[HN Gopher] Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboard...
___________________________________________________________________
Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and
other devices
Author : teekert
Score : 612 points
Date : 2024-12-18 19:57 UTC (1 days ago)
(HTM) web link (github.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
| s2l wrote:
| This has been part of standard ubuntu repos for sometime. (apt
| install solaar)
| loufe wrote:
| I've had an MX Master mouse (the "2" for maybe 8-9 years then the
| "3" for 2-3 years now) and love it. Great performance, great
| battery life, fantastic design and feel. On Windows I definitely
| do not love the 150Mb program to manage it (surely sending a
| torrent of unnecessary telemetry data back to Logitech.
|
| I found Solaar a couple months ago after getting repeatedly
| frustrated with bluetooth connection issues. It really is exactly
| what it needs to be. Better interface than Logitech's, simple,
| lightweight. Devs have my thanks; what a great show of the
| goodness of open source software.
| hnuser123456 wrote:
| Logitech's might be a large download, but their Windows
| software still seems far more optimized than Corsair's. After a
| few days of uptime, Corsair's processes would have nearly an
| hour of CPU time. Logitech's would have a couple minutes at
| most. I replaced all my Corsair equipment with Logitech or
| others after seeing that.
| myself248 wrote:
| Why does a mouse need an app, again?
| dmonitor wrote:
| reprogrammable buttons, adjustable dpi, customizeable
| lights, etc
| Phlebsy wrote:
| Personally, I can understand that for initial setup but
| hate that the way they're implemented means that it has
| to always be running, and it frequently has to be
| restarted to recognize the mouse correctly and apply
| those settings. Many keyboards have figured this out and
| don't require anything to be running to keep their
| settings across multiple devices so it feels like
| logitech will never improve in this area for the sake of
| keeping their bloat/spyware on your machine.
| egypturnash wrote:
| One big thing your keyboards probably aren't doing that
| mouse drivers are: different settings for different apps.
| m463 wrote:
| some mice can have the config saved onboard, then don't
| require a driver.
| Brian_K_White wrote:
| we need qmk for mice
| bloopernova wrote:
| The ploopy mouse has QMK. Layers on a mouse are very
| useful!
|
| https://ploopy.co/mouse/
| Brian_K_White wrote:
| nice
| MoreMoore wrote:
| This looks awesome. Now I just hope somebody will someday
| a 20 button version.
| eikenberry wrote:
| All of those should be state changes in the mouse.. IE.
| the software should run to make the settings then exit.
| There should be no reason for it to keep running.
| db48x wrote:
| They are.
| jsheard wrote:
| Logitech's best kept secret is they do make a lightweight
| version of their software for exactly that, it edits the
| settings saved on the mouse and does absolutely nothing
| else. It's only available for Windows though.
|
| https://support.logi.com/hc/en-
| ca/articles/360059641133-Onbo...
| pxc wrote:
| Logitech's mice can't do basic things like output a key
| chord upon a button press using only what's available
| onboard, sadly. The onboard capabilities are more limited
| than they have to be, probably to drive people to G-Hub.
| bdavbdav wrote:
| They also allow you to manage the pairing of the unifying
| receiver from web which is neat.
| adzm wrote:
| Wow, this is amazing!
| MindSpunk wrote:
| You don't need to keep it open, it just puts itself in
| the auto run list on install and you can disable it from
| launching. The configuration is just state changes on the
| mouse
| RonaldDump wrote:
| Their best feature - and the one thing that I have most
| missed for years after moving to Linux - is automatically
| changing the active mouse profile based on the _focused
| application_.
|
| It's so powerful. Any custom buttons for any program,
| without ever having to think about it. On Linux, without
| it, I'm stuck manually cycling through the 3 on-board
| profiles.
| brokenmachine wrote:
| I use Autohotkey in Windows to achieve that, because I
| got sick of Logitech fairly regularly misdetecting the
| current application (when it does that, you have to focus
| a different app and then try again).
|
| I just get the mouse to always use the same onboard
| profile and send the higher F-keys that aren't on the
| keyboard (F13-F24), and ahk detects those and does
| whatever crazy stuff I can think up. I even have long-
| press/short-press for some buttons set up. Works great.
|
| There must be a way to do something similar in Linux.
| juancb wrote:
| Because there's a computer in your mouse and you need
| software on your host computer to talk to and peogram the
| mouse's computer.
|
| That of course would make it optional like with most
| programmable keyboards but then there's the need to manage
| pairing via their wireless dongles and then it quickly
| becomes necessary.
|
| Outside of it all being intentionally proprietary I don't
| see why they couldn't take an approach similar to VIA in
| managing their devices. There's also prior work for
| flashing microcontrollers from the web browser, I'm
| thinking of ESP32s specifically.
|
| https://www.caniusevia.com/
| brokenmachine wrote:
| Logitech devices are probably based on old code from
| older devices before WebUSB was a thing.
| bayindirh wrote:
| To be able to program all the configurable buttons, and
| upload the macros and settings to the profiles present on
| the mouse itself, so you can use all the features of your
| mouse, tailored to you, _even if you don't have the
| software_ on the target device you're using your mouse.
|
| Yes, Logitech's high end mice store settings themselves.
| The app is just a programming interface. It sometimes does
| per program profile switch, too, IIRC.
| lsaferite wrote:
| And yet, my keyboard can do almost (no per-program
| switching) all of the same FROM A WEB PAGE. WebHID should
| be all that's needed for advanced input devices. If you
| want some sort of per-program profile switching, sure,
| release a dedicated app that handles sending a special
| HID command sequence to trigger a profile switch.
| xboxnolifes wrote:
| And if Logitech had a webpage to configure settings, HN
| would be up in arms about not being able to configure
| while offline.
| Fnoord wrote:
| Wooting has their utility offline and online. I guess it
| uses WebHID.
| lsaferite wrote:
| If the webpage was required to be connected back to
| Logitech to function, yeah, deservedly so. If, like Via,
| it can run fully offline then all you'd need is to save
| the page for offline use and that would be acceptable.
| bayindirh wrote:
| WebHID would be sci-fi material in 2010. If you can
| reduce the power requirement for the hardware, there's no
| obstacle to embed it in a mouse.
|
| Keyboard is infinitely more flexible since you can wire
| it without much obstruction.
| yndoendo wrote:
| All programmable mice store their settings on the device
| itself, like Roccat and Razer. A true programmable mouse
| doesn't need software running in the background. A
| configuration application that needs to continue running
| is now just a background service running in user mode and
| not a true configuration application.
|
| Roccat user because of the size of the mouse is bigger
| than others and all the buttons can be reprogrammed,
| along with the wheel. No background software needed and
| all configuration changes are OS independent.
|
| Not a Logitech user because the wheel could not be
| programmed to control the sound volume. Last time I tried
| their products. Even contacted their support to verify
| the wheel, most useful for controlling audio, is fixed to
| page scrolling only.
