Mastering Touchpad Gestures on Linux Mint Cinnamon: A Windows 11 Mimicry Guide by revWhiteShadow #

As users transition to new operating systems, a common hurdle is adapting to different default functionalities, especially when it comes to intuitive input methods like touchpad gestures. For those accustomed to the fluid and efficient gesture controls found in Windows 11, migrating to Linux Mint Cinnamon can present a slight learning curve. Many users, having recently made this switch, find their familiar Windows 11 touchpad gestures behaving unexpectedly or not working at all. This comprehensive guide, brought to you by revWhiteShadow, aims to bridge this gap, detailing how to replicate Windows 11 touchpad gestures on Linux Mint Cinnamon, ensuring a seamless and productive computing experience. We understand the frustration when a simple swipe to navigate back in a browser or switch between open applications results in an unintended action, like changing virtual workspaces. Our mission is to empower you to regain that lost productivity and familiarity.

Understanding the Nuances: Touchpad Gesture Differences Between Windows 11 and Linux Mint Cinnamon #

The fundamental difference often lies in how each operating system interprets multi-finger swipes. In Windows 11, for instance, a three-finger swipe left or right is commonly configured to navigate forward or backward within applications, particularly web browsers. Simultaneously, a four-finger swipe up or down might reveal the task view or show all open windows. On Linux Mint Cinnamon, by default, these same gestures can be mapped to different actions. A three-finger swipe might, as reported by many users, be assigned to switching between virtual desktops or workspaces, which, while a powerful feature, isn’t what many users are looking for when trying to mimic their Windows workflow. This divergence in default mappings is the primary reason for the feeling that familiar gestures are “broken.”

The underlying hardware of your touchpad also plays a role. Modern touchpads, particularly those supporting “Precision Touchpad” standards in Windows, often have robust driver support that enables complex gesture recognition. Linux, while excellent in its hardware compatibility, relies on different driver frameworks and configuration tools. Identifying the specific touchpad hardware and the driver it’s using is a crucial first step in this customization process. Most modern laptops, regardless of the operating system, utilize hardware capable of sophisticated gestures, meaning the discrepancy is almost always software-driven. The goal here isn’t to claim Linux lacks gesture capabilities, but rather to reconfigure those capabilities to match the intuitive conventions established by Windows 11.

Key Gestures to Replicate from Windows 11 and Their Linux Mint Equivalents #

Let’s break down the most commonly sought-after Windows 11 touchpad gestures and outline the path to achieving them in Linux Mint Cinnamon.

Four-Finger Swipe Up: Task View/Show All Windows #

In Windows 11, a four-finger swipe upwards typically brings up the “Task View,” showcasing all open applications and desktops in a clear, organized grid. This is an incredibly efficient way to get an overview of your open programs and quickly switch between them.

• Linux Mint Cinnamon Implementation: Achieving this on Linux Mint Cinnamon often involves utilizing a gesture management tool. While not always enabled by default for four-finger gestures, the underlying system can be configured. The primary tools for this are libinput (the modern input driver) and xdotool or ydotool for executing commands. We will explore how to bind these gestures to specific commands.

Four-Finger Swipe Down: Show Desktop #

A four-finger swipe downwards in Windows 11 is a quick way to minimize all open windows and reveal the desktop. This is perfect for when you need to access a desktop icon or simply want a clean workspace.

• Linux Mint Cinnamon Implementation: Similar to the four-finger swipe up, this requires configuration. We need to map the swipe down gesture to the command that minimizes all windows.

Three-Finger Swipe Left/Right: Back/Forward Navigation #

This is perhaps one of the most frequently missed gestures. In Windows 11, swiping with three fingers left or right in web browsers or file explorers usually navigates backward or forward through your history.

• Linux Mint Cinnamon Implementation: This is a critical gesture for web browsing efficiency. The challenge here is that Linux Mint Cinnamon, by default, might map three-finger swipes to workspace switching. We need to override this default behavior and specifically target browser navigation. This will involve configuring libinput gestures and potentially using tools that can send specific keyboard shortcuts (like Alt+Left Arrow for back and Alt+Right Arrow for forward) to the active application.

Three-Finger Swipe Up: Overview of All Open Windows (Similar to Task View) #

While Windows 11 uses four fingers for Task View, some Linux distributions and configurations map three-finger swipes to overview modes. We aim to replicate the functionality of seeing all open windows, even if the finger count differs.

