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I have spent most of the day trying to get my thumb button to navigate backwards in Firefox.

The key command I'm trying to execute is CTRL + [. That works when I click it in Firefox.

In xev, clicking the desired thumb button sends a KeymapNotify event, as the output below. There is no other output.

EnterNotify event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x6b5, subw 0x0, time 4046810, (92,144), root:(252,296),
    mode NotifyUngrab, detail NotifyAncestor, same_screen YES,
    focus YES, state 0

KeymapNotify event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x0,
    keys:  4294967179 0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0

           0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0


MotionNotify event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x6b5, subw 0x0, time 4062605, (91,144), root:(251,296),
    state 0x0, is_hint 0, same_screen YES


LeaveNotify event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x6b5, subw 0x0, time 4063661, (91,144), root:(251,296),
    mode NotifyGrab, detail NotifyAncestor, same_screen YES,
    focus YES, state 0


EnterNotify event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x6b5, subw 0x0, time 4063821, (91,144), root:(251,296),
    mode NotifyUngrab, detail NotifyAncestor, same_screen YES,
    focus YES, state 0


KeymapNotify event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x0,
    keys:  4294967221 0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0

           0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0


LeaveNotify event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x6b5, subw 0x0, time 4064581, (91,144), root:(251,296),
    mode NotifyGrab, detail NotifyAncestor, same_screen YES,
    focus YES, state 0

Following the directions for Ubuntu mouse configurations has no effect. (unless you count the xorg.conf changes locking up my system, in which case it did have an effect. :) )

Since xev gives no useful output, xbindkeys is not useful.

The Shortkeys add on for Firefox does not recognize the mouse click.

This post for Logitech MX Master Thumb Button for Ubuntu says that the thumb button triggers the Ctrl + Right Alt (Alt Gr) + Tab key combination. AKA, not a mouse click but a keyboard combo. So I installed xdotool and went to Ubuntu Settings > Keyboard shortcuts. I created a shortcut with the following properties:

  • Name: firefox backspace remap
  • Command: xdotool key bracketleft
  • Shortcut: CTRL + ALT + TAB

This shortcut does nothing. If I type the command xdotool key bracketleft into a terminal it prints out a left bracket. If I use the CTRL + ALT + TAB I just used to make the shortcut, nothing happens (obviously, bracketleft is not the command I ultimately want, but I'm trying to test visible output).

I installed Solaar and it recognizes my mouse.

I installed the unofficial driver logiops for Logitech mice and keyboard. As far as I can tell it's had no effect. I've rebooted, manually run the driver. xev still gives no useful output when I click the thumb button.

Ultimately, no matter what I've tried, nothing seems to recognize that this button exists.

If I switch over to Ubuntu 16.04 with the same mouse, same keyboard, and setup the shortcut, everything works fine.

I have uploaded a video to YouTube that might shed a little more light on this, I hope.

YouTube video about how mice will not scroll in 20.04

robline
  • 131
  • Does this explain xev better? https://askubuntu.com/questions/624756/how-can-i-map-keyboard-buttons-to-my-mouse-buttons – darth_epoxy Oct 03 '20 at 07:02
  • I wish it did, but there are no ButtonRelease events being sent. That's what I meant by xev gives no useful output. That was a promising article, I spent a couple hours going through it before I wrote this post. But if I'm overlooking something please let me know! – robline Oct 03 '20 at 08:40
  • This may be driver realated because if there is no output from xev then the button is essentially "not there". I have heard of Left Handed mouse not working because there was no driver or firmware but since 18.04 there is always something for mouse & keyboard. You could search for specifics on your brand of mouse or try and reconfig Firefox so that shortcut can be replaced by something simpler like the left arrow. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Tools/Keyboard_shortcuts – darth_epoxy Oct 03 '20 at 09:21
  • @robline I got pretty much the same issues just with the side buttons on the mouse. did you find a solution in the meantime? What I found out is that if I hold a mouse button (or hold the click) then the malfunctioning button actually works. I assume the initial press event is only picked up when there's a button being active actually - as in, the other button that got clicked and not released. Still a bad workaround. – mkV Jan 11 '21 at 03:53

0 Answers0