|
| Razer mice are too small for my hands and I feel like an
| Eagle clawing at a minnow. At least they allow for fully
| reprogramming all the buttons and wheel, unlike Logitech.
| And you don't need background software for the
| programming with it being OS independent after
| programming.
|
| Only bad part is that Roccat is no longer Linux
| supported. The original developer that reverse engineered
| stop supporting the products. Roccat also is like most
| business and blows off 1st party support for Linux.
| Windows VM is needed just to program the mouse, which
| only done once.
| bayindirh wrote:
| > because the wheel could not be programmed to control
| the sound volume.
|
| If that's your biggest gripe with Logitech, then I can
| say they're pretty successful. Personally, I'd not prefer
| to reach to my mouse just for volume, but everyone is to
| their own.
|
| > A true programmable mouse doesn't need software running
| in the background.
|
| Logitech Mice doesn't need the application to run in the
| background. I'm using my G700's profiles (which I set
| once under Windows) under Linux without any tools for
| (checks notes) 14 years at this point.
|
| > Windows VM is needed just to program the mouse, which
| only done once.
|
| How this is different from Logitech devices? It's
| _exactly_ the same with Logitech.
| vladvasiliu wrote:
| Logitech G mice dont need the app, but regular ones do.
| My Mx master 3s and Mx ergo reset to the default
| sensitivity and button functions if I leave them alone
| for a while.
| bayindirh wrote:
| That's interesting, thanks for the information. I don't
| use any apps with my M705s (yes, I have a couple). The
| user I was replying to was giving examples of mice which
| are in the same class with Logitech G series, this is why
| I directly quoted my experience with G700.
| fuzzfactor wrote:
| >reset to the default sensitivity and button functions if
| I leave them alone for a while.
|
| I need to try that. Mine is USB wired with no battery.
|
| I've got one of the lesser G USB 6-button "gaming" RGBs
| that was unused for well over a year. Never did try any
| Logi Windows apps or do any gaming either. Used as a
| mild-mannered office mouse instead :)
|
| A while back I started using it again, this time on a
| Linux PC and it still glowed with the default pattern
| which I had never changed. Fine by me.
|
| Then started dual booting Windows 11 and all was well
| until I connected to the internet, the Logitech firmware
| on the mouse got autoupdated, and lights out :(
|
| Still glows during POST but LEDs go out unless Windows
| kicks it back on in some way or another.
|
| You want it to do what it once was doing without an app?
| Your Windows 11 may already be updated far enough itself
| to give RGB control now.
|
| Otherwise you can use the Logitech app.
|
| Which doesn't have a Linux version.
|
| Looks like mine needs a background app of some kind now
| if I want glowing again. Oh well.
|
| Still looking forward to trying Solaar when I get back to
| that particular desktop :)
| hnuser123456 wrote:
| Some of the mice have a toggleable on-board memory mode,
| where you can configure profiles that are saved on the
| mouse. You may be able to change the default lighting
| pattern back.
| seritools wrote:
| for Logitech G there is the Onboard Memory Manager, a
| portable tool to just set up the onboard profiles. Since
| they released it I've not had to use their normal
| software anymore: https://support.logi.com/hc/en-
| ca/articles/360059641133-Onbo...
| vladvasiliu wrote:
| Sure, Logitech "G" series mice are supposed to be
| "gaming", but for a very long time I used them
| exclusively for office work.
|
| My first one was a g9x, followed by a g700s. Those may
| look a bit "gamery", but I later had a g703 which was as
| sober as they come.
|
| And, even though it's not as critical for office use, I
| found it very pleasant to have next to no lag on a
| wireless mouse. I now have a mx master 3s, which has "ok"
| wireless performance and is surprisingly nimble for its
| size and weight. I can't complain about it while I use
| it, but I immediately feel the difference when I switch
| to a Logitech G Lightspeed or a friend's Razer with
| whatever their equivalent technology is called.
|
| And since these aren't _that_ expensive (the MX is
| actually the most expensive mouse I 've ever had), this
| tends to reinforce my considering them as full
| competitors to logi's "office" line.
| fransje26 wrote:
| > To be able to program all the configurable buttons, and
| upload the macros and settings to the profiles present on
| the mouse itself, so you can use all the features of your
| mouse, tailored to you
|
| Yep. Definitely sounds like something requiring a 150 Mb
| program to manage the complexity..
| miki123211 wrote:
| Some high-end mice and keyboard combos also support
| features like fast computer switching, clipboard sync
| etc.
|
| Imagine you have both a desktop and a laptop, with your
| laptop screen positioned below the display connected to
| the desktop. You can make your Logitech mouse act as if
| they were one device; if you slide past the top edge of
| your laptop screen, both the mouse and the keyboard
| switch over to the desktop.
|
| You can even press ctrl+c on one device, move your mouse
| to the other and press ctrl+v (with the same keyboard of
| course), and it's going to do the right thing. I think
| even drag and drop across computers works, at least in
| some circumstances.
| MoreMoore wrote:
| That's pretty cool. Now I just wish they'd release a
| wireless G600 with this capability. Best thing I ever
| bought was an MMO mouse. It's incredibly useful for a lot
| of use cases outside of MMOs.
| ho_schi wrote:
| USB-HID cares about that and the rest shall be done by
| generic APIs through the operating-system.
|
| I avoid therefore any peripheral devices which need
| additional software.
|
| _Ducky_ provides DIP-Switches and keyboard shortcuts.
| Perfect :)
|
| And I didn't bricked it with a firmware update, which I
| did with the K850. Because Logitech suffered so many
| security issues.
| newsclues wrote:
| Exactly, the OS should have the functionality and UI.
| bigstrat2003 wrote:
| To be fair, it doesn't. I have Logitech mice and I have
| never once installed an app for them. They work great just
| with normal USB HID drivers.
| happymellon wrote:
| To pair the mouse with the Universal Receiver/Bolt dongle
| rather than Bluetooth, and then to expose the other APIs
| such as battery levels.
| dmd wrote:
| So your mouse driver can have AI in it, apparently.
| https://www.logitech.com/en-us/software/logi-ai-prompt-
| build...
| fwn wrote:
| > So your mouse driver can have AI in it, apparently.
|
| Just to highlight: The offline installer (supposedly for
| business environments) does not include AI. It can be
| installed directly on top of the regular application.
|
| https://prosupport.logi.com/hc/en-
| us/articles/10991109278871...
| dghlsakjg wrote:
| It doesn't _need_ the app. You can use their stuff without
| it.
|
| If you want to use some of their more advanced features,
| you need to use the app.
|
| For example, I have it setup so that if my macbook is on, I
| can push my cursor to the far left of my windows screen and
| my mouse will automatically switch to the macbook bringing
| along anything in the clipboard.
| sebazzz wrote:
| Bruce Dawson has a blog post about Corsair. Apparently their
| processes constantly leak handles.
