[xubuntu-users] toggle touchpad ON/OFF

[Thomas Blasejewicz]

On 2016/03/30 4:09, Steve Litt wrote:
> On Wed, 30 Mar 2016 02:22:04 +0900
> Thomas <nyuwa at hb.tp1.jp> wrote:
>
>> On 2016年03月28日 07:49, Steve Litt wrote:
>>> On Sun, 27 Mar 2016 19:06:57 +0900
>>> Thomas <nyuwa at hb.tp1.jp> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> #!/bin/bash
>>>
>>> curstate=`synclient | grep -i TouchpadOff | sed -e"s/.*= //"`
>>>
>>> if test "$curstate" = "1"; then
>>>
>>> synclient TouchpadOff=0
>>>
>>> else
>>>
>>> synclient TouchpadOff=1
>>>
>>> fi
>>>
>>>
>>> What you have left now is just some troubleshooting. Start by seeing if
>>> the command works without a hotkey, by typing the word touchtoggle
>>> followed by the Enter key at the command prompt, and seeing whether it
>>> turns on and off the touchpad. Make sure the touchtoggle file is
>>> permissioned as executable by all. If it's permissioned executable for
>>> all and still doesn't toggle the touchpad state, you need to start
>>> experimenting with the individual "synclient TouchpadOff=0" and
>>> "synclient TouchpadOff=1" commands at the command prompt.
I tried running "synclient TouchpadOff=0" in a terminal.
That gives me the error message:
"Couldn't find synaptics properties. No synaptics driver loaded?"
Using Package Manager I looked for "synclient". There was ONE package 
installed
and I added the only other apparently related package 
(xserver-xorg-input-synaptics dbg 1.8.2-ubuntu1)

That did not change anything.

Somebody else previously suggested using the commands:
"xinput set-prop 14 "Device Enabled" 0 (to disable and 1 to enable)"
THAT command actually works.
Device ID: here "14".
A few days ago I tried to "update" my system, made a mistake somewhere 
and ended up with an "upgrade" to 15.10.
(lots of trouble with that one too)
BEFORE the upgrade the same device had the ID "12". AFTER the upgrade 
the same device suddenly has the ID "14".

With the above command I am supposed to create a ".desktop" file under 
/usr/local/share/applications/
(have not yet figured out how to do that)
and then create a shortcut (hotkey) to that file.

> This sounds like a real pain in the posterior,
Indeed. There REALLY should be something more easy to accomplish this 
everyday task.
> but the more you do this
> kind of troubleshooting, the more proficient you get, until, one day in
> the near future, people start saying "Go to Thomas, he can fix
> anything."
>
Thank you for your kind words. Apparently I am not doing very well.
I am struggling to "get friendly" with Linux for about 8 years with 
rather little success.
The posts here make that clear I think.
Thomas