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Bug 590783 - Disable touchpad while typing: make time configurable via gconf-key
Disable touchpad while typing: make time configurable via gconf-key
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Product: gnome-settings-daemon
Classification: Core
Component: mouse
2.27.x
Other All
: Normal enhancement
: ---
Assigned To: gnome-settings-daemon-maint
gnome-settings-daemon-maint
: 642740 655621 663511 664170 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2009-08-04 22:23 UTC by Hernando Torque
Modified: 2012-08-07 18:27 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: Unversioned Enhancement


Attachments
create gconf key to control touchpad disabled time (5.50 KB, patch)
2010-08-22 21:14 UTC, Reimundo Heluani
none Details | Review
add a slider to gnome-mouse-properties to control gconf key (7.76 KB, patch)
2010-08-22 21:15 UTC, Reimundo Heluani
none Details | Review
add gconf setting in 2.30.2 (4.95 KB, patch)
2010-08-25 21:42 UTC, Reimundo Heluani
rejected Details | Review
add a slider to gnome-mouse-properties to control gconf key (7.76 KB, patch)
2010-08-25 21:43 UTC, Reimundo Heluani
rejected Details | Review
Lower the deactivation delay to 1.0 s (856 bytes, patch)
2011-10-08 14:55 UTC, Nicolas Dufresne (ndufresne)
committed Details | Review

Description Hernando Torque 2009-08-04 22:23:52 UTC
When the option disable-while-typing is enabled, you currently have to wait 0.5 seconds after the last key press before the touchpad gets enabled. In my opinion that's an user preference that should be configurable at least via gconf-editor.
Comment 1 Thomas Perl 2010-01-13 15:36:30 UTC
Still an issue in 2.29.5 and the latest Git head:

http://git.gnome.org/browse/gnome-settings-daemon/tree/plugins/mouse/gsd-mouse-manager.c#n517
Comment 2 Reimundo Heluani 2010-08-22 21:14:54 UTC
Created attachment 168518 [details] [review]
create gconf key to control touchpad disabled time

I'm attaching patches to gnome-settings-daemon to add a gconf float key at /desktop/gnome/peripherals/touchpad/touchpad_delay and to gnome-mouse-properties so that the applet will show a slider controlling the gconf key. Admitedly is not a beauty, but I haven't coded anything since my XT 8088 a while ago. At least it does the trick. Tested only on 2.28.1 but I guess it should patch fine on 2.29.

R.
Comment 3 Reimundo Heluani 2010-08-22 21:15:42 UTC
Created attachment 168519 [details] [review]
add a slider to gnome-mouse-properties to control gconf key
Comment 4 Reimundo Heluani 2010-08-25 21:42:16 UTC
Created attachment 168769 [details] [review]
add gconf setting in 2.30.2

Attaching a patch that patches against gnome-settings-daemon-2.30.2
Comment 5 Reimundo Heluani 2010-08-25 21:43:27 UTC
Created attachment 168770 [details] [review]
add a slider to gnome-mouse-properties to control gconf key

Add a patch that patches against gnome-mouse-properties in gnome-control-center-2.30.1
Comment 6 Bastien Nocera 2010-10-14 15:49:33 UTC
Making this configurable certainly isn't how we want to fix this problem...
Comment 7 Bastien Nocera 2011-03-11 18:13:46 UTC
*** Bug 642740 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 8 Bastien Nocera 2011-08-01 10:04:29 UTC
*** Bug 655621 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 9 Martin Dosch 2011-08-05 23:16:47 UTC
(In reply to comment #6)
> Making this configurable certainly isn't how we want to fix this problem...

And what's your approach to fix this bug?
Comment 10 Alexandre Rostovtsev 2011-08-16 16:36:55 UTC
First, gnome needs to find a sane default value for the timeout. This default value can only be determined *experimentally*. I suggest getting a sample group of 2-3 users with different laptops, have them test 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 second timeouts, and see which setting they find the most comfortable.

And second, there ought to still be some way of customizing the timeout (although there is certainly no need for a GUI control for it). It really makes no sense that GNOME 3 allows extensive customization of 99% of input device behavior (by setting the hotplug-command key), but hardcodes the touchpad timeout interval.
Comment 11 Bastien Nocera 2011-08-16 17:28:48 UTC
The right way to fix this is to remove the syndaemon usage altogether. Patches for palm detection on touchpads are getting merged into the kernel and in Xorg, and that's the way we should fix the problem.
Comment 12 Jeremy Newton 2011-09-30 15:54:37 UTC
At the moment, the delay is way too long, period. In fact, the feature of turning off the touchpad while typing makes things quite unusable. There seems to be a lot of complaint with issue, as seen here: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=122314

I definitely would like to see a custom setting option in gsettings/dconf, as it would definitely be useful. If the delay was at least half-ed or quarter-ed it could be a much better temporary fix instead of waiting for palm detection. It would thing quarter the length would be best. As well, palm detection is not a replacement but a supplement; I have more than once hit slipped and hit my touchpad instead of hitting space.

