[SOLVED] Mouse buttons issue after upgrading to MATE 1.20

[TheExplorer]

Hello, guys!

I'm running stable Stretch 64-bit and yesterday I upgraded MATE from 1.16 to 1.20 (from backports):

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sudo apt install -t stretch-backports mate-desktop-environment-extras

I'm experiencing an issue with my mouse buttons. My mouse is Logitech M318e (simple gaming mouse with a wheel/button and backward/forward buttons on the side).
I wouldn't have noticed that actually but I regularly play Openarena/Quake games. Now I simply cannot rocket jump anymore (when left+right buttons pressed at the same time). I've seen somewhat similar problems from other people running Debian Testing.

After running the following command I see that now 1) pressing on the wheel button and 2) pressing left+right buttons simultaneously are handled as the same event - button 2:

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xev | grep ', button'

left button - button 1
right button - button 3
pressing the middle wheel - button 2
pressing left+right buttons simultaneously - button 2

Fortunately I have Jessie installed on another drive. So I tested it there and the result is:

left button - button 1
right button - button 3
pressing the middle wheel - button 2
pressing left+right buttons simultaneously - button 1 and button 3

I'm aware that Debian has switched to libinput instead of synaptics, but there's nothing libinput related in the APT logs and everything was OK prior to that MATE upgrade.

I don't even know what package might have caused this issue in order to file a proper bug report.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

UPDATE:

The solution is quite obvious and simple via .xsessionrc:

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xinput --set-prop DEVICE_ID "libinput Middle Emulation Enabled" 0

Where your DEVICE_ID can be found via xinput.

P.P.S. It's a new MATE feature that was added in new versions. And it is enabled by default. It can be disabled via dconf-editor (org.mate.peripherals-mouse). Now you know

[TheExplorer]

I've found an obvious and simple solution via .xsessionrc:

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xinput --set-prop DEVICE_ID "libinput Middle Emulation Enabled" 0

Where your DEVICE_ID can be found via xinput.

Don't know why it was enabled by default...

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Just for the record...

Now I simply cannot rocket jump anymore (when left+right buttons pressed at the same time)

That's not how to execute a proper rocket jump — you should jump just before you fire, doing both at the same time costs a lot more health.

[TheExplorer]

Yeah, I know, let's leave it for the Quake gurus The issue is connected with the Middle mouse button emulation. I've already found something in the Debian Mail Lists and Bug tracker.

[TheExplorer]

That's not how to execute a proper rocket jump

The thing is that it is frequently processed as that faulty one event even when I press jump and then fire simply because these button clicks go promptly one after another.
It didn't happen before and now it's actually very annoying and a bit unplayable. That is the issue. I don't know what package to blame and I would really like to file a bug report or something.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

I don't know what package to blame and I would really like to file a bug report or something.

Blame xserver-xorg-input-libinput but I don't think this is a bug, as such, just standard behaviour that you don't like

[TheExplorer]

1) There was no upgrade of any xserver package;
2) Everything was OK before the upgrade.

Anyway, thanks.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Does MATE have a GUI tool to configure the touchpad?

Perhaps that changed your settings.

[TheExplorer]

Yes, there is a tool for configuring mouse, but there is nothing to tweak button emulation.

[TheExplorer]

Well... Now after reboot middle mouse emulation is enabled again:

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xinput list-props 8
libinput Middle Emulation Enabled (291):	1

While the next string from the output says:

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libinput Middle Emulation Enabled Default (292):	0

Seems that .xsessionrc doesn't work now and that's a bug, I guess. But I don't know what package might have caused this issue

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Any clues in ~/.xsession-errors or the systemd journal?

You can configure libinput by copying /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-libinput.conf to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-libinput.conf and editing it with reference to libinput(4) but I have no idea if MATE will honour those settings.

[TheExplorer]

I've finally found out (phew, it was a bit hard and cost me some grey hair ). It's a new MATE feature that was added in new versions. It is enabled by default now and can be disabled via dconf-editor (org.mate.peripherals-mouse).