Installed Touchegg but Touch Gestures Not Working After Some Time? We Have the Solution!

We understand the frustration when a seemingly simple software installation, like Touchegg, meant to enhance your computing experience on Linux Mint Cinnamon, doesn’t deliver seamless touch gestures. The transition from one operating system to another, especially from Windows to Linux, often involves a learning curve and troubleshooting unexpected behaviors. Many users, like those who have encountered the issue where touch gestures stop working after some time on their Linux Mint system, find themselves searching for a definitive fix. This article from revWhiteShadow is dedicated to providing a comprehensive and in-depth solution to this common problem, ensuring your touchpad experience on Linux is as fluid and responsive as you expect. We will delve into the intricacies of Touchegg configuration, Cinnamon session management, and potential driver conflicts to help you achieve persistent and reliable multi-touch gestures on your laptop.

Understanding the Touchegg and Cinnamon Interaction

The core of the issue often lies in how Touchegg, a powerful tool for enabling advanced touchpad gestures on Linux, interacts with the desktop environment, specifically Cinnamon on Linux Mint. While Touchegg is designed to intercept and interpret your touchpad’s input, its ongoing functionality can be disrupted by various factors within the operating system’s lifecycle. When touch gestures stop working after a period of use or after certain system events, it typically indicates a communication breakdown or a resource conflict. We’ll explore the common scenarios that lead to this behavior and provide actionable steps to rectify them.

The Role of Touchegg in Gesture Recognition

Touchegg acts as a background service that monitors input events from your touchpad. It translates raw touchpad data into recognized gestures, such as pinch-to-zoom, two-finger scrolling, and three-finger swipes. For these gestures to work consistently, Touchegg needs to be running and actively receiving these inputs without interruption. When gestures cease to function, it suggests that either the Touchegg service has stopped responding, or its input stream has been compromised.

Cinnamon’s Influence on Input Management

The Cinnamon desktop environment has its own methods for managing input devices and integrating gestures. Sometimes, Cinnamon’s built-in gesture handling, or its interaction with other input-related services, can inadvertently interfere with Touchegg. This can happen if Cinnamon tries to take over gesture processing or if it puts Touchegg into a suspended state due to resource management or session changes. Understanding this potential conflict is crucial for diagnosing why your touch gestures stop working intermittently.

Troubleshooting Intermittent Touch Gesture Failure

The problem of touch gestures not working after some time is often described as intermittent. This means they might work initially after a reboot or a manual restart of a service, but then cease to function. This behavior points towards a dynamic issue rather than a static configuration error. We will systematically address the most likely causes and provide detailed solutions.

Ensuring Touchegg Starts Correctly

You mentioned installing Touchegg and setting it as a startup application. While this is the correct approach, there might be nuances in how Cinnamon manages startup applications or how Touchegg initializes itself.

Verifying Touchegg Service Status

The first step is to confirm that Touchegg is indeed running in the background.

  • Command Line Check: Open a terminal and execute the following command:

    systemctl status touchegg

    This command will show you the current status of the Touchegg service. Look for an active (running) status. If it’s inactive or failed, you’ll need to investigate further.

  • Restarting Touchegg Manually: If the service is not running or you suspect it has become unresponsive, you can manually restart it:

    systemctl restart touchegg

    After restarting, test your touch gestures again. If they work immediately but stop later, the problem is likely related to what happens during your Cinnamon session.

Proper Startup Application Configuration in Cinnamon

Ensure Touchegg is correctly configured to start with your session.

  1. Access Startup Applications: In Linux Mint Cinnamon, go to Menu > Preferences > Startup Applications.
  2. Check for Touchegg: Look for an entry related to Touchegg. It should be enabled.
  3. Add Manually if Missing: If Touchegg is not listed, you can add it manually. Click the “Add” button, and for the command, enter:
    touchegg
    Give it a descriptive name, like “Touchegg Gesture Service.” Ensure the “Startup Program” box is checked.

Dealing with Potential Startup Delays

Sometimes, Touchegg might not be ready to process input when Cinnamon starts, especially on systems with slower boot times or heavy startup loads.

  • Adding a Delay: You can create a small script to introduce a delay before starting Touchegg.
    1. Create a new script file, for example, ~/start_touchegg_with_delay.sh:
      #!/bin/bash
sleep 15  # Wait for 15 seconds
touchegg
    2. Make the script executable:
      chmod +x ~/start_touchegg_with_delay.sh
    3. Then, in Startup Applications, add this script instead of touchegg directly. Adjust the sleep duration as needed.

Investigating Touchegg Configuration Files

The behavior of Touchegg is heavily influenced by its configuration file. Incorrect or conflicting settings can lead to the very issues you’re experiencing.

The Touchegg Configuration File (touchegg.conf)

The primary configuration file is usually located at ~/.config/touchegg/touchegg.conf. If this file doesn’t exist, Touchegg might use default settings, which may not be optimized for your hardware or desired gestures.

