................................................................
41
42This section only applies if:
43
44- the trackpoint default speed (speed setting 0) is unusably slow or
45  unusably fast, **and**
46- the lowest speed setting (-1) is still too fast **or** the highest speed
47  setting is still too slow, **and**
48- the :ref:`device-quirks` for this device do not list a trackpoint multiplier
49  (see :ref:`device-quirks-debugging`)
50
51If the only satisfactory speed settings are less than -0.75 or greater than
520.75, a multiplier *may* be required.
53
54A specific multiplier will apply to **all users with the same laptop
55model**, so proceed with caution. You must be capable/willing to adjust
56device quirks, build libinput from source and restart the session frequently
57to adjust the multiplier. If this does not apply, wait for someone else with
58the same hardware to do this.
59
60Finding the correct multiplier is difficult and requires some trial and
61error. The default multiplier is always 1.0. A value between 0.0 and 1.0
62slows the trackpoint down, a value above 1.0 speeds the trackpoint up.
63Values below zero are invalid.
64
65.. warning:: The multiplier is not a configuration to adjust to personal
66	preferences. The multiplier normalizes the input data into a range that
67	can then be configured with the speed setting.
68
69To adjust the local multiplier, first
70:ref:`build libinput from git master <building_libinput>`. It is not
71required to install libinput from git. The below assumes that all
72:ref:`building_dependencies` are already
73installed.
74
75
76::
77
78     $ cd path/to/libinput.git
79
80     # Use an approximate multiplier in the quirks file
81     $ cat > quirks/99-trackpont-override.quirks <<EOF
82     [Trackpoint Override]
83     MatchUdevType=pointingstick
84     AttrTrackpointMultiplier=1.0
85     EOF
86
87     # Use your trackpoint's event node. If the Attr does not show up
88     # then the quirk does not apply to your trackpoint.
89     $ ./builddir/libinput quirks list /dev/input/event18
90     AttrTrackpointMultiplier=1.0
91
92     # Now start a GUI program to debug the trackpoint speed.
93     # ESC closes the debug GUI
94     $ sudo ./builddir/libinput debug-gui
95
96
97Replace the multiplier with an approximate value and the event node with
98your trackpoint's event node. Try to use trackpoint and verify the
99multiplier is good enough. If not, adjust the ``.quirks`` file and re-run the
100``libinput debug-gui``.  Note that the ``libinput debug-gui`` always feels
101less responsive than libinput would behave in a normal install.
102
103Once the trackpoint behaves correctly you are ready to test the system
104libinput:
105
106
107::
108
109     $ sudo cp quirks/99-trackpoint-override.quirks /etc/libinput/local-overrides.quirks
110
111
112Now verify the override is seen by the system libinput
113
114::
115
116     $ libinput quirks list
117     AttrTrackpointMultiplier=1.0
118
119
120If the multiplier is listed, restart your Wayland session or X server. The
121new multiplier is now applied to your trackpoint.
122
123If the trackpoint behavior is acceptable, you are ready to submit this file
124upstream. First, find add a more precise match for the device so it only
125applies to the built-in trackpoint on your laptop model. Usually a
126variation of the following is sufficient:
127
128
129::
130
131     [Trackpoint Override]
132     MatchUdevType=pointingstick
133     MatchName=*TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint*
134     MatchDMIModalias=dmi:*svnLENOVO:*:pvrThinkPadT440p*
135     AttrTrackpointMultiplier=1.0
136
137
138Look at your ``/sys/class/dmi/id/modalias`` file for the values to add. Verify
139that ``libinput quirks list`` still shows the ``AttrTrackpointMultiplier``. If
140it does, then you should :ref:`report a bug <reporting_bugs>` with the contents of
141the file. Alternatively, file a merge request with the data added.
142
143
144.. _trackpoint_range_measure:
145
146------------------------------------------------------------------------------
147Measuring the trackpoint range
148------------------------------------------------------------------------------
149
150This section only applied to libinput version 1.9.x, 1.10.x, and 1.11.x and
151has been removed. See :ref:`trackpoint_multiplier` for versions 1.12.x and later.
152
153If using libinput version 1.11.x or earlier, please see
154`the 1.11.0 documentation <https://wayland.freedesktop.org/libinput/doc/1.11.0/trackpoints.html#trackpoint_range_measure>`_
155
156