Multimedia Mouse - HOW TO

vorgas · n00b Joined: 02 Nov 2005 Posts: 48

Version 0.51 "Divide and conquerl" has been released

One instance of mmm3k can now monitor multiple devices. See the USAGE file for how to start mmm3k.

!! Runs as a service again !!

NOT JUST FOR MICE ANYMORE!!!!!!

Now mmm3k works with keyboards, joysticks, and remotes. Anything that sends events through the evdev framework.
No reconfiguration of X is required.
Utilities to help you set up your events
User level and global configuration
Send different events depending on the active window
Rapid fire (autorepeat) now available
Definable Profiles
Works in a terminal!

Oh man, this is getting so sweet, I'm about to wet myself!
I'm working on an ebuild (anybody that can help me with this?) and a configuration front end.

INTRODUCTION
Do you have usb remote control? Got one of those mice with more buttons than the crusty old guards think you need? Tired of only being able to send keysyms with imwheel? Want your volume buttons to adjust something other than Master? Want your wireless mouse to be your convergence remote control? How about joystick events? Can't use your multimedia keyboard at the same time as your mouse?

If you answered yes to any of these, then this is for you.

A few bits before continuing:

Your device must actually work. Getting your usb mouse to move its pointer about the screen is outside the scope of this how-to.
If you don't have evdev in your kernel, you'll need to recompile. If so, find the necessary docs elsewhere if you need to.
More than likely you need to have udev system. I don't have a devfs system around, so I can't test it.
You have to be running a 2.6 kernel. There is a possibility that a 2.6.12 or greater kernel is required, but I don't know for a fact.
You need to do everything as root.
I assume you know how to edit a file. If you don't, you really to find the appropriate tutorial.

MMM3K
mmm3k is a hack of evtest by Vojtech Pavlik. It translates raw evdev events into commands. This means it exists outside the normal xevent framework. That's right. No hacking about with xmodmap, trying to get it to run. You can get mmm3k from:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/mmm3k

In fact, you need to go get it. Right now. Not a lot can be done until you have it.
Once you get it, extract the tarball and change to that directory. Then compile
and install:

obsrv · Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:01 pm Post subject:

I think this should be posted to www.gentoo-wiki.org

Stolz · Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 3:32 pm Post subject:

What are the advantages of using mmm3k instead of xbindkeys? xbindkeys can translate any button press into any command. I've used it for years and it works like a charm

It's easy to configure. Supose you want button8 opens xedit, button9 opens xcalc and button10 mounts /mnt/backup

Step 1:

vorgas · n00b Joined: 02 Nov 2005 Posts: 48

Well, the real problem with xbindkeys, AFAIK, is that it moves through the X framework. I have not been able to get X to recognize all the buttons on my mouse, even following every guide I could find. Some buttons would be duplicated, like wheel-left was the same as button 2. So, while it may be easier to bind keys to actions, the problem lies in getting those button presses recognized IN THE FIRST PLACE.

That's where mmm3k comes in.

But, if you happen to have a mouse with left button, right button, middle button, wheel up, wheel down, wheel left, wheel right, volume up, volume down, skip forward, skip back, page forward, page back, pause, and media and you can figure out how to get them all to work with xbindkeys, then PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know. I would rather not continue development of something that's not necessary.

Stolz · Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:50 am Post subject: Re: xbindkeys

So mmm3k works for mouses that are not recognized by evedev, interesting... that was what I want to know

(BTW, I did't know there were mouses that don't work with evedev

)

Well, I've a Logitech MX500. I don't know what are the 'official' names of the buttons. I name them as the program xev does, that is: Button1, Button2 .... Button10.

Currently I've all the non standar buttonts binded, either to a key combination, either to a program. For me, standar buttons are Button1, Button2 and Button3, which by default use to be binded in all systems to left click, right click and paste respectively. So I can say evdev+xbindkeys+imwheel works for me for Buttons 7 to 10. That's the reason I was asking what are the advantages of mmm3k.

I don't know if the MX500 can be considered similar to your mouse, but if it helps here is my configuration (only for a X scenario, if you need to bind buttons in a non X scenario, go for mmm3k

). If you want to know anything else, just let me know and I'll try to help you as much as I can.

First, enable evedev support in the kernel:

dpetka2001 · l33t Joined: 04 Mar 2005 Posts: 804

if someone wants horizontal scrolling aswell how would the above configuration file be altered?? i have the MX3100 wireless desktop set and have difficulties setting it to work correctly using evdev...so is mmm3k the solution to me for making it to work??