| LeoPanthera wrote:
| > surely sending a torrent of unnecessary telemetry data back
| to Logitech
|
| To give Logitech some credit, there's an off switch for
| "diagnostic data" right there in the settings.
| bigfishrunning wrote:
| If they want more credit, they should make it an _on_ switch
| ghjfrdghibt wrote:
| I think it's implicit that a switch has to be on/off. Do
| you mean opt-in rather than opt-out?
| ziddoap wrote:
| Not parent, but yes.
|
| A switch that must be turned on (opt-in), rather than a
| switch that must be turned off (opt-out).
| bdavbdav wrote:
| That would imply there's a third, indeterminate state
| prior to opting one way or another (which is the ideal
| situation - ask on install with a non defaulted option)
| loloquwowndueo wrote:
| No, prior to opting the state is off. This is what opt-in
| means.
|
| Asking on install just gives room to implement a dark
| pattern and trick people into opting in undesiredly
| anyway.
|
| Or you can just use Solaar :) and don't feel bad about
| it, you already gave Logitech money for the freaking
| mouse.
| II2II wrote:
| A reasonable third, and default, state could be collect
| diagnostic data locally. The user can choose to send the
| diagnostic data if they have issues with the device.
| After all, the term diagnostic data implies that it is
| being used for troubleshooting.
| teddyh wrote:
| A master programmer passed a novice programmer one day.
| The master noted the novice's preoccupation with a hand-
| held computer game. "Excuse me", he said, "may I examine
| it?"
|
| The novice bolted to attention and handed the device to
| the master. "I see that the device claims to have three
| levels of play: Easy, Medium and Hard", said the master.
| "Yet every such device has another level of play, where
| the device seeks not to conquer the human, nor to be
| conquered by the human."
|
| "Pray, great master", implored the novice, "how does one
| find this mysterious setting?"
|
| The master dropped the device to the ground and crushed
| it underfoot.
|
| And suddenly the novice was enlightened.
|
| -- _The Tao of Programming_ , Geoffrey James
| moogly wrote:
| I think, today, that state is the "Remind me later'
| button state.
| shiroiushi wrote:
| For even more credit, they should leave all the extra
| telemetry and other crap out of the download, so it's only
| a megabyte or so, instead of 150MB, and let people opt-in
| to downloading that junk.
| RussianCow wrote:
| You're assuming most of that space is taken up by
| telemetry software. 100MB of that could easily just be
| the UI toolkit!
| c0balt wrote:
| iirc they shipped an electron app the last time I used it
| on Windows. The 150 MB are likely just 30% Chrome, 40%
| graphics (their UI is fancy and has images of connected
| components) and, 10% bundled js code.
| ChoGGi wrote:
| Last time I looked at Corsair they had a DLL for each
| device, it added up.
| bb88 wrote:
| What's wrong with using the UI the OS provides?
| baby_souffle wrote:
| Not cross platform, difficult to theme or style to
| Logitech brand guidelines?
| bb88 wrote:
| Do the users care about that? Or just the management? And
| mouse drivers aren't typically cross platform anyway,
| right?
| phatskat wrote:
| Users: maybe, but probably not many of them.
|
| Management absolutely cares, they have a whole design
| guidebook why wouldn't they follow it??
|
| And the drivers likely aren't cross-platform in the sense
| of "the windows DLL is just dead code on a Mac", but the
| UI of the software can be the same across platforms. The
| executable is likely a tiny bit of platform-specific
| launcher code and then cross-platform electron fun.
| kergonath wrote:
| Because why wouldn't we embed the whole Chromium runtime
| to show the user a couple of checkboxes?
| phatskat wrote:
| "It's cross-platform!" - someone good at selling to the
| Logitech suits
| pjerem wrote:
| > they have a whole design guidebook why wouldn't they
| follow it??
|
| So the same question applies: yes they have a whole
| design guidebook but why ? Does the users care ? My
| opinion would be that most don't and that those who care
| are horrified by all those apps with all their own
| guidelines.
|
| Computers used to be (and I'll be giving credits to old
| windows for that) << once you learned the
| system/ergonomics you only have to adapt to each
| program's feature set >> and is now << relearn everything
| on my app and btw it's not compatible with other apps
| except our partners >>.
|
| I mean as an example, we pretty much had a working
| standard in how to discover features of a program (the
| menu bar) and how to give back data to the user (saving
| and opening files). Just knowing those patterns made you
| apt to discover most of programs features.
|
| I'm not saying it was perfect or intuitive, but it was
| not hard and OSes could have improved that.
|
| But we collectively ditched that for, it seems, easier
| deployment on the web (which is not something Logitech is
| concerned by, btw) and since there is no UI framework,
| why not hire UI designers to write UI guidelines ? It'll
| make marketing guys happy anyway.
|
| I'm sorry I recognize that I'm a little salty on this
| topic but I do feel like the industry stole something
| important to the users, or at least if I'm honest, to me,
| which is the basic knowledge of how to use a computer.
| phatskat wrote:
| Oh I want to be clear that I'm not defending the use of
| the design guide in this context - I think style guides
| are fine for certain things, but not necessarily desktop
| apps like these. I get that it's Electron, and so in
| theory the same components could be shared to their web
| experience and to other installers etc but I don't know
| if they do that.
|
| I was one of those people who thought XP/ME went too far
| (im a System 7 Stan tbh, but 98 was solid enough). And
| then when Office got the ribbon I was so unhappy lol. I
| don't like a lot of how MS has embraced trendy UI,
| outside of windows phone which I actually really liked
| (and that made sense, it was a system that didn't have
| much to go on, and they weren't living up to any
| expectations outside of "be different than Apple and be
| better than Google". I will def be salty here because MS
| had a great opportunity with windows phone and just
| blundered it. For every solid idea they have, it feels
| like they fumble 10000 other actually decent products).
|
| I personally _really_ appreciate that Apple has largely
| not changed the fundamentals of their OS in regards to
| the dock and menu bar - sure the dock is "new" as of OSX
| but that's going on what, 20 years old now? At least? And
| the menu bar has been with us since always. Using native
| MS apps in 11 and not having a visible File menu drives
| me bonkers.
|
| > I'm sorry I recognize that I'm a little salty on this
| topic but I do feel like the industry stole something
| important to the users, or at least if I'm honest, to me,
| which is the basic knowledge of how to use a computer.
|
| I feel this. For the company I work for, we have an A11y
| group that is comprised of representatives from different
| departments (across engineering, product, marketing, and
| design) that meets regularly. Our component designs focus
| on accessibility, discoverability, and usability. If we
| are going to say "well we want a blue button with a drop
| shadow" instead of whatever the browser and OS do, fine,
| I'm going to make sure it's still USABLE and accessible
| dammit. /rant
| happymellon wrote:
| That would be great if it were cross platform.
|
| I use Solaar because there wasn't a Linux application.