• Linux Mint Cinnamon Implementation: This gesture is often mapped to triggering the “Expo” view or a similar exposé-like function, which displays all open windows across all workspaces in a grid. This is very close to the Windows 11 Task View functionality and is often achievable with a three-finger swipe up.

Three-Finger Swipe Down: Minimizing All Windows (Similar to Show Desktop) #

Similar to the four-finger down swipe in Windows, a three-finger swipe down can be configured to minimize all windows, revealing the desktop.

• Linux Mint Cinnamon Implementation: This gesture can also be mapped to a command that effectively hides all open windows, providing quick access to the desktop.

Setting Up Your Linux Mint Cinnamon for Windows-Style Touchpad Gestures: A Step-by-Step Approach #

The process of reconfiguring touchpad gestures in Linux Mint Cinnamon primarily involves interacting with the system’s input configuration. We will leverage a combination of built-in settings and potentially external tools for more advanced customization.

Step 1: Identify Your Touchpad Hardware and Driver #

Before we begin remapping, it’s essential to know what hardware you’re working with.

1. Open a Terminal.
2. Run the command: xinput list This will display a list of all input devices connected to your system. Look for an entry that clearly identifies your touchpad (e.g., “Synaptics Touchpad,” “ELAN Touchpad,” “PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad,” etc.). Note down the exact name or the ID of your touchpad.
3. To check which driver is being used, you can try: grep -i "Using input driver" /var/log/Xorg.0.log This might give you clues, but the more modern approach often relies on libinput. You can check if libinput is active for your device: libinput list-devices Look for your touchpad in the output.

Step 2: Configuring Gestures Using dconf-editor and gsettings #

Linux Mint Cinnamon uses the GNOME desktop environment or a Cinnamon desktop environment that heavily utilizes GNOME’s configuration system. The dconf-editor tool (which you might need to install via sudo apt install dconf-editor) or the gsettings command-line tool are powerful ways to manage these settings.

1. Install dconf-editor if you haven’t already:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install dconf-editor
   

2. Launch dconf-editor. Be cautious when using this tool, as incorrect changes can affect system stability.
3. Navigate to /org/gnome/desktop/peripherals/ (or a similar path within Cinnamon’s specific configuration tree, which can sometimes be found under /org/cinnamon/).
4. Within this section, look for touchpad. Here, you’ll find various settings related to sensitivity, scrolling, and sometimes basic gestures. However, for advanced multi-finger gestures, this might not be sufficient, and we’ll need to move to more robust solutions.

The gsettings command-line tool can also be used to query and set these values. For example, to check touchpad settings: gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.touchpad tap-to-click While useful for basic settings, deep gesture configuration often requires a different approach.

Step 3: Leveraging libinput and Gesture Configuration Tools #

The libinput driver is responsible for handling input from various devices, including touchpads. It has built-in support for gestures, but these need to be enabled and configured.

Enabling libinput Gestures #

In newer versions of Linux Mint, libinput is often the default. You might find settings within the system’s System Settings under Mouse & Touchpad. Look for options related to “Gestures.” If you see options for three-finger or four-finger swipes, this is where you’ll start.

If the graphical interface is limited, we’ll need to configure libinput more directly. This often involves creating or modifying configuration files.

Installing touchegg for Advanced Gesture Management #

A highly effective tool for managing complex touchpad gestures on Linux is touchegg. This daemon listens for touchpad events and can be configured to trigger various actions based on multi-finger swipes.

1. Install touchegg:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install touchegg
   

2. Install touche (GUI for touchegg): To make configuration easier, you can install a GUI for touchegg called touche.

   sudo apt install touche
   

   After installation, you should be able to find “Touche” in your application menu.

3. Configure touchegg: touchegg uses a configuration file, typically located at ~/.config/touchegg/touchegg.conf. If this file doesn’t exist, you can create it. The default configuration file might look something like this:

   {
       "gestures": [
           {
               "action": "switch_workspace_left",
               "fingers": 3,
               "direction": "left",
               "device": "Synaptics TM2060-001" // Replace with your device name
           },
           {
               "action": "switch_workspace_right",
               "fingers": 3,
               "direction": "right",
               "device": "Synaptics TM2060-001"
           },
           {
               "action": "switch_workspace_up",
               "fingers": 3,
               "direction": "up",
               "device": "Synaptics TM2060-001"
           },
           {
               "action": "switch_workspace_down",
               "fingers": 3,
               "direction": "down",
               "device": "Synaptics TM2060-001"
           },
           {
               "action": "minimize_all",
               "fingers": 4,
               "direction": "down",
               "device": "Synaptics TM2060-001"
           },
           {
               "action": "show_desktop",
               "fingers": 4,
               "direction": "up",
               "device": "Synaptics TM2060-001"
           }
       ]
   }
   

   You will need to edit this file to match the desired Windows 11 gestures.