Stolz · Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 11:08 am Post subject:

vorgas · n00b Joined: 02 Nov 2005 Posts: 48

Yes, it appears that if you have less than 12 buttons, using the X framework will work just fine, as Stotz mentions. The problem I had, with the media mouse, is there are 15 buttons. So I had real issues getting everything to work the way I wanted. Also, and I'm not positive about this, but it seemed that I couldn't get the imwheel/xbindkeys thing to recognize when a button was held down. This would be important for things like volume control.

As to it working for mice that aren't recognized by evdev, I believe that's wrong. In fact, the evdev framework is a requirement for mmm3k. mmm3k provides a workaround to the limitations of X. And, as you mentioned, it can be set to work in a non-X scenario.

I hadn't seen lomoco in my research, so I'll definately look into that. Thanks for the info!

Rick · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 18 Dec 2002 Posts: 141

I'm currently using mmm3k and it looks like it's working ok

Altough I'd have to say an ebuild would be nice and making a service out of it wouldn't be a bad idea either but for now it works very good

Great job

_________________
Have you ever noticed how stable windows is?
Neither have I

vorgas · n00b Joined: 02 Nov 2005 Posts: 48

Thanks Rick,

I will be working on ebuild/service issues, along with some other issues raised by slalomsk8er, when I get done with this movie shoot. Should be another week.

Once you have it up and running, I would dearly like to get ahold of the config file for your mouse so I can include it in the distro. Be sure to put any credit info you want at the top of the file.
Thanks!

Rick · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 18 Dec 2002 Posts: 141

I'm not really using a mouse though, I was looking for a way to get my new remote working

The Logitech UltraX Media Remote
This thing: http://www.aware.ch/images/oem_ultrax_med_rem_r_3qr_mr.jpg

I'm not completely done configuring yet, I just want it to work with Amarok so I can control my music from anywhere in my room (and probably outside of my room too, it an RF remote)
_________________
Have you ever noticed how stable windows is?
Neither have I

Rick · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 18 Dec 2002 Posts: 141

The config file (after a few sed/grep/awk's)

lsusb output: 046d:c101
Logitech UltraX Media Remote
Filename: 46dc101

vorgas · n00b Joined: 02 Nov 2005 Posts: 48

version 0.33 is released. I've edited the top post to reflect changes.

Rick · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 18 Dec 2002 Posts: 141

I see the ebuild is not working yet, still need help with that?

The problem is quite simple, gentoo uses a sandbox for compiling, your Makefile is trying to write outside of that sandbox, moving/copying files should be done in the ebuild

Oh, btw I'm running it on an AMD Opteron and it works so you can add ~amd64 to the ebuild

_________________
Have you ever noticed how stable windows is?
Neither have I

Rick · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 18 Dec 2002 Posts: 141

I've edited the init script a bit

vorgas · n00b Joined: 02 Nov 2005 Posts: 48

Thanks for that init script. I've incorporated the changes you suggested. A bit of a warning though, the way you have it doesn't fail in a gentooish way if a device is listed in /etc/conf.d/mmm3k, but the device doesn't exist.

Rick · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 18 Dec 2002 Posts: 141

Hmm, you are correct, and now I think of it, it probably doesn't handle multiple devices either...

Ah well, if I'll have some spare time then I'll see if I can change it, for now it works (atleast for me it is

)
_________________
Have you ever noticed how stable windows is?
Neither have I

vorgas · n00b Joined: 02 Nov 2005 Posts: 48

Don't worry about it. The new version also allows axis events, which is a whole other specification. I've folded your changes into the new one. So, thanks for making it work the Gentoo way!

devsk · Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:28 pm Post subject:

in portage, when?

vorgas · n00b Joined: 02 Nov 2005 Posts: 48

I'm afraid that won't happen for a while. I've tried to do an ebuild, but can't seem to get it to work. The docs I've read say that any properly made Makefile should work, but I can't find docs on a properly made Makefile. The devs in irc just point me to the docs, but not even anywhere specific. I certainly understand that mentality, but at this point I have stuff I need to do that's more important than reading a couple hundred pages of documentation.

If anybody out there knows how to make an ebuild, than that's certainly one step closer to being in portage. Until then, I'm more interested in getting mmm3k to a point that makes me happy and works the way I want it to.