  • Creating/Editing the Configuration File:

    1. Ensure the directory exists:

      mkdir -p ~/.config/touchegg/

    2. You can create a default configuration file or copy one from a known working setup. A common starting point for a touchegg.conf that enables basic gestures like pinch-to-zoom and two-finger scrolling would look something like this:

      {
    "gestures": [
        {
            "action": "pinch_out",
            "fingers": 2,
            "direction": "out",
            "name": "Zoom In"
        },
        {
            "action": "pinch_in",
            "fingers": 2,
            "direction": "in",
            "name": "Zoom Out"
        },
        {
            "action": "scroll",
            "fingers": 2,
            "direction": "up",
            "name": "Scroll Up"
        },
        {
            "action": "scroll",
            "fingers": 2,
            "direction": "down",
            "name": "Scroll Down"
        },
        {
            "action": "scroll",
            "fingers": 2,
            "direction": "left",
            "name": "Scroll Left"
        },
        {
            "action": "scroll",
            "fingers": 2,
            "direction": "right",
            "name": "Scroll Right"
        },
        {
            "action": "swipe",
            "fingers": 3,
            "direction": "up",
            "name": "Three Finger Swipe Up"
        },
        {
            "action": "swipe",
            "fingers": 3,
            "direction": "down",
            "name": "Three Finger Swipe Down"
        },
        {
            "action": "swipe",
            "fingers": 3,
            "direction": "left",
            "name": "Three Finger Swipe Left"
        },
        {
            "action": "swipe",
            "fingers": 3,
            "direction": "right",
            "name": "Three Finger Swipe Right"
        },
        {
            "action": "swipe",
            "fingers": 4,
            "direction": "up",
            "name": "Four Finger Swipe Up"
        },
        {
            "action": "swipe",
            "fingers": 4,
            "direction": "down",
            "name": "Four Finger Swipe Down"
        },
        {
            "action": "swipe",
            "fingers": 4,
            "direction": "left",
            "name": "Four Finger Swipe Left"
        },
        {
            "action": "swipe",
            "fingers": 4,
            "direction": "right",
            "name": "Four Finger Swipe Right"
        }
    ],
    "options": {
        "enable_gestures": true,
        "scroll_factor_x": 1.0,
        "scroll_factor_y": 1.0,
        "scroll_speed": 100,
        "pinch_speed": 100,
        "gesture_interval": 100,
        "max_pinch_distance": 100,
        "min_pinch_distance": 20,
        "max_swipe_distance": 100,
        "min_swipe_distance": 50,
        "max_scroll_distance": 100,
        "min_scroll_distance": 20,
        "multitouch_library": "libinput"
    }
}

      Make sure your touchpad drivers are compatible with the specified multitouch_library.

  • Experimenting with Options: If pinch-to-zoom is the primary issue, pay close attention to the pinch_speed, min_pinch_distance, and max_pinch_distance values. You might need to tweak these parameters to find a sweet spot for your specific touchpad hardware. Sometimes, even a slight adjustment can make a significant difference.

Addressing Potential Conflicts with libinput and synaptics

Linux input handling can be complex, with different drivers and libraries vying for control of your touchpad. Touchegg typically relies on libinput, which is the modern standard for handling input devices in Linux. However, older configurations or specific hardware might still have remnants or preferences for the synaptics driver.

Identifying Your Touchpad Driver

To determine which driver is being used, you can check your system logs or use xinput.

  1. Using xinput: Open a terminal and run:

    xinput list --long

    Look for your touchpad device in the output. It will usually indicate the driver it’s using (e.g., libinput, synaptics).

  2. Checking System Logs: You can also examine dmesg or journalctl for touchpad-related messages during boot-up.

Ensuring libinput is the Primary Handler

Touchegg generally works best with libinput. If your system is defaulting to synaptics or if there’s a conflict, it can cause issues.

  • Disabling synaptics (if applicable): In some distributions or older setups, you might need to explicitly disable the synaptics driver to allow libinput to take full control. This often involves creating or modifying configuration files in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/. For example, creating a file named 50-synaptics.conf with the following content might disable it:

    Section "InputClass"
    Identifier "touchpad catchall"
    Driver "synaptics"
    MatchIsTouchpad "on"
    Option "IgnorePeripheral" "on"
EndSection

    Caution: Modifying Xorg configuration files incorrectly can lead to input devices not working at all. Always back up files before editing.

  • Configuring libinput Gestures: While Touchegg handles advanced gestures, libinput itself can be configured for basic scrolling. Check /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ for libinput configuration files. A common file might be 40-libinput.conf. Ensure that gesture-related options are enabled within this file if they exist. However, for Touchegg to function optimally, it’s generally better to let Touchegg manage the gestures.

Resolving Conflicts with Cinnamon’s Built-in Gestures

Cinnamon itself has some basic gesture support. If Touchegg is not set as the primary handler, or if Cinnamon tries to override its gestures, you might encounter problems.

  • Disabling Cinnamon’s Built-in Gestures: While Cinnamon doesn’t have a straightforward toggle for all gestures in its GUI, some configurations might allow you to disable them or prioritize external tools. Often, ensuring Touchegg is correctly configured and started will naturally give it priority. If you find specific Cinnamon settings that relate to touchpad behavior, try disabling them one by one to see if it resolves the issue.

