[ltp] Clickpad settings (eg X1 carbon): tap not click for middle/right-button?

[Richard Neill]

Dear All,

I'm currently in the process of setting up a new 2ndGen X1 Thinkpad 
Carbon.
Once it's done, I'll send a detailed writeup(*) to this list and the 
web.

In the meantime, I wonder whether anyone can advise me on how to set up 
the synaptics touchpad/clickpad
such that a light tap on the virtual button zones will work, rather than 
need than needing to fully depress the clickpad?

[Actually depressing the clickpad requires too much force, especially 
when applied to the stiff top-right corner with one's right thumb
tucked under the hand, while RH index finger remains on the trackpoint.]

Ideally:

1. The top 20% of the pad (where there are the painted lines) should 
have 3 regions for buttons. A light tap on them
(which does not depress the click pad) should register as 
left/middle/right mouse button. Middle mouse button would then give 
emulated wheel, as usual.

2. Pressing the entire clickpad down should do nothing. (A future 
hardware hack may be to jam it into position, because it's awkward that 
it moves
when the palm rests on it).

3. The majority of the surface area of the pad should do nothing.

This is pretty helpful, but doesn't show what I want to do for #1.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Touchpad_Synaptics#Buttonless_touchpads_.28aka_ClickPads.29


(*) short summary:
- reasonable build quality (a premium-priced, mid-range product).
- everything I tried works out of the box (Ubuntu Utopic).
- the trackpoint, the defining feature of Thinkpads, is ruined.
- it is really nice and quiet (and the fan is off when the CPU is 
lightly loaded!)
- the touchscreen is too reflective: the reflection is sharp, rather 
than diffused like with a regular matte screen
- most of the other "innovations" are actually regressions, but not bad 
enough to prevent buying it.
- the camera is pretty awful - but understandably, given the constraints 
on size.
- nice lightweight power supply, but still has too short a low-voltage 
cable, and too long a mains cable - needlessly
   heavy and bulky.


Thanks very much for your help,

Richard