touchpad-indicator doesn't disable touchpad

Question

I've installed the util from PPA

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:atareao/atareao
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install touchpad-indicator

In the software preferences I've selected "Disable touchpad on typing" and "Disable touchpad when mouse plugged"

Both don't work.

root@workbee:/home/alex# xinput
⎡ Virtual core pointer                      id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer                id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ SEM USB Keyboard                          id=9    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Synaptics TM3336-001                      id=12   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ SEMICCHIP Usb Mouse                       id=10   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                     id=3    [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard               id=5    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                                 id=6    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                              id=7    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ SEM USB Keyboard                          id=8    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ EasyCamera: EasyCamera                    id=11   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Ideapad extra buttons                     id=13   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard              id=14   [slave  keyboard (3)]

Ubuntu 16.04 x64

Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB

UPDATE

I've remembered an important detail.

Sometimes ago (a week or two) I installed the same (I think) touchpad indicator on some other system. Unfortunately, I don't remember how I installed it, and what system exactly was, but I remember that it had a very useful option in its settings, something like "Input Source" or "Input Method". It was a dropdown menu with 3 options. By switching between options I was able to make Touchpad Indicator able to manage touchpad status. I want to have that settings again.

Answer 1

Try the following synclient commands,

From man synaptics

   Option "TouchpadOff" "integer"
          Switch off the touchpad.  Valid values are:

          0   Touchpad is enabled
          1   Touchpad is switched off (physical clicks still work)
          2   Only tapping and scrolling is switched off
          When  the  touchpad  is  switched off, button events caused by a
          physical button press are still interpreted. On a ClickPad, this
          includes  software-emulated  middle and right buttons as defined
          by the SoftButtonAreas setting.

   Property: "Synaptics Off"

Try the following commands to turn the touchpad on and off

synclient touchpadoff=0
synclient touchpadoff=1

They work for me for example in Lubuntu and Xubuntu. If they work for you, create aliases for them to make things convenient.

There is a GUI alternative in standard Ubuntu 16.04 LTS:

• Click on the icon with a cog wheel and a wrench
• Select Mouse and Touchpad
• Click on the switch at the right side of the window to toggle on/off.