Custom config file not working

[thelordharry]

Hi,

I don't like 'natural scrolling' and prefer to do a three-finger drag left to go back a page, and a three-finger drag right to go forward a page. I've created a custom config file in:

~/.config/libinput-gestures.conf

with these two lines:

Browser go forward (works only for Xorg, and Xwayland clients)

gesture swipe left xdotool key alt+Left

Browser go back (works only for Xorg, and Xwayland clients)

gesture swipe right xdotool key alt+Right

I am 100% confident the file has saved properly to:

~/.config/libinput-gestures.conf

and I've rebooted the laptop to reload everything.

However, it always defaults to the default:

libinput-gestures-setup status libinput-gestures is installed. libinput-gestures is set to autostart. libinput-gestures is running. libinput-gestures is using default configuration.

(again, this is after a machine reboot, and several times).

For some strange reason, it doesn't seem to be picking up my custom config file?

Any ideas please? It's working perfectly in 'default' mode, but I'd love to change it to normal scrolling rather than natural.

FWIW, I'm using Linux Mint 20 and the machine is a HP Elitebook x360 1030 G3.

Thank you 😀

[bulletmark]

Please follow the TROUBLESHOOTING section. Note the bolded sentence in the opening paragraph.

[thelordharry]

Thank you:

libinput-gestures -l
libinput-gestures: session cinnamon+x11 on Linux-5.4.0-39-generic-x86_64-with-glibc2.29, python 3.8.2, libinput 1.15.5
/usr/bin/libinput-gestures: hash 0f92076ca945416b73f4362e9e3e6979
Gestures configured in /etc/libinput-gestures.conf:
swipe up           _internal ws_up
swipe down         _internal ws_down
swipe left         xdotool key alt+Right
swipe right        xdotool key alt+Left
pinch in           xdotool key super+s
pinch out          xdotool key super+s
libinput-gestures: device /dev/input/by-path/pci-0000:00:15.1-platform-i2c_designware.1-event-mouse(event16): ALP001C:00 044E:120A Touchpad

[bulletmark]

Note above it is using the default config in /etc/libinput-gestures.conf and note it is also telling you that in the libinput-gestures-setup status output you quote above. You have not put your config file in ~/.config/libinput-gestures.conf. Please paste the output of ls -l ~/.config. Note the ~ is shell shortcut for your $HOME.

[bulletmark]

Note I deleted that huge config file you pasted in large bold text. It was just noise and flooded these comments. I also fixed the formatting of your libinput-gestures -l output.

[thelordharry]

The more you know, eh?

Sorry about the noise. I was trying to be 'helpful' by providing as much info as possible. I copied and pasted the custom file, not realising all the hashes made everything huge.

Thanks to your guidance with the $HOME tip, I worked out I had pasted the custom file in the wrong location. I put it in root, not home. I cut and pasted it to home, rebooted my laptop and it's now working as expected. I've got a lot to learn with Linux.

Thank you for your help.

[bulletmark]

Note to get the reverse scrolling that you prefer with the default configuration, you just need to swap the 2 gesture up/down lines, and the 2 swipe left/right lines. If you paste your revised libinput-gestures -l output, it should be the same as above with those lines swapped.

[thelordharry]

It sure does, thanks:

libinput-gestures -l
libinput-gestures: session cinnamon+x11 on Linux-5.4.0-39-generic-x86_64-with-glibc2.29, python 3.8.2, libinput 1.15.5
/usr/bin/libinput-gestures: hash 0f92076ca945416b73f4362e9e3e6979
Gestures configured in ~/.config/libinput-gestures.conf:
swipe left         xdotool key alt+Left
swipe right        xdotool key alt+Right
swipe up           xdotool key XF86AudioRaiseVolume
swipe down         xdotool key XF86AudioLowerVolume
pinch in           xdotool key super+s
pinch out          xdotool key super+s
libinput-gestures: device /dev/input/by-path/pci-0000:00:15.1-platform-i2c_designware.1-event-mouse(event16): ALP001C:00 044E:120A Touchpad

I don't use workspaces, so I've used the 3-finger up and down (is that a euphemism?) for volume.

Thanks again.