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Bug 320226 - Single button hold to emulate a right click
Single button hold to emulate a right click
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Product: gnome-control-center
Classification: Core
Component: Mouse
2.13.x
Other All
: Normal enhancement
: ---
Assigned To: Control-Center Maintainers
Control-Center Maintainers
AP4
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2005-10-30 11:05 UTC by Chris Thielen
Modified: 2008-03-30 09:35 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: Unversioned Enhancement


Description Chris Thielen 2005-10-30 11:05:45 UTC 
I recently converted many iMacs to Debian using GNOME as the desktop
environment. All of the mice are single button mice, and many areas of GNOME
require a right-click, whether it be for a context menu, modifying the behavior
of an item, etc. In Mac OS 9, which the iMacs shipped with, right clicks were
performed by holding the left button (the only button) down for 2-3 seconds
without motion. This would then simply be translated as a right click. I think
this would make a great option in GNOME and increase the ease of use for those
of us with single button mice.
Comment 1 Sebastien Bacher 2005-12-30 16:11:16 UTC 
Thanks for your bug. Cc-ing usability to get their opinion on that feature request
Comment 2 Calum Benson 2006-01-20 18:35:07 UTC 
It did work quite well in OS9, although interestingly it's not something that's been carried through to OSX... it works in very few places there, so in effect it's useless (you quickly stop trying it and just Ctrl-Click instead, because you know there's a good chance it's not going to work.)

I can't think of any usability reasons off-hand why it would be a bad idea in GNOME... there might be the odd place where it could interfere with existing behaviour, but I can't think of any off-hand.

Accessibility team might have a different opinion, though; cc'ing them.
Comment 3 Calum Benson 2006-04-26 16:49:18 UTC 
Apologies for spam-- marking AP4 to reflect accessibility impact.
Comment 4 Calum Benson 2006-04-26 17:06:09 UTC 
Apologies for spam... ensuring Sun a11y folks are cc'ed on all current accessibility bugs.
Comment 5 Denis Washington 2008-01-16 16:57:13 UTC 
This is now supported in gnome-control-center 2.21.5, but perhaps in a place where it is not that discoverable for a Mac mouse user (the Accessibility tab of the mouse preferences). Maybe this should move to the "General" tab?
Comment 6 Jens Granseuer 2008-03-30 09:35:30 UTC 
Don't think so. There are several accessibility features (in keyboard as well) which, under certain circumstances, are interesting to non-disabled users as well. That doesn't mean we should cram them all into general tabs. Closing.