Ubuntu Wiki

This is a specification covering settings, notifications, and other UI for mice and touchpads (sometimes called trackpads).

Prompting to set up a mouse or touchpad

Whenever no pointing device is detected, the “Mouse & Touchpad” screen of System Settings should open with the text “No mouse or touchpad detected”. The following text should depend on the situation.

• On a pocket PC: “You need to use a Bluetooth mouse or touchpad with this display. Make sure it is close to the phone and its batteries are charged.”
• On a PC: “Connect a mouse or touchpad via USB, or use a Bluetooth device. If a Bluetooth device isn’t detected, make sure it is turned on and its batteries are charged.”

As long as the screen is open, Bluetooth should be turned on to detect a Bluetooth keyboard. If it was off previously, it should turn off again if you exit the screen without connecting a device.

Ubuntu should open the “Mouse & Touchpad” screen of System Settings, to display this prompt, if all of these are true:

• you are using a PC, or a pocket PC with a non-touch external display in use;
• no pointing device has been detected;

• a keyboard has been detected (so Ubuntu is not prompting you to connect a keyboard instead);

• System Settings is not already the active app;

• System Settings “Bluetooth” or “Mouse & Touchpad” screen is not already open.

“Mouse & Touchpad” settings

“Set Up Bluetooth Mouse/Touchpad…” should navigate to the Bluetooth settings.

• “Primary button” should be present only if the number of buttons is either unknown or at least two.

In the “Touchpad” settings:

• “Tap to click” should be present only if the touchpad has a tappable pad.
• “Scroll with two fingers” should be present only if the touchpad allows this.

TBD: Add scroll direction as a common setting.

TBD: Split Mouse vs. Touchpad settings to separate screens on the phone.

Advanced touchpad settings

These are unfinished draft designs. Do not implement.