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I want the touchpad to get disabled while typing.

Opening the system configuration and selecting "Pointing Devices" I can change only very basic settings, namely the primary and secondary button assignment, double click speed and cursor movement speed.

So, let's google...

I have found this. Further details about reasons or possible fixes are missing.

Some work-arounnds that I have found doesn't work for me. My system doesn't seem to load synaptics driver:

If type synclient I get Couldn't find synaptics properties. No synaptics driver loaded?.

I have also installed synaptiks, but at run it says that it can't find any touchpad.

Nevertheless, the basic functions of the touchpad work.

I don't know if this is relevant: my notebook is an Acer Aspire E 15 ES1-511-C18C and the Ubuntu version is, as I have said in the title, 14.04. If I run the app "Mouse and Touchpad", I can see that the device detected is "PS/2 Elantech Touchpad".

ajh@ANTONIO-ACER:~$ syndaemon 
ajh@ANTONIO-ACER:~$ killall syndaemon
syndaemon: proceso no encontrado
ajh@ANTONIO-ACER:~$ syndaemon -i 1 -K d
ajh@ANTONIO-ACER:~$ killall syndaemon
syndaemon: proceso no encontrado
ajh@ANTONIO-ACER:~$ syndaemon -i 1 -K -d
ajh@ANTONIO-ACER:~$ killall syndaemon
syndaemon: proceso no encontrado

(Note: "Proceso no encontrado" is "process not found" in Spanish).

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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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First entirely undo the current setting: Remove the tick for Disable touchpad while typing in Mouse & Touchpad settings.

Now search for and open Startup Applications from the Dash. Click Add.

Name: Syndaemon

Command: syndaemon -i 1.0 -K -R -t

Comment: Disable touchpad while typing, with a reasonable delay and only for tapping and scrolling

The -i 1.0 parameter sets the idle time of the keyboard to 1s. -K option ignores the Modifier keys. -R option uses the XRecord extension for detecting keyboard activity instead of polling the keyboard state. -t option disables tapping and scrolling but not mouse movements.

Click Add and then Close.

Reboot your computer.

Note: this is a user preference, so repeat this in every user account.

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  • Good solution, but works better for me without the -R option.
    – lreeder
    Jul 12, 2015 at 18:09
  • The -t seems to permanently disable tap to click and two finger scrolling permanently.
    – zorkerz
    Feb 8, 2016 at 14:15
  • 2
    This has not worked for me. After a few minutes my touchpad stops responding entirely. Notably I don't have the option to Disable touchpad while typing on ubuntu 15.10
    – zorkerz
    Feb 8, 2016 at 15:09
  • @zorkerz I'm still having the same problem under Ubuntu 16.04 any luck?
    – Spoody
    Dec 15, 2017 at 19:15
3

Open a terminal window and run:

gsettings get org.gnome.settings-daemon.peripherals.touchpad disable-while-typing

It should output:

true

If it doesn't, run:

gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.peripherals.touchpad disable-while-typing true

Alternatively, you can install dconf editor:

sudo apt-get install dconf-editor

Open dconf-editor and browse to "org" > "gnome" > "settings-deamon" > "peripherals" > "touchpad", and tick "disable-while-typing":

enter image description here

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  • 1
    I have installed this dconf-editor, and the setting "disable while typing" is already enabled. But it doesn't work at all. I can type with the keyboard and click with the touchpad simultaneously.
    – user2425
    Oct 2, 2014 at 8:48
  • @user2425 I am really sorry to hear that, I was hoping the setting in itself would be the problem. is any of the comments helping you?
    – Jacob Vlijm
    Oct 2, 2014 at 15:30
  • Not yet. My problem seems to be that the touchpad is detected as a mouse. I have entered the BIOS Setup and there's no option to change this behaviour.
    – user2425
    Oct 3, 2014 at 10:36
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    I get - "No such schema 'org.gnome.settings-daemon.peripherals.touchpad'"
    – Alexander Mills
    Dec 2, 2016 at 21:21
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    @AlexanderMills here are some options. I didn't try them: askubuntu.com/questions/762189/…
    – Jacob Vlijm
    Dec 2, 2016 at 21:42

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