[SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

Eraph · 2016-03-20 01:55:56

I have a gaming mouse and its sensitivity is mad. I've been trying to slow it down to something more tolerable. For a while I was having some success with xinput set-prop 266 4.0 (Device Accel Constant Deceleration), but in my attempts to have this automatically kick in on startup, this no longer works and I've no idea what I've done to stop that. I can see the value updating when I query the properties, but the sensitivity of the mouse doesn't change.

So maybe you guys can help out, what's the recommended way to reduce mouse sensitivity and keep it persistent? Cheers!

xinput details below - I don't know why the mouse appears twice, but there you go.

$ xinput list
⎡ Virtual core pointer                    	id=2	[master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer              	id=4	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Logitech Gaming Mouse G302              	id=9	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Logitech Gaming Mouse G302              	id=10	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ ELAN Touchscreen                        	id=11	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad              	id=15	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                   	id=3	[master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard             	id=5	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                            	id=6	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                               	id=7	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                            	id=8	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Lenovo EasyCamera                       	id=12	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Ideapad extra buttons                   	id=13	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard            	id=14	[slave  keyboard (3)]

$ xinput list-props 9
Device 'Logitech Gaming Mouse G302':
	Device Enabled (135):	1
	Coordinate Transformation Matrix (137):	1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000
	Device Accel Profile (264):	0
	Device Accel Constant Deceleration (265):	1.000000
	Device Accel Adaptive Deceleration (266):	1.000000
	Device Accel Velocity Scaling (267):	10.000000
	Device Product ID (253):	1133, 49279
	Device Node (254):	"/dev/input/event1"
	Evdev Axis Inversion (268):	0, 0
	Evdev Axes Swap (270):	0
	Axis Labels (271):	"Rel X" (145), "Rel Y" (146), "Rel Horiz Wheel" (262), "Rel Vert Wheel" (263)
	Button Labels (272):	"Button Left" (138), "Button Middle" (139), "Button Right" (140), "Button Wheel Up" (141), "Button Wheel Down" (142), "Button Horiz Wheel Left" (143), "Button Horiz Wheel Right" (144), "Button Side" (257), "Button Extra" (258), "Button Forward" (259), "Button Back" (260), "Button Task" (261), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256)
	Evdev Scrolling Distance (273):	1, 1, 1
	Evdev Middle Button Emulation (274):	0
	Evdev Middle Button Timeout (275):	50
	Evdev Third Button Emulation (276):	0
	Evdev Third Button Emulation Timeout (277):	1000
	Evdev Third Button Emulation Button (278):	3
	Evdev Third Button Emulation Threshold (279):	20
	Evdev Wheel Emulation (280):	0
	Evdev Wheel Emulation Axes (281):	0, 0, 4, 5
	Evdev Wheel Emulation Inertia (282):	10
	Evdev Wheel Emulation Timeout (283):	200
	Evdev Wheel Emulation Button (284):	4
	Evdev Drag Lock Buttons (285):	0

$ xinput list-props 10
Device 'Logitech Gaming Mouse G302':
	Device Enabled (135):	1
	Coordinate Transformation Matrix (137):	1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000
	Device Accel Profile (264):	0
	Device Accel Constant Deceleration (265):	1.000000
	Device Accel Adaptive Deceleration (266):	1.000000
	Device Accel Velocity Scaling (267):	10.000000
	Device Product ID (253):	1133, 49279
	Device Node (254):	"/dev/input/event2"
	Evdev Axis Inversion (268):	0, 0
	Evdev Axes Swap (270):	0
	Axis Labels (271):	"Rel X" (145), "Rel Y" (146), "Rel Horiz Wheel" (262)
	Button Labels (272):	"Button 0" (286), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Unknown" (256), "Button Wheel Up" (141), "Button Wheel Down" (142), "Button Horiz Wheel Left" (143), "Button Horiz Wheel Right" (144)
	Evdev Scrolling Distance (273):	1, 1, 1
	Evdev Middle Button Emulation (274):	0
	Evdev Middle Button Timeout (275):	50
	Evdev Third Button Emulation (276):	0
	Evdev Third Button Emulation Timeout (277):	1000
	Evdev Third Button Emulation Button (278):	3
	Evdev Third Button Emulation Threshold (279):	20
	Evdev Wheel Emulation (280):	0
	Evdev Wheel Emulation Axes (281):	0, 0, 4, 5
	Evdev Wheel Emulation Inertia (282):	10
	Evdev Wheel Emulation Timeout (283):	200
	Evdev Wheel Emulation Button (284):	4
	Evdev Drag Lock Buttons (285):	0