| kergonath wrote:
| To be honest I would be more inclined to install their
| driver if it did not include ugly Logitech branding and
| respected a bit more the OS it runs on. I don't care
| about cross platform UI in an application for mouse
| settings, it's simply not my problem. It has 1 window,
| FFS. How hard is it to use native toolkits?
| RussianCow wrote:
| To be fair, most people just absolutely don't care about
| this stuff as long as it does its job, so it makes sense
| for them to use a cross-platform toolkit here.
|
| You have to remember that, besides the extra engineering
| effort, having a separate, native UI for each platform
| also increases the support burden for dealing with people
| having issues with the program. Companies the size of
| Logitech bend over backwards to reduce their support
| costs, so it shouldn't be surprising that they opted for
| the path of least resistance here.
| AyyEye wrote:
| An off switch that will get ignored for some data, re-enabled
| on some future update anyway, and forgotten about next time
| you reinstall.
| orev wrote:
| This says it's for Linux, and a search doesn't find a Windows
| version. Are you using this on Windows?
| loufe wrote:
| I suppose that could have been clearer. I use Windows on my
| desktop and Linux on my laptop.
| bayindirh wrote:
| I never had Bluetooth connection issues with my Logitech
| hardware, but I wanted mine to work without an OS (i.e. with a
| Bolt receiver).
|
| Solaar handled the pairing in 30 seconds flat, and I can't be
| happier. The only thing is, since Bolt doesn't look like proper
| BT to the OS, battery levels can only be monitored from Solaar
| itself.
| throwaway314155 wrote:
| What's a Bolt receiver?
| resoluteteeth wrote:
| Bolt is logitech's newer wireless protocol (with devices
| using a dongle rather than bluetooth) that's supposed to be
| more secure than the older one.
| seaal wrote:
| I think the real highlight of the Bolt receiver is being
| able to pair up to 6 devices with just a single receiver.
| selcuka wrote:
| The old unifying receiver was also able to pair up to 6
| devices.
| teekert wrote:
| I think the real highlight is that it is not backwards
| compatible. So I now have an MX Keys and an MX Master 3s,
| both on their own dongle.
| bayindirh wrote:
| IIUIC, Unifying receiver used a completely different
| protocol, but Bolt protocol is just supercharged
| Bluetooth with some low latency and encryption sauces on
| top.
| wodenokoto wrote:
| Doesn't bluetooth handle many, many more devices?
| kristjank wrote:
| It also introduces a ton of lag, especially when more
| than a single device and some distance is involved (Mouse
| + Keyboard + Headphones makes my headphones cut out
| sometimes)
| liotier wrote:
| Bluetooth MIDI keyboard + Bluetooth headset = audio
| glitches. Disappointing.
| Ghoelian wrote:
| Sounds nice, except so far I have only one Logitech
| device that works with the bolt receiver, which is the MX
| Master 3s.
|
| I also have an MX vertical which uses the unifying
| receiver. Then I also have a pro x superlight, which has
| yet another receiver. I believe they call that one
| lightspeed or something.
|
| So now I have 3 separate adapters for 3 devices, all of
| which theoretically support pairing multiple devices (I
| think the lightspeed only does 3 though).
| nine_k wrote:
| A type of USB wireless receiver:
| https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/mice/logi-bolt-
| usb-r...
| akira2501 wrote:
| Bluetooth Low Energy with some Logitech sauce added into
| it. Apparently encrypted and marketed for use in contexts
| where FIPS level security would be required.
| shim__ wrote:
| It's bluetooth 5 with more tx power as far as I
| understand
| Ghoelian wrote:
| According to their website(1), the bolt is BLE, and the
| unifying receiver used a proprietary 2.4GHz radio signal.
|
| (1) https://support.logi.com/hc/en-
| us/articles/1500012483162-Wha...
| adgjlsfhk1 wrote:
| My one gripe with Logitech mice is that none of their "office"
| mice support high refresh rate polling.
| jsheard wrote:
| Also they've been very slow to adopt optical switches
| compared to other brands, a handful of their high end gaming
| mice have them, but the vast majority of their range still
| uses the same old mechanical switches that tend to start
| erroneously double clicking after a while.
| bayindirh wrote:
| If your mouse starts double clicking, play a game of Quake
| 3 for an hour, or just click a bit more aggressively for
| the next hour. It clears the problem, per my experience.
|
| What I understood is, the switches on these mice (I have
| G700) are practically abuse-proof. However, they don't like
| to be used lightly and start to glitch possibly from fine
| dust. Using the switches more aggressively cleans them up.
|
| My first generation G700 still works great.
| hedora wrote:
| That sounds like a job for contact cleaner, assuming it's
| possible to non-destructively get a tube next to the
| switches.
|
| I'm about to open my second bottle. My first bottle is
| from the 1990's.
| homebrewer wrote:
| No, it's a job for a sewing needle or a toothpick.
| Logitech switches can be temporarily fixed by
| disassembling the switch and adjusting the contact plate
| inside because it gets bent out of shape and stops
| registering the clicks correctly. But it's easier (and
| more reliable) to replace them with higher quality
| alternatives while you're in there.
| bayindirh wrote:
| The G700 in question registers clicks correctly for 14
| years at this point. The problem in my case is very light
| clicks and dust ingress to said switches. I have 10+ year
| old M705 mice which doesn't have any switch problems.
| homebrewer wrote:
| Their switches are just crap. They use Omron switches
| mostly due to their low cost, even on supposedly "high-
| end" mice. People routinely replace them with better
| alternatives (e.g. TTC Gold or Kailh, but there are lots
| of them) and get years of heavy usage after that without
| any problems. The switches can be obtained on aliexpress,
| you do need a soldering iron though.
| bayindirh wrote:
| I mean, if a mouse is working for 10+ years for 8 hours a
| day (M705) or for 14 years for 2-3 hours a day (G700)
| without any major problems, I wouldn't call that switches
| _crap_.
|
| But that's only me, of course.
| ComputerGuru wrote:
| It's not just a soldering iron needed. I replaced the
| switches on my 17-year-old Logitech MX Revolution and on
| a newer Performance MX and the old switches are
| completely impossible to remove from the PCB without
| snipping away at them and a lot of (careful) force.
| However I can say that the result was worth it, no more
| phantom double-clicks. Mouse itself was fine.
|
| Maybe for some of the newer mice it's an easier ordeal,
| though.
| XajniN wrote:
| The issue is actually the static electricity buildup in the
| plastic somewhere. It doesn't happen if the air is humid
| enough.
|
| So, just turn off the mouse and blow in it a few times. It
| will work normally for a few days after that.
|
| I found this solution on approximately the 12th page of a
| Google search ~9 years ago. Every other solution was wrong.
| ploxiln wrote:
| The left-click switch on my Logitech G305 started
| glitching-out after a couple years, particularly noticeable
| when trying to drag something, the drag would drop randomly
| in the middle. Disappointing to only last a couple years.
