Input

sweets.input configures physical pointer devices. Call it without a selector for every device, or with one to target a subset.

sweets.input({
  accel_speed = 0.0,
})

sweets.input("touchpad", {
  tap = true,
  natural_scroll = true,
  disable_while_typing = true,
})

sweets.input("mouse", {
  natural_scroll = false,
  accel_profile = "flat",
})

sweets.input("name:ELAN", {
  accel_speed = -0.25,
  click_method = "clickfinger",
  tap_button_map = "lmr",
  scroll_factor = { horizontal = 0.4, vertical = 0.6 },
})

Settings are applied in order: libinput defaults, then the global block, then each matching selector block as declared. This happens at startup, on reload, and when a device connects.

Selectors

Options

scroll_button accepts BTN_LEFT, BTN_RIGHT, BTN_MIDDLE, BTN_SIDE, BTN_EXTRA, BTN_FORWARD, BTN_BACK and BTN_TASK.

Unsupported options are ignored per device, so one block can cover a mouse, a touchpad, and a trackpoint. Virtual and nested devices are skipped.

The mouse selector never matches a touchpad, so it rejects touchpad-only options: the tap options, click_method, disable_while_trackpointing, and the two_finger and edge scroll methods.

Trackballs and trackpoints

These devices have no wheel. Hold a button and move the ball to scroll:

sweets.input("name:Trackball", {
  scroll_method = "on_button_down",
  scroll_button = "BTN_SIDE",
  scroll_button_lock = true,
})

With scroll_button_lock, you click the button once instead of holding it.

Scroll speed

scroll_factor scales how far applications scroll. It does not change scroll bindings: one wheel notch still fires a binding once.

A number scales both axes. A table scales the axes it names and leaves the other one alone, which is useful when a touchpad scrolls sideways too fast:

sweets.input("touchpad", {
  scroll_factor = { horizontal = 0.4 },
})

Turning a device off

sweets.input("name:SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad", { enabled = false })

The device still appears in sweets msg inputs, so a reload with the block removed turns it back on.

To turn the touchpad off only while a mouse is plugged in:

sweets.input("touchpad", { enabled = "disabled_on_external_mouse" })

libinput offers this mode on built-in touchpads. A device without it stays enabled and lists enabled in unsupported_settings.

To turn a device off and on from the keyboard, bind toggle_input to an input selector:

sweets.bind("XF86TouchpadToggle", "toggle_input", "touchpad")

A second press restores the configured value, and so does any reload.

Touchpad swipe gestures

Bind a physical touchpad swipe with sweets.gesture:

sweets.gesture({ fingers = 3, direction = "horizontal", action = "workspace" })
sweets.gesture({ fingers = 3, direction = "vertical", action = "scroll_strip" })
sweets.gesture({ fingers = 4, direction = "up", action = "special_toggle" })
sweets.gesture({ fingers = 4, direction = "down", action = "spawn", command = { "fuzzel" } })

workspace previews an adjacent numbered workspace one-to-one, then commits or returns at release. scroll_strip moves a scrolling layout with the fingers. Other key-binding actions are discrete: they run once when the swipe crosses the cancel ratio. move_window and resize_window are excluded because they require a pointer button grab. Use argument for an action argument; spawn also accepts command. Optional mods = "MOD+Shift" restricts a declaration.

Direction can be left, right, up, down, horizontal, or vertical. After 16 units of movement it locks for the rest of the sequence. An exact direction takes precedence over an axis-wide declaration. An unmatched swipe is forwarded completely to the focused application.

sweets.gestures({
  swipe_distance = 300,
  cancel_ratio = 0.5,
  min_speed_to_force = 30,
  natural = true,
})

Reloads affect the next swipe, not one already in progress. A swipe beginning during session lock, a pointer grab, shortcut inhibition, or a visible special workspace is never acted on. Compositor-owned swipes stay on their start output.

Listing devices

sweets msg inputs            # every device, with its settings
sweets msg input INPUT_ID    # one device

Use these to find the exact name for a name: selector, and to check which settings a device actually supports.