System Updates and Package Management

Sometimes, the issue can stem from outdated packages or incompatibilities introduced by recent system updates.

Ensuring Touchegg is Up-to-Date

Make sure you are using the latest stable version of Touchegg available for Linux Mint.

  • Checking Installed Version:

    dpkg -s touchegg

    Compare this with the latest version available from its official repository or build source.

  • Updating Packages: Regularly update your system using:

    sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

    This ensures that all components, including input drivers and libraries, are up-to-date.

Installing Touchegg from Source (Advanced)

If the version available through your distribution’s repositories is old or problematic, compiling Touchegg from its source code can sometimes provide a more recent and stable implementation. This is an advanced step and requires familiarity with compiling software. You would typically download the source code, install necessary development libraries, and then follow the build instructions.

Hardware-Specific Issues and Workarounds

The performance of touchpad gestures can also be highly dependent on the specific touchpad hardware in your laptop and how well it’s supported by Linux drivers.

Touchpad Model Identification

Knowing your exact touchpad model can help in searching for known issues or specific configuration tweaks.

  • Using xinput list: As mentioned before, xinput list can provide details about your touchpad, including its name.
  • Hardware Information Tools: Tools like lshw or hwinfo can provide comprehensive hardware details.

Exploring Alternatives and Complementary Tools

While Touchegg is a powerful tool, other solutions might exist or complement its functionality.

  • fusuma: Another popular gesture recognition tool for Linux that you might consider if Touchegg proves consistently difficult to configure.
  • libinput-gestures: This tool uses libinput directly and can be configured with a simple text file. It’s often considered more straightforward for basic gestures.

Kernel Module Parameters

In rare cases, specific kernel module parameters for your touchpad driver might need adjustment. This is a very advanced troubleshooting step and requires precise knowledge of your hardware and the relevant kernel modules. Information for this would typically be found by searching online forums or documentation specific to your laptop model and Linux distribution.

Implementing the Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide

Based on our analysis, here is a consolidated approach to resolve your touch gestures not working after some time issue:

Step 1: Ensure a Clean Touchegg Installation and Configuration

  1. Remove Existing Touchegg: If you suspect a faulty installation, remove it:
    sudo apt remove touchegg
  2. Install Again:
    sudo apt install touchegg
  3. Create/Update touchegg.conf:
    • Ensure ~/.config/touchegg/ directory exists.
    • Create or replace ~/.config/touchegg/touchegg.conf with the comprehensive JSON configuration provided earlier in this article. Pay special attention to the options section, particularly multitouch_library. If libinput is not specified or incorrect, change it.
    • Test the configuration: After creating/editing the file, restart Touchegg:
      systemctl --user restart touchegg
      (Note: If installed system-wide, use sudo systemctl restart touchegg. If running as a user service, --user is correct.)

Step 2: Configure Startup Applications Correctly

  1. Remove any duplicate Touchegg entries from Menu > Preferences > Startup Applications.
  2. Add the touchegg command directly as a startup application.
  3. If issues persist, consider creating the delayed startup script as outlined in the “Dealing with Potential Startup Delays” section.

Step 3: Verify Input Driver Configuration

  1. Confirm libinput usage: Use xinput list --long to check your touchpad’s driver.
  2. Avoid synaptics conflicts: If synaptics is listed and you suspect it, review your /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ for any synaptics configuration files that might be interfering. Proceed with caution here. The default libinput configuration in modern Linux Mint should generally be sufficient.

Step 4: Monitor and Log

  1. Check Touchegg Logs: If Touchegg is running as a systemd user service, you can check its logs:
    journalctl --user -u touchegg -f
    This will show you real-time log output and can help identify errors occurring when gestures stop working.
  2. Monitor System Resources: Occasionally, intensive background processes can impact input responsiveness. While unlikely to be the primary cause, it’s worth keeping an eye on your system monitor.

Step 5: Test and Iterate

After implementing these steps, reboot your system. Use your touchpad gestures extensively. If gestures stop working again, immediately check the Touchegg service status and review the logs. The information from the logs will be crucial for further diagnosis, potentially pointing to a specific gesture or an interaction that is causing Touchegg to fail.

By systematically addressing each potential point of failure, from the initial startup of the Touchegg service to the underlying input driver configuration and the specific Touchegg configuration file parameters, we aim to provide a robust and lasting solution. The goal is to ensure that your Linux Mint Cinnamon experience offers the smooth and intuitive touch gesture control you expect, transforming your laptop into a more efficient and enjoyable computing device.

Remember, the key to resolving intermittent issues often lies in careful observation, meticulous configuration, and understanding the interplay between different software components. We are confident that by following this detailed guide, you will overcome the challenge of touch gestures not working after some time and enjoy a significantly improved touchpad experience on your Linux system. revWhiteShadow is committed to helping you achieve the best possible performance and usability from your hardware and software.