|
| I found replacement switches for $10 on amazon, pre-wired
| with little plug, easy enough to install with just a micro-
| screwdriver, no soldering. This problem is common enough
| that there is a good selection of different switch
| brands/types available. Fantastic. Not disappointed at all
| anymore, honestly.
| doubled112 wrote:
| I also have a G305 where the left click button wore out.
|
| I removed a switch from the Pi 400 desktop kit mouse I
| had laying around and replaced it with that.
|
| Upgraded the slider pads while I had everything apart.
| These actually made more of a difference than I
| anticipated.
|
| Virtually brand new, although amuses me that left and
| right click sound different now.
| nextos wrote:
| With the Linux kernel, USB power savings are also annoying on
| Logitech devices. If you set everything on USB bus to
| powersave, their mice and keyboards will go to sleep every
| few seconds unless there's continuous activity.
|
| I have experience with Dell and Apple keyboards on Linux, and
| they don't suffer from this issue. The problem is not
| terrible, but requires a special udev rule to exclude them
| from powersaving, which is annoying.
| nox101 wrote:
| IIRC I installed the Logitech software in a VM, programmed the
| the mouse, deleted the VM.
|
| All I wanted to do is turn off the rainbow LEDs
|
| Next time I get a new mouse I'll try Solaar.
| beAbU wrote:
| Sadly the MX family of mousen need the Logitech Software for
| customisation. It's not saved on the mouse, so if Logi
| Options is not running the mouse operates in default state,
| with no custom button mappings, etc.
| SparkyMcUnicorn wrote:
| I've used the logitech g305 for at least 6 years now, and
| thankfully that one lets you write a profile to the chip on
| the mouse.
| gosub100 wrote:
| it works fine for me on windows, only annoyance is google
| maps, switching to street view, one wheel rotation unit
| acts like 15, so switches back and forth uncommanded to
| street mode and out
| kreelman wrote:
| Awesome. Thanks for the info here. I have a couple of useful
| Logitech peripherals too. It should be quite useful.
| 0points wrote:
| May I suggest you use the bolt receiver instead of bluetooth,
| and you will have a much more reliable connection.
| jwr wrote:
| That might be true for Windows, on Mac OS I get perfectly
| reliable connections (years of usage with multiple mice) with
| Bluetooth. And I don't have to use any stupid dongles.
| ninkendo wrote:
| Using Linux with an MX Master 3S, I see noticeable lag
| sometimes when moving the mouse cursor around when using the
| bolt receiver. Using regular Bluetooth gives me no issues.
| schainks wrote:
| Been using this for years, works exactly as advertised, no
| issues. Thank you Solaar team for your work and dedication to
| this useful project!
| brocket wrote:
| This saved my butt when I lost my mouse dongle and only had an
| Ubuntu instance available at the time. I was able to pair my
| mouse to the same dongle my keyboard used and have been using the
| software ever since without issue. Thank you!
| Joel_Mckay wrote:
| The mouse buttons tend to go long before the keyboard, but
| wireless HID devices tend to be a consumable for most people
| that use their computer a lot.
|
| We issue the wireless keyboards/mice kit as it is cheaper than
| swapping a proprietary keyboard in your laptop, and less likely
| to give users an RSI (really not funny if you are a Jr and have
| to learn this the painful way.) =3
| nemomarx wrote:
| why not a corded one, if you'll always be using it with a
| laptop?
| Joel_Mckay wrote:
| In general, for mobile these can get broken up rather
| quickly, and increase probability of pulling a laptop off a
| table.
|
| For servers and desktop towers, a cabled solution is more
| secure... and never runs out of batteries. YMMV =3
| gessha wrote:
| Yooo, I've been so frustrated with Logitech! I have an MX
| Mechanical Mini keyboard and MX Ergo mouse. For some reason
| they don't pair to the same dongle because the dongles are
| different and not interchangeable. In addition, whatever dongle
| is plugged into the right USB-A port of my laptop always lags
| for some reason. Does Solaar solve those issues?
| tecleandor wrote:
| Solaar mostly changes configuration and helps pairing
| devices, but it's not part of the drovers, so it might not
| help you. Anyway I dump some info about dongles here just in
| case, if you find your devices are compatible you might use
| Solaar to reset the pairings.
|
| IIRC, there are three types of dongles: the old basic ones,
| that only work with one particular device, the not-that-old
| "unifying" dongles (they have a red logo with a star or ray
| of light), and the new ones that are called "bolt" (green
| logo with a bolt in it).
|
| I have mostly experience with the "unifying" receivers. Those
| can pair to any "unifying" compatible device, and keep
| connections with up to 6 devices. Bolt dongles work similarly
| but with better encryption.
| jerkstate wrote:
| I've found that using a short usb extension cable with those
| wireless dongles, rather than plugging them directly into the
| computer, works loads better and fixed "lag" issues for me.
| Maybe some kind of EMF interference?
| tguvot wrote:
| there is an interference from usb to 2.4ghz devices
| WhyNotHugo wrote:
| Also, try using a USB2 port instead of a USB3 one.
|
| USB3's high speed produces EM inference with some
| receivers.
| Lord-Jobo wrote:
| I can partially confirm: 2.4ghz, or at least the common USB
| mouse implementation, is very susceptible to interference,
| it's sent me down a few wild rabbit holes with my Basilisk
| v3
| ssl-3 wrote:
| Same thing helps with USB Zigbee interfaces that use
| 2.4GHz.
|
| It seems most-useful to make sure it is only a USB 2 cable,
| without the extra USB 3 data lines.
|
| (USB 3 makes a ton of noise at ~2.4GHz. They could have
| spread out emissions and dialed them down, but they stuck
| them in the same trash band that microwave ovens [and mouse
| dongles] use because... well, it's cheaper and easier that
| way.]
| smallerize wrote:
| I had this happen when the dongle is a little loose in the
| port. Solved lag with a couple of dongles by sliding a tiny
| bit of paper in alongside it.
| bdavbdav wrote:
| If you ever need to do this in future, Logitech have a web only
| tool that uses web serial to pair the receiver.
| prmoustache wrote:
| Pardon my ignorance but why would you need an app to manage
| keyboards and mice in the first place? Aren't they supported out
| of the box by generic drivers?
| dandellion wrote:
| I used to have a Logitech mouse that allowed you to reconfigure
| some buttons to use shortcuts and things like that. Plus it
| lets you see if the battery is running low, which I don't think
| the out of the box drivers do. But for basic mouse use you
| don't need it.
| Hemospectrum wrote:
| Some of them have software controls for hardware behavior (like
| optical sensor polling rate and scroll wheel clutch mode) that
| no OS has built-in support for, because these features are not
| part of the USB HID standard.
| pknomad wrote:
| Fair question.
|
| In general, custom configuration on both mice (DPI, refresh
| rate, etc) and keyboards (tactile response settings [See
| https://wooting.io/], hot binds, etc).