Last edited by Eraph (2016-03-23 08:17:43)

damo · 2016-03-20 02:15:05

Use an `xset` command in your autostart (see `man xset` - mouse section)

xset m <accel> <threshold>

Eraph · 2016-03-20 02:26:55

Thanks damo, but that only adjust sensitivity to an extent. I need something more drastic! I will say though that changing these values does have an effect.

damo · 2016-03-20 02:34:36

How were you using the xinput command at startup?

Eraph · 2016-03-20 02:44:37

Oof, I tried a few things including one that goosed my whole mouse and keyboard input. I added a file to /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/, had to boot into a LiveCD to get rid of it, so that solution was out. I added the first command I mentioned above into OpenBox autostart, didn't work either. I've read about adding settings to ~/.config/.xinitrc but I've had no luck with that.

damo · 2016-03-20 03:07:43

Have you seen this link? It is pretty old but the method should still work I think. If the xinput command works for you, then try putting it in a script, and running that from autostart (if the command itself in autostart isn't working, although I don't know why it wouldn't).

Eraph · 2016-03-20 04:17:50

Well using the name of the property rather than the number brought some success, so I added it to autostart and logged out and logged back in. Nothing. Furthermore, changing the property through terminal no longer has any effect at all, even after removing it from autostart, and even after a reboot. Nothing will slow the mouse down any more! It's like something changed and is persisting somewhere, but certainly not the way I want it to. Very furstrating. Thanks for your help though!

damo · 2016-03-20 04:27:49

I wonder if it is a kernel issue. Let's hope it isn't a regression, which might explain why it has stopped working properly.

Have you tried a newer kernel?

Just a thought - do you have the same problem in a Live session?

Eraph · 2016-03-20 04:46:13

I haven't tried a newer kernel, no. What's the general consensus on backporting around here? I'm a bit wary of the 'don't break Debian' thing, keen to keep it as vanilla as I can (although admittedly in some cases I've already broken that rule). I have run 4.0+ kernels on this machine in the past with no problems so I'm just wondering why backporting might be discouraged.

nobody · 2016-03-20 04:55:55

Eraph wrote:

I haven't tried a newer kernel, no. What's the general consensus on backporting around here? I'm a bit wary of the 'don't break Debian' thing, keen to keep it as vanilla as I can (although admittedly in some cases I've already broken that rule). I have run 4.0+ kernels on this machine in the past with no problems so I'm just wondering why backporting might be discouraged.

It has almost nothing to do with the kernel but the X server. There are many settings to tweak when working with acceleration. Here is an extensive wiki entry on pointer acceleration with methods to try.

Note that input handling also depends on the kind of game you are playing, or rather its input handling implementation. Mouse acceleration in games can behave drastically differently depending on the libraries it uses (or does not use). For example, Xonotic comes in two flavours for Linux: one is inked against libSDL, and one is based on OpenGL only; and acceleration is different between those two, and both are different from standard X11 desktop mouse behaviour. A program can also opt out of X11 pointer acceleration altogether.

Rather than trying to set moues acceleration at the system level, considering the situation, it might be more effective to adjust the acceleration on a per-game basis using in-game settings.

damo · 2016-03-20 05:26:18

^ Knowledgeable answers like that sometimes make me feel like a .... mouse

Eraph · 2016-03-21 22:53:04

Thanks for the help, I'm actually just talking about desktop settings, but I'll check out the link about adjusting the X server settings.

