Automatic touchpad controlThe automatic touchpad control features of synaptiks are disabled by default to not confuse users. Open the Touchpad module in System Settings and move to the Automatic touchpad control page.
To switch off the touchpad, if an external mouse is plugged, check Automatically switch off touchpad, if mouse is plugged. In case, your laptop has “virtual” mouse devices (e.g. Broadcom Corp and PS/2 Mouse in the Screenshot), you can use the list box Ignore the following mouse devices. This box lists all connected mouses. Any mouse, that is checked in this box, will be completed ignored.
To switch off the touchpad while you are typing, check Automatically switch off touchpad on keyboard activity. Depending on your personal preferences, you might not want the touchpad to be switched off, if you press modifier keys like Ctrl or Alt. The Ignore these keys box provides three choices to match your preferences:
- No keys
Use this setting, if any key press should switch off the touchpad.
- Modifier keys
Use this setting, if you want to ignore modifier keys only. Common modifier keys are Ctrl, Alt, Shift. Combinations of modifier keys and standard keys (e.g. Ctrl+Q) are not ignored.
- Modifier combinations
If you also want combinations of standard keys and modifier keys to be ignored, use this last setting. Combinations of modifier keys and standard keys like Ctrl+Q ignored. However, standard Shift combinations for uppercase letters (e.g. Shift+S) are also ignored, which may not be, what you want.