Considering this is quite breaking to some users, I would consider this more than just a "enhancement bug"
Comment 13 Nicolas Dufresne (ndufresne) 2011-10-08 14:55:16 UTC
Created attachment 198601 [details] [review]
Lower the deactivation delay to 1.0 s

I understand people prefer the experimental approach and I agree the palm detection is right solution. But the palm detection is future, and not all hardware will allow that.

Meanwhile, my own experiment in the last year showed that 1 second works fine and is conservative enough to not disable the desired feature, even for slow typing (note that people that type slowly tend to keep the palm up, and don't have this issue). Actually, it's good to mention that the syndaemon approach is the wrong solution as it's not adaptive to the typing speed, but as long as we use that in Gnome, it would be nice to make it a bit more usable.

Finally, it's nice to say 2-3 people should test, but for that people need to know how to test it, here's my instruction:

- Disable the feature in settings
- Make sure syndaemon is not longer running
- Start syndaemon manually (e.g. syndaemon -i 1.0 -K -R)
Comment 14 Jeremy Newton 2011-10-09 15:26:10 UTC
I did some testing myself, and I found that 0.5 sec was much more suitable than 1.0, although 1.0 is much better than the default.

I also can confirm with one other person that came to the same conclusion as myself. I let him test with four scenarios: default, 1.0, 0.5, 0.25. He found that the 0.5 was just right and all others were too long or short.
Comment 15 Bastien Nocera 2011-11-16 11:49:58 UTC
*** Bug 664170 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 16 Bastien Nocera 2011-11-18 13:37:45 UTC
*** Bug 663511 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 17 rockonthemoonfm 2011-11-18 14:01:00 UTC
there are many bug duplicates asking to reduce the delay to a sane default (0.75s ?)

I ask you please, can it be simply fixed once and for all, or is it that trivial and we have to continue to go nuts on gnome?
Comment 18 Jeremy Newton 2011-11-18 14:52:42 UTC
I second that, anywhere between 1.0s and 0.5s would be a vast improvement!
Comment 19 rockonthemoonfm 2011-11-20 18:03:04 UTC
I've tried ubuntu oneiric and I've found that they've tweaked (too) the default delay with a perfect value to me -> worth adopting. <-
Comment 20 florent.angly 2011-12-23 16:10:29 UTC
Still an issue in Gnome 3.2.1. The default of 2.0 seconds is way too long for me to the point where I was wondering what the problem was with my computer, until I realized that it had to be the automatic palm detection.

Here is a workaround (0.5 seconds seems to be alright for me):

System settings > Mouse and touchpad > Touchpad:
   Disable touchpad when typing: UNCHECKED

In a terminal:
   gnome-session-properties
   Then add an entry:
      Name: Syndaemon
      Command: syndaemon -i 0.5 -K -R
      Comment: Automatic palm detection

Then logout and login again.
Comment 21 Jeremy Newton 2011-12-23 16:43:15 UTC
(In reply to comment #20)
> Still an issue in Gnome 3.2.1. The default of 2.0 seconds is way too long for
> me to the point where I was wondering what the problem was with my computer,
> until I realized that it had to be the automatic palm detection.
> 
> Here is a workaround (0.5 seconds seems to be alright for me):
> 
> System settings > Mouse and touchpad > Touchpad:
>    Disable touchpad when typing: UNCHECKED
> 
> In a terminal:
>    gnome-session-properties
>    Then add an entry:
>       Name: Syndaemon
>       Command: syndaemon -i 0.5 -K -R
>       Comment: Automatic palm detection
> 
> Then logout and login again.

As I stated above, I can concur with that workaround, although I wouldn't call it "palm detection".
Comment 22 Pacho Ramos 2011-12-24 15:24:22 UTC
(In reply to comment #20)
> Still an issue in Gnome 3.2.1. The default of 2.0 seconds is way too long for
> me to the point where I was wondering what the problem was with my computer,
> until I realized that it had to be the automatic palm detection.
> 
> Here is a workaround (0.5 seconds seems to be alright for me):
> 
> System settings > Mouse and touchpad > Touchpad:
>    Disable touchpad when typing: UNCHECKED
> 
> In a terminal:
>    gnome-session-properties
>    Then add an entry:
>       Name: Syndaemon
>       Command: syndaemon -i 0.5 -K -R
>       Comment: Automatic palm detection
> 
> Then logout and login again.

Looks like old default value was much better than current one, why it's not reverted?
Comment 23 Eric Appleman 2012-01-26 21:25:47 UTC
I spent hours trying to figure this out before stumbling upon this bug report.
Comment 24 Bastien Nocera 2012-05-23 17:19:06 UTC
Pushed to gnome-3-4 and master
Comment 25 Jeremy Newton 2012-05-23 18:29:52 UTC
Thanks!
Comment 26 Tony Houghton 2012-08-07 18:27:48 UTC
I've been told I shouldn't post to closed bugs, so I've opened a new one. Anyone dissatisfied with the resolution here might want to subscribe to #681397.