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user unknown
Asked: 2013-01-17 06:53:23 +0800 CST

Firefox, touchpad middle-button, open in new tab, lenovo T60

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I use Firefox 18.0 with Xubuntu 12.04 on a lenovo Laptop T60.

I like to use the middle button above the touchpad to do a middle-click on a link to open that page in a new tab. It works with the mouse and it worked with my former laptop, a Thinkpad T41 with very similar touchpad.

I can open a link in a new tab too if I hit the left and right button meanwhile, but that's not comfortable.

I find this with synclient: 

synclient -l
Parameter settings:
    LeftEdge                = 1752
    RightEdge               = 5192
    TopEdge                 = 1620
    BottomEdge              = 4236
    FingerLow               = 25
    FingerHigh              = 30
    FingerPress             = 256
    MaxTapTime              = 180
    MaxTapMove              = 221
    MaxDoubleTapTime        = 180
    SingleTapTimeout        = 180
    ClickTime               = 100
    FastTaps                = 0
    EmulateMidButtonTime    = 75
    EmulateTwoFingerMinZ    = 282
    EmulateTwoFingerMinW    = 7
    VertScrollDelta         = 100
    HorizScrollDelta        = 100
    VertEdgeScroll          = 1
    HorizEdgeScroll         = 1
    CornerCoasting          = 0
    VertTwoFingerScroll     = 0
    HorizTwoFingerScroll    = 0
    MinSpeed                = 1
    MaxSpeed                = 1.75
    AccelFactor             = 0.0398089
    TrackstickSpeed         = 40
    EdgeMotionMinZ          = 30
    EdgeMotionMaxZ          = 160
    EdgeMotionMinSpeed      = 1
    EdgeMotionMaxSpeed      = 401
    EdgeMotionUseAlways     = 0
    TouchpadOff             = 0
    LockedDrags             = 0
    LockedDragTimeout       = 5000
    RTCornerButton          = 2
    RBCornerButton          = 3
    LTCornerButton          = 0
    LBCornerButton          = 0
    TapButton1              = 1
    TapButton2              = 3
    TapButton3              = 0
    ClickFinger1            = 1
    ClickFinger2            = 1
    ClickFinger3            = 0
    CircularScrolling       = 0
    CircScrollDelta         = 0.1
    CircScrollTrigger       = 0
    CircularPad             = 0
    PalmDetect              = 0
    PalmMinWidth            = 10
    PalmMinZ                = 200
    CoastingSpeed           = 20
    CoastingFriction        = 50
    PressureMotionMinZ      = 30
    PressureMotionMaxZ      = 160
    PressureMotionMinFactor = 1
    PressureMotionMaxFactor = 1
    ResolutionDetect        = 1
    GrabEventDevice         = 1
    TapAndDragGesture       = 1
    AreaLeftEdge            = 0
    AreaRightEdge           = 0
    AreaTopEdge             = 0
    AreaBottomEdge          = 0
    HorizHysteresis         = 25
    VertHysteresis          = 25
    ClickPad                = 0

I guess LTRB stands for left, top, right, bottom - MT for middle-top is missing.

Btw: Middle Click for pasting works. I'm curious how that fits together.

firefox

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    I'm sorry, but while experimenting, I found it to be my own fault: I asked myself

    • "what does the middle button do at all, if not opening a new tab?" and the surprising answer was: Nothing at all.
    • But why does pasting maked text work? Because I have a different hit technik for that cases: Shorter and harder clicks.

    Seems to be a hardware problem. If I hit the button hard and short enough, it opens links in new tabs. I'm sorry and provide a self-answer, if maybe this hardware problem is not too rare. Since refurbished Thinkpads are quite common, it might be helpful for others.

    • 1

  2. Middle button on a ThinkPad has two modes of action: middle click and scroll with trackpoint.

    Clicking middle button quickly causes a middle click action while holding it down and using the trackpoint allows you to scroll whatever is under the cursor.

    This is a hardware feature and requires no support from OS.

    • 1