Customizing touchegg.conf for Windows 11 Mimicry #

Let’s create a touchegg.conf that mimics common Windows 11 gestures. Remember to replace "Synaptics TM2060-001" with the actual name of your touchpad as found by xinput list.

{
    "gestures": [
        // Mimic Windows 11 Task View (Show all windows) with 4-finger swipe up
        {
            "action": "overview_all_windows", // This might vary based on touchegg version or needs custom command
            "fingers": 4,
            "direction": "up",
            "device": "YOUR_TOUCHPAD_NAME_HERE"
        },
        // Mimic Windows 11 Show Desktop with 4-finger swipe down
        {
            "action": "minimize_all_windows", // Again, might need custom command
            "fingers": 4,
            "direction": "down",
            "device": "YOUR_TOUCHPAD_NAME_HERE"
        },
        // Mimic Windows 11 Back/Forward in Browser with 3-finger swipe left/right
        // touchegg might not have direct "back/forward" actions, so we use custom commands
        {
            "action": "custom",
            "command": "xdotool key alt+Left", // Send Alt+Left arrow for back
            "fingers": 3,
            "direction": "left",
            "device": "YOUR_TOUCHPAD_NAME_HERE"
        },
        {
            "action": "custom",
            "command": "xdotool key alt+Right", // Send Alt+Right arrow for forward
            "fingers": 3,
            "direction": "right",
            "device": "YOUR_TOUCHPAD_NAME_HERE"
        },
        // Optional: Replicate 3-finger swipe up for overview if needed
        // If your desktop environment's default 3-finger swipe up is already good (like expo)
        // you might not need to override it, or you can set it to a custom command.
        // For example, if your current 3-finger up switches workspaces and you don't want that:
        // {
        //     "action": "none", // Or a custom command to do nothing
        //     "fingers": 3,
        //     "direction": "up",
        //     "device": "YOUR_TOUCHPAD_NAME_HERE"
        // },
        // You can also set 3-finger swipes to switch virtual desktops if that's preferred,
        // mimicking a different aspect of Linux usability.
        // {
        //     "action": "switch_workspace_left",
        //     "fingers": 3,
        //     "direction": "left",
        //     "device": "YOUR_TOUCHPAD_NAME_HERE"
        // },
        // {
        //     "action": "switch_workspace_right",
        //     "fingers": 3,
        //     "direction": "right",
        //     "device": "YOUR_TOUCHPAD_NAME_HERE"
        // }
    ]
}

Important Notes for touchegg.conf:

• YOUR_TOUCHPAD_NAME_HERE: Crucially, replace this placeholder with the exact name of your touchpad device as seen in the xinput list command.
• action: For actions like “switch_workspace_left,” touchegg has predefined mappings. For custom actions like browser back/forward, we use "action": "custom" and specify a command.
• command: For custom actions, xdotool is a powerful utility that can simulate keyboard input. You might need to install it: sudo apt install xdotool.
• overview_all_windows / minimize_all_windows: The exact names for these actions in touchegg can sometimes vary slightly depending on the version. If these specific names don’t work, you might need to find alternative action names or use custom commands that trigger the appropriate desktop environment action. For example, to mimic “Show Desktop” in Cinnamon, you might need to find the gsettings or dconf command for that specific action and use it within a custom action in touchegg.

Starting touchegg and Making it Persistent #

1. Start touchegg manually to test: Open a terminal and run:

   touchegg
   

   Now, try your gestures. If they work as expected, you’re on the right track. Press Ctrl+C in the terminal to stop touchegg when testing.

2. Enable touchegg to start on login: You need touchegg to run automatically when you log in. The easiest way to do this is by adding it to your startup applications.

   • Open System Settings.
   • Go to Startup Applications.
   • Click the Add button.
   • In the “Command” field, enter touchegg.
   • Give it a descriptive name like “Touchpad Gesture Daemon.”
   • Click Add.

   Alternatively, you can create a .desktop file in ~/.config/autostart/.

