Ubuntu – Disable Multitouch Driver and return to default touchpad

To get your synclient settings to stick you can add them to xorg.conf. I did this recently for my macbook pro in 12.10 and it works pretty well.

You can also specify a separate configuration file in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ file to keep things neater. Here's a step by step:

1. Create /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d (if it doesn't already exist)

   sudo mkdir /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d

2. Create and edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-synaptics.conf

   gksudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-synaptics.conf

3. Make it look like the following:

   #Sample /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-synaptics.conf
   Section "InputClass"
     Identifier "touchpad catchall"
     Driver "synaptics"
     MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
     MatchIsTouchpad "true"
     Option  "SHMConfig"           "true"
     Option  "TapButton1"          "1"
     Option  "TapButton2"          "2"
     Option  "TapButton3"          "3"
   EndSection
   

4. Save and logout/login again. If the xserver fails to load and you get forced into low graphics mode then edit the file again and comment everything out, or mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-synaptics.conf ~/10-synaptics.conf.backup and reload again to get back to normal.

For posterity, my current setup for my macbook pro 2012 13" is as follows (warning, I like my touchpad rather sensitive). Try any of these options using synclient before putting them into xorg.conf!

Section "InputClass"
      Identifier "touchpad catchall"
      Driver "synaptics"
      MatchIsTouchpad "on"
      MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
      MatchProduct "bcm5974"
      MatchIsTouchpad "true"
      Option  "SHMConfig"           "true"
      Option  "FastTaps"            "1"
      Option  "MaxDoubleTapTime"    "100"
      Option  "BottomEdge"          "6000"
      Option  "FingerLow"           "60"
      Option  "FingerHigh"          "90"
      Option         "ClickFinger3" "2"
#      Option         "FingerLow"             "30"
#      Option         "FingerHigh"            "80"
      Option         "VertTwoFingerScroll" "1"
      Option         "HorizTwoFingerScroll" "1"
      Option         "VertScrollDelta" "100"
      Option         "HorizScrollDelta" "100"
      Option         "MultiFingerButton" "2"
      #Option         "TapButton1" "1"
      Option         "TapButton2" "3"
      Option         "TapButton3" "2"
      Option         "MinSpeed" "1"
      Option         "MaxSpeed" "2"
      Option         "AccelFactor" "0.01"
#      Option         "AreaBottomEdge" "5000"
EndSection

Open gedit and copy-paste the following lines into it:

#!/bin/sh
# This script disables the touchpad without disabling buttons by setting Hysteresis
# to an impossible value.

############
# Warning! #
############
# If you have a touchpad with no "Physical" buttons but have to tap the corners 
# of your touchpad to simulate physical buttons, put a "#" sign in front of the next
# 4 lines!

synclient LTCornerButton=1
#synclient LBCornerButton=0
synclient RTCornerButton=3
#synclient RBCornerButton=0


# Set PalmDetect on: Needed if the before lines are commented away,
# Doesn't do any harm if they're not
synclient PalmDetect=1

synclient HorizHysteresis=10000 
synclient VertHysteresis=10000

# Disable all other touchpad features
synclient VertEdgeScroll=0
synclient HorizEdgeScroll=0
synclient CornerCoasting=0
synclient VertTwoFingerScroll=0
synclient HorizTwoFingerScroll=0
synclient TouchpadOff=2
synclient LockedDrags=0
synclient TapButton1=0
synclient TapButton2=0
synclient TapButton3=0
synclient CircularPad=0

Then save it as /usr/local/bin/DisableTouchPad.sh

In a terminal type:

chmod a+xr /usr/local/bin/DisableTouchPad.sh

To activate it type:

DisableTouchPad.sh

and test whether this works.

To make this change permanent, go to the dash, open "Startup Applications", click add, in the command type: /usr/local/bin/DisableTouchPad.sh and in the Name and Comment type anything that will remind you what this was about. Click add again.

Presto: a disabled touchpad with the buttons still enabled!