|
| It's a nice to have (almost to the point of necessity)
| especially when you go to LANs and need a consistent way to
| load your settings on a computer that's not yours.
| Joel_Mckay wrote:
| In most cases, most usb wireless hid-devices auto-bind on most
| linux distros, but some models of mice/keyboards do require
| wireless pairing after a battery change (they may or may not be
| Bluetooth.)
|
| It is an "install if needed" utility if your mouse seems dead
| after a battery change or wireless power cycle. =)
| rostigerpudel wrote:
| Most Logitech devices have settings for particular parameters
| that are not covered by generic drivers. E.g on my MX Master, I
| can set what events the buttons (it has 6) will generate. My
| K810 has borked function keys (they trigger special events
| instead of just being good old F1). You can switch these back
| to standard function using software. Edit: typos
| rostigerpudel wrote:
| Also, working Linux software to pair new devices with unifying
| receivers is great to have.
| dmm wrote:
| You can attach multiple devices to a single dongle using this
| app.
| skyyler wrote:
| They are supported out of the box by generic drivers!
|
| But most Logitech devices have settings that can be changed.
| This allows you to change them.
|
| Using this software, I disabled tap to click on my K400 Plus's
| trackpad. Super useful.
| p_l wrote:
| Essentially Solaar is open source interface to few _extra_
| features (exposed as application custom hid use pages) of the
| Logitech "HID++" stack (aka Logitech "dongle", sometimes also
| combined with bluetooth support on the actual device).
|
| Consider this screenshot[1] of additional options on Logitech
| trackball + ofc pairing control
|
| [1] https://usercontent.irccloud-
| cdn.com/file/2cZcZiNk/image.png
| Brian_K_White wrote:
| No, all features are not exposed by the generic drivers. And
| the extra features aren't just "who cares" goofy things.
|
| For instance, my mouse has a wheel which is also the middle
| button. To press the middle mouse button, you click the wheel
| as if it were a button.
|
| It also has another little middle button right in line with the
| wheel. That other button does not generate any scan codes or
| hid events.
|
| All that button does is toggle the detent on/off for the wheel.
| It's effects are entirely within the mouse and does not talk to
| the host. Does not generate any mouse events or xev events or
| hid or scancodes etc.
|
| The wheel detent toogle thing is, the wheel has some mass to
| it, and if the detent is off ,then the wheel can be flicked and
| it will spin freely for some time by inertia. This is great for
| zipping up or down in a long document.
|
| But it also means that in free-wheeling mode, the wheel is
| always generating wheel movement events, since it's always
| moving. If you so much as look at it funny it moves a little,
| let alone actually intentionally handling and moving the mouse.
|
| So mormally you want the detent mode on so that the wheel does
| not spin freely.
|
| Having the middle mouse button be the wheel is extremely
| agrevating to me, because even in detent mode I can't press the
| middle button without also scrolling the wheel at least a
| little at the same time, except with annoying great care. It
| reeeeely screws up cad work.
|
| Luckily, the mouse allows you to swap those two functions
| around. You can make it so that you click the wheel to toggle
| the wheel between detent and freewheel, and use the button as
| the middle mouse button.
|
| Like I said, whichever button is acting as the detent-toggle,
| that button does not generate HID events. So you can't do this
| button remapping the normal way like you might swap left &
| right buttons for instance.
|
| The official Windows software talks to the mouse and
| reconfigures something inside the mouse, via some special
| protocol of it's own.
|
| Solaar does the same thing.
|
| That is just one tiny example that isn't "control the rgb
| lights", there are others.
|
| Actually even controlling the rgb lights is a real issue too.
|
| I also have a keyboard that I wanted because it is mechanical
| and low profile and TKL layout (ten-key-less, full keyboard and
| edit/arrow blocks, but just no 10-key to the right of that.),
| and wireless including bluetooth so I don't need a dongle with
| my laptop normally, but still able to be used in bios/uefi
| because it comes with a usb receiver as well as supporting
| bluetooth.
|
| That thing is pretty good in all those aspects, but it also has
| ^%$%#%% rgb lights, and the firmware in the keyboard defaults
| to a continuous disco show of changing colors. It's completely
| ridiculous.
|
| You need to use the software to shut the damned lights off, or
| really not merely off but make them function just as normal
| backlights.
|
| I'm not a gamer and do not want rgb lights, but I do want
| everything else about that keyboard, so a non-gamer needs an
| rgb gamer keyboard light control.
|
| It has to do it's thing on every power cycle too. The setting
| isn't saved in the keyboard, the software has to perform the
| action over and over, either everytime the pc boots or every
| time the keyboard loses power or every time the keyboard goes
| to sleep and wake, I don't remember exactly which. I don't use
| that keyboard any more. And that api is not exposed through
| normal HID. The special software has to talk via it's special
| interface.
|
| So that's another example.
| nosrepa wrote:
| G502
| bigstrat2003 wrote:
| Those are goofy "who cares" things, though. Doesn't mean you
| are wrong to want them, just they are very very niche use
| cases which almost nobody else is going to want.
| mardifoufs wrote:
| Is that why those mice sell well? Because no one cares
| about those features? Sure, they might be rarer but not as
| rare that you think they are just looking at the Amazon top
| selling charts.
| Brian_K_White wrote:
| Wanting a middle mouse button that can be clicked without
| scrolling the wheel is not goofy.
|
| It's the most basic function of a button that you can press
| it, and it alone.
|
| And I don't know how many more times I could have repeated
| that I wanted the control over a goofy feature only to
| disable it. The only way to make that into something
| dismissable is by saying "you should either just enjoy the
| 24/7 disco light show or use some other keyboard"
|
| Both are ridiculous invalid inconsiderate & ignorant. No
| one gets to tell anyone else that. It's perfectly
| reasonable to want a mechanical keyboard, or tenkeyless
| layout, or bios functionality, or bluetooth, and not rgb
| multicolor flashing lights. And it's perfectly valid to
| have landed on some particular model that is available that
| hits almost all the tickboxes one cares about and just have
| some particular thing that needs to be changed somehow.
|
| And all this whole thread answering the parent question is
| just explaining why the software exists and the fact that
| the normal driver interface does not handle these aspects
| of driving the hardware.
|
| Why in the world would you even care? What in the world is
| even the point of hearing that explaination of a simple
| technical thing, and trying to say "that's why you need it?
| so you don't need it then"? Like in what way does this
| affect you even the slightest?
|
| Where does that instinc come from? It sure is common
| though.
| CoastalCoder wrote:
| Since we're on the topic of Logitech keyboards, does anyone know
| of a _wired-only_ keyboard that has the same feel as the
| "Logitech MX Keys S Wireless"?
|
| I love this keyboard's feel, but I need to switch to wired-only
| for $reasons.