   Create a file named touchegg.desktop in ~/.config/autostart/ with the following content:

   [Desktop Entry]
   Type=Application
   Exec=touchegg
   Hidden=false
   NoDisplay=false
   X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
   Name[en_US]=Touchpad Gesture Daemon
   Name=Touchpad Gesture Daemon
   Comment[en_US]=Starts the touchegg daemon for advanced touchpad gestures
   Comment=Starts the touchegg daemon for advanced touchpad gestures
   

Step 4: Addressing Browser-Specific Gestures (If xdotool Isn’t Enough) #

While xdotool is generally effective for sending keyboard shortcuts, some browsers or applications might handle gestures differently.

• Firefox: Firefox has its own internal gesture handling. Sometimes, enabling “native” or “custom” gestures in its settings can help, but it’s often tied to specific libinput configurations. For most users, the xdotool approach is sufficient.
• Chrome/Chromium: Similar to Firefox, these browsers might have their own gesture recognition. The xdotool method is usually the most reliable way to make your touchpad gestures work universally.

Troubleshooting Browser Back/Forward Gestures #

If the three-finger swipes for back/forward are still not working in your browser:

1. Check touchegg logs: Sometimes touchegg might output errors to the system journal. You can check with journalctl -f -u touchegg.

2. Verify xdotool commands: Open a text editor and manually press Alt+Left Arrow and Alt+Right Arrow. Ensure these shortcuts indeed perform the back and forward actions in your browser.

3. Adjust touchegg configuration: Ensure the device name is exactly correct. Typographical errors are common culprits.

4. Consider alternative gesture tools: While touchegg is popular, other tools like libinput-gestures exist. libinput-gestures works by creating gesture rules that map to shell commands. It’s configured via ~/.config/libinput-gestures.conf.

   Example libinput-gestures.conf:

   # Required for custom gestures
   gesture swipe 3 x1                 xdotool key alt+Left
   gesture swipe 3 x3                 xdotool key alt+Right
   gesture swipe 4 y1                 xdotool key super+Tab # Show all windows like task view
   gesture swipe 4 y3                 wmctrl -k off # Mimic show desktop
   

   To use libinput-gestures:

   • Install it: sudo apt install libinput-gestures
   • Configure: libinput-gestures-setup autostart to enable it on startup.
   • Edit ~/.config/libinput-gestures.conf as shown above. Make sure to replace the generic gestures with those that match your touchpad’s capabilities.

Step 5: Fine-Tuning and Testing #

After making changes, always restart touchegg (or reboot your system) to apply them. Test each gesture thoroughly in different applications, especially your web browser and file manager.

• Sensitivity: If gestures are too difficult to trigger or trigger too easily, you might need to adjust sensitivity settings within your system’s Mouse & Touchpad settings or via gsettings commands related to touchpad acceleration or thresholds.
• Multiple Gestures: Be mindful that if you configure multiple gestures that use the same finger count and direction, there might be conflicts. Ensure your touchegg.conf or libinput-gestures.conf is clean and organized.

Advanced Customization and What Else is Possible #

The beauty of Linux is its flexibility. Once you have the basics covered, you can explore even more advanced customizations:

• Pinch-to-Zoom: This is often handled by the browser or application directly, but your touchpad needs to support multi-touch input for it to work. Ensure your libinput settings are correct, and check the browser’s preferences.
• Two-Finger Scroll: This is usually enabled by default and is less of a gesture and more of a standard feature. If it’s not working, check the System Settings > Mouse & Touchpad for scrolling options.
• Custom Actions for Specific Applications: With tools like touchegg and xdotool, you can even create gestures that are application-specific. For example, a three-finger swipe could have one function in Firefox and another in your file manager. This requires more advanced scripting and understanding of how to target specific windows with xdotool or wmctrl.

Conclusion: Embracing a Familiar Touchpad Experience on Linux Mint Cinnamon #

Switching operating systems can be a journey, and adapting to new input methods is a significant part of it. By following this comprehensive guide, you can effectively recreate the familiar and efficient touchpad gestures of Windows 11 within your Linux Mint Cinnamon environment. We have detailed the steps from identifying your hardware to configuring advanced gesture daemons like touchegg and exploring alternatives like libinput-gestures.

The goal at revWhiteShadow is to empower you to get the most out of your computing experience, bridging the gap between different operating systems and making your transition as smooth as possible. With these configurations, you can once again enjoy the seamless navigation and productivity that made Windows 11’s touchpad gestures so popular. Explore, experiment, and enjoy your Linux Mint Cinnamon system with the gesture controls you’re accustomed to. Your Linux journey is now even more comfortable and intuitive.