Eraph · 2016-03-23 08:17:19

Well, I got to the bottom of this. In my initial tinkering, I had put the following line into the OpenBox startup file, and promptly forgotten about it:

xset m 0 0

Maybe I had been on the beers. Anyway, I took that out, and everything works again. I added the following lines in its stead:

xinput set-prop 9 'Device Accel Profile' -1
xinput set-prop 9 'Device Accel Velocity Scaling' 1
xinput set-prop 9 'Device Accel Constant Deceleration' 3

Where 9 refers to the device ID. Cheers for your help, everyone!

Eraph · 2016-03-28 09:52:17

Okay, it seems that this is only partially solved. While this fixes the sensitivity after login, if I suspend my machine and then resume, the settings revert to their original state, and changing the properties once again has no effect. Any ideas how to make it more persistent? Should I remove the 'SOLVED' from the topic title?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-03-28 10:25:29

Try creating a file at /lib/systemd/system-sleep/mouse_set (as root!) containing your commands:

!#/bin/sh
xinput set-prop 9 'Device Accel Profile' -1
xinput set-prop 9 'Device Accel Velocity Scaling' 1
xinput set-prop 9 'Device Accel Constant Deceleration' 3

Then make the file executable:

sudo chmod +x /lib/systemd/system-sleep/mouse_set

This will then be run when the system resumes, see systemd-suspend.service(8):

Immediately before entering system suspend and/or hibernation systemd-suspend.service (and the other
mentioned units, respectively) will run all executables in /lib/systemd/system-sleep/ [...] Immediately after
leaving system suspend and/or hibernation the same executables are run

Eraph · 2016-03-28 10:46:38

That does the job! Just a pity I now have two identical scripts in two different locations. The programmer in me is screaming in agony but the human in me is thinking it's time to turn off the computer and wind down for the night with some Vikings

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-03-28 10:53:03

^ Well, as the man page says:

Note that scripts or binaries dropped in /lib/systemd/system-sleep/ are intended for local use only and should be considered hacks.

Eraph · 2016-03-28 23:14:05

Yeah, I should've known what I was getting myself into, haha!

I had a thought, by adding the setting to autostart, I'm setting it locally, right? As in, for my user? Would it make more sense to look into setting it at a more global level? I'll investigate it further and see what I can find.

Eraph · 2016-03-29 08:03:52

Okay! Nailed it!
I've created the following file as root (G302 is the model of the mouse I'm using):

/etc/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-g302.conf

The contents of the file are as follows:

Section "InputClass"
	Identifier	"Hold Yr Hoerses Logitech"
	MatchProduct	"Logitech Gaming Mouse G302"
	MatchDevicePath	"/dev/input/event*"
	Option		"AccelerationProfile"		"-1"
	Option		"VelocityScale"		"1"
	Option		"ConstantDeceleration"		"3"
EndSection

This applies not only to my desktop, but to the login screen as well. It persists through suspends, and even after VNC connections (which I just this afternoon found out also screwed up previous efforts). Fair to say I'm chuffed with this solution

Thanks for all your help, everyone!

One last thing; the number at the beginning of the file, am I right in thinking that it is a priority, like the order in which those files are parsed by Xorg?

#1 2016-03-20 01:55:56

[SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#2 2016-03-20 02:15:05

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#3 2016-03-20 02:26:55

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#4 2016-03-20 02:34:36

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#5 2016-03-20 02:44:37

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#6 2016-03-20 03:07:43

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#7 2016-03-20 04:17:50

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#8 2016-03-20 04:27:49

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#9 2016-03-20 04:46:13

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#10 2016-03-20 04:55:55

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#11 2016-03-20 05:26:18

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#12 2016-03-21 22:53:04

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#13 2016-03-23 08:17:19

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#14 2016-03-28 09:52:17

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#15 2016-03-28 10:25:29

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#16 2016-03-28 10:46:38

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#17 2016-03-28 10:53:03

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#18 2016-03-28 23:14:05

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

#19 2016-03-29 08:03:52

Re: [SOLVED] Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity

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