| bluGill wrote:
| If you can find mechanical switches you like that is your best
| option. Lacking that, nothing stops you from ripping out the
| electronics and putting in the controller from a mechanical
| keyboard. It would be a lot of work to trace the circuit board
| and figure out where to jump in (and what to cut out), but any
| mechanical keyboard controller should work (QMK seems to be the
| most popular today)
| Dennip wrote:
| Razer and Cherry both have low profile switches, apparently
| Kailh are also low profile.
| bluGill wrote:
| You seem to not have read/understood OP's problems. He
| stated mechanical switches are not what he wants. Now if
| you can suggest switches with a membrane feel that would be
| helpful - I'm not aware of any but I don't know everything.
| Dennip wrote:
| I figured that if they have the same feel as the
| membrane, them being mechanical is not relevant, as OP
| never gave a veto on mechanical options. I looked up the
| estimated travel and actuation pressures for those
| offerings in comparison to the Logitech.
| jdhawk wrote:
| It has PerfectStroke keys, so maybe the K740?
| CoastalCoder wrote:
| Thanks for the tip. There might be two issues with that
| particular model:
|
| (1) It's out of production AFAICT, and (2) one thing I really
| appreciate about the MX Keys is the indented key caps.
|
| IIUC, if I'm willing to put together my own keyboard, I can
| ensure it's wired-only and I can have the key caps that I
| like.
|
| The only remaining challenge at that point (I think) is
| finding switches with a similar feel. This is the part that's
| tripped me up in the past:
|
| I've bought a few switch testers (e.g., [0]), but all of the
| switches I tried were _way_ more clicky than I wanted. I
| really like the travel-distance, gentle landing, and
| relatively quiet action of the MX Keys.
|
| [0] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZK6LKZL
| CoastalCoder wrote:
| Thanks for the tip about PerfectStroke keys, btw.
|
| Based on [0], it sounds like what I'm looking for is
| something like "fake PerfectStroke" keys.
|
| [0] https://deskthority.net/wiki/Logitech_PerfectStroke
| ZeWaka wrote:
| Could you just disable the bluetooth chip? Depends on the
| specific reason, I suppose.
| CoastalCoder wrote:
| Interesting idea.
|
| If a keyboard has both wired-USB _and_ some wireless
| technology, it 's conceivable that physically disabling the
| wireless module(s) would be allowable.
|
| I guess there are two possible hurdles: (1) getting
| permission, and (2) finding a keyboard in which I can disable
| the wireless module without causing too much havoc with the
| rest of the electronics and/or with the firmware.
| xuhu wrote:
| AFAIK the keyboard in question only uses USB for charging. It
| can't send keys over the wire.
|
| That said, before getting the MX keys I bought a Dell 7440
| keyboard on ebay for $20, fastened it on top of a 6mm clear
| acrylic plate with M3 screws, along with a Teensy chip
| running kbd firmware:
|
| https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-a-USB-Laptop-
| Keybo...
| hommelix wrote:
| I'm happy with a Cherry G84 compact wired keyboard (G84-4100).
| Maybe it helps...
| bnycum wrote:
| Been using Solaar for a few years with a Logitech K400 keyboard
| with the built-in touchpad. Running on a Raspberry Pi connected
| to my TV. No issues and works very well. Have never even
| connected to Logitech's software on a Mac or Windows.
| mastazi wrote:
| Thanks to Solaar I hot my F1-F12 keys back on a Logitech keyboard
| that defaults to requiring Fn to use those (on Mac/Win you can
| change this using an app by Logitech). It's been working well for
| a long time. I suggest getting it from their own ppa because the
| version in your Linux distro might be pretty old
| nakedneuron wrote:
| same here! big kudos to the devs!
| sys_64738 wrote:
| Does anybody install the Logitech SW on their computer? Does it
| phone home?
| tecleandor wrote:
| Yep. I installed it in my work Mac and it's terrible. It phones
| home. It's huge. It tries to convince you to install other
| stuff. Off it goes.
| SlackingOff123 wrote:
| I haven't found a way to reconfigure the side buttons on my
| Logitech Lift Vertical without that bloated software
| permanently running in the background on Windows. I'm honestly
| afraid to check how much it phones home.
|
| I wish Solaar got ported to Windows.
| jklinger410 wrote:
| Flathub version here:
| https://flathub.org/apps/io.github.pwr_solaar.solaar
| whalesalad wrote:
| Been using this for years on my Debian 12 install and it's been
| very solid. Why it's on the homepage though is perplexing.
| gertlex wrote:
| Lightweight software that does one thing well always makes for
| a great casual conversation topic here. You learn how
| widespread knowledge of it it is or isn't. And, often adjacent
| tools that might be of interest are mentioned. Admittedly not
| "news".
| qmr wrote:
| Please port to Windows, I don't want 500mb of shitware to change
| settings on my mouse.
| shiroiushi wrote:
| The source code is available, so if you think this project is
| so important, you can do it yourself.
| rez9x wrote:
| I tried to get this to work a couple of times and gave up. I was
| trying to rebind a mouse button (back) to a macro and just gave
| up after a while. I ended up using the G Hub on a Mac and
| applying settings to the onboard config. I like the idea of
| Solaar, but the initial learning curve was more effort than I
| wanted to put in to rebind a single key.
| jwrallie wrote:
| If the button already has a function (like back) assigned to
| it, I think the input-remapper[0] software would work. That is
| what I use with my deathadder.
|
| [0] https://github.com/sezanzeb/input-remapper
| shlomo_z wrote:
| But does it have AI like Logitech's other products?
| pxc wrote:
| Is there anything like this on Windows? Logitech mice are mostly
| nice, but one of their major flaws is that their macro capability
| is not onboard but requires some kind of supplemental software
| like this, so even just binding a single button to multiple
| keystrokes as a chord is not possible without G-Hub.
|
| Linux has stuff like Solaar and Piper/libratbagd, which is great.
| For macOS, it looks like SteerMouse does quite nicely, even for
| mice with many extra buttons. So does G-Hub have any alternatives
| like this on Windows? It would make recommending Logitech mice to
| Windows-bound friends and family so much easier.
|
| (My favorite forever for these reasons was Roccat, _everything_
| their mice can do they can do onboard. Configure your mouse once
| and you can purge whatever software you 've used to do it if you
| don't like it, without limitations. But hardware quality control
| with them has long been iffy, and I think since their buyout by
| Turtle Beach it will only get worse.)
| KennyBlanken wrote:
| Their major flaw is that they purposefully use shitty switches
| that fail, sometimes within months. This is true even with
| their absurdly overpriced gaming mice.
|
| I have never had a mouse whose buttons failed until I bought a
| logitech. Every person I know raves about them until you ask
| them how many they've had to buy.
| WhyNotHugo wrote:
| Warranty will often get you a new one. I had a mouse fail
| about 2.5 years in and they sent a new one.
|
| OTOH, it speaks terribly of their quality; a mouse should
| work fine for 10-20 years, like some mice from 20 years ago.
| amlib wrote:
| Even 20 years ago mices weren't always that reliable. I
| used to have a Microsoft ball mouse from the late nineties
| and I remember the micro switch giving up after about 4
| years. Even the replacements (albeit much cheaper/more
| generic brands) from the time didn't fare better, but at
| least by that point they were all optical.
|
| And I say "replacements" because they all didn't last very
| long, until I got the memo and started buying decent stuff
| from brands like... logitech. And then there is the
| conundrum of going with something even more "premium" than
| a logitech, there's very little guarantee it's really gonna
| last. You may be paying twice as much for it but it still
| ends up lasting about as long.
| andix wrote:
| I can't confirm that. I have a few Logitech devices and they
| are still fine after years of heavy use (mx ergo, and master
| series).
| augusto-moura wrote:
| Same, been using a MX Vertical daily for almost 5 years now
| and, aside from flaking off the finish in some places, it
| works perfectly fine. Battery life is pretty good as well,
| I think I can avoid using a cable for months
| bongodongobob wrote:
| Nah, I deployed Logitech for ~300 users in a manufacturing
| environment for years and they were just fine. You got
| unlucky or are beating the shit out of them.
| dicknuckle wrote:
| Agree. It's rare to find a failed Logitech mouse.
| sebazzz wrote:
| It is actually quite common for some mice because
| logitech uses the wrong switches for a 3.3v logic level
| mouse.
| BenjiWiebe wrote:
| I have a drawer full of failed Logitech mice (about 10).
|
| They're mostly M100(?) mice from the MK120 combos. They
| basically all start doubleclicking eventually.
|
| They're not all from my personal computer though,
| probably from about 8 different PCs.
| kergonath wrote:
| I've had a MX1000 (which did not fail but had terrible
| battery life), a G7 (which double-clicked on the right
| button after 3 years), a G602 (which just stopped working
| one day), a G502 (which stopped clicking at all), and a
| G604 (same).
|
| I won't claim to be a statistically representative sample,
| but from my experience their high-end stuff is expected to
| break after between 2 to 3 years. I kept going back to them
| because the hardware is very nice when it works. I gave up
| and bought a Razer Naga about 3 years ago. Hopefully it
| fares better in the long run.
| burnt_toast wrote:
| Semi-agree. I've had 2 mx525s fail within ~6 months of
| purchase but I've also had a mx anywhere 2s that I bought
| used and got 3 years of usage out of it before I had to
| replace the switches.
|
| I wouldn't buy a cheap mouse from them again.
| homebrewer wrote:
| Three years is below what should be considered acceptable,
| let alone impressive. I got a bit over ten years of really
| heavy use out of a dirt-cheap Genius mouse ($3-4) before it
| had to be replaced, and not because of the switches but
| because of the physical wear of the case.
| okasaki wrote:
| I've used a G203 ($20) daily for 4 years and it works like
| new.
| Am4TIfIsER0ppos wrote:
| Like the others I can't say I have had a mouse button crap
| out on me. My problem is with the mouse wheels but I'm not
| sure if that is the manufacturer's problem or poor
| cleanliness on my part.
| jbd0 wrote:
| I bought some switches from aliexpress for my Logitech G203
| and replace them when they fail. I've had it for 5 years now.
| burkaman wrote:
| If you don't want to worry about this you can get an Asus
| mouse that is designed to be repairable:
| https://rog.asus.com/articles/gaming-keyboards-gaming-
| mice/g...
| leshenka wrote:
| Is there a same thing for macs? The native logitech solution
| requires me to install a .pkg and I'm not really a fan of it to
| say the least. I'd rather install something from homebrew.
| indymike wrote:
| Logitech used to have a Chrome plug-in that could manage their
| unifying devices.
| akerr wrote:
| I use BetterMouse:
| https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42457393
| mattfrommars wrote:
| For Linux pros here, can anyone explain how is this, in my
| understanding, driver implementation for Linux to be completely
| written in Python?
|
| My understanding is most for driver code is written in C or C++.
| The 'new' way of developing - the kernel development is in Rust.
|
| How can this work that is written in pure Python?
| wyager wrote:
| Probably they used LibUSB bindings or something
| zamadatix wrote:
| > Solaar is not a device driver and responds only to special
| messages from devices that are otherwise ignored by the Linux
| input system.
|
| The normal Linux drivers implement what's needed to receive the
| HID message. This just handles some vendor specific messages on
| top of that. A bit like how a program can send a custom vendor
| specific TCP message on top of the existing OS network drivers
| without having to itself be a kernel level network driver.
| indymike wrote:
| From the second sentence of the readme:
|
| _Solaar is not a device driver and responds only to special
| messages from devices that are otherwise ignored by the Linux
| input system_
|
| Sounds like this isn't working at the kernel level.
| dicknuckle wrote:
| It's a manager for the device's extra features, and pairing of
| dongles since that's not handled by the OS. It replaces a few
| of the typical Logitech applications that normally do this.
| gosub100 wrote:
| for a more general answer, if you rewind the clock back to the
| 80s and early 90s: a hardware device required setting a COM
| port or IRQ, which was often done by physically setting jumpers
| on the device, and the user was responsible for making sure
| that, e.g. IRQ21 wasn't already being used by the BIOS or
| another device on the system. Then, you'd install a device
| driver that knew the specific memory addresses to read/write to
| in order to communicate with the controller on the device,
| based on the proprietary way the company decided to do it.
|
| fast forward to today, and the hardware industry has made great
| advancements in standardizing how devices operate. memory-
| mapped I/O allows the OS to treat many device drivers the same,
| they just need to handle manipulation of the memory after it's
| read/written. for USB, the industry standardized on _device
| classes_ , so something either acts like a communication device
| (serial port, JTAG reader), an audio device, a video capture
| device, or in this case, an HID (human interface device). So
| based on the general characteristics of how the thing operates,
| the kernel can do 80% or more of the driver development for
| you. especially because of the linux credo that "everything is
| a file"
|
| you plug in a usb dongle and you get (hypothetically) a few
| files called /sys/class/hid/<serialnum>/{control, data}. so you
| could, say, change the RF channel of the dongle by writing a
| very specific value to the "control" file, which will get
| sucked in by the kernel and sent to the device. Or you could
| get raw kb/mouse data by catting the .../data file. this would
| in theory, allow you to write a device driver in python by
| connecting the .../data file to a read handler, processing the
| input (the hard part, which requires reverse engineering), and
| emitting the corresponding output, such as the OS command to
| move the mouse or generate a keyboard event.
|
| I made some generalizations here, but this is the main idea.
| kdmtctl wrote:
| I'd love to see this ported to Mac.
|
| Just discovered the bloody AI prompt builder enabled by default
| in my mouse driver today. After patiently declining input
| recording permission for months.
|
| Managed to get rid of the most of bloatware using their corporate
| "Offline" version which supposedly doesn't phone home and doesn't
| ask for extra permissions. YMMV.
|
| https://support.logi.com/hc/en-us/articles/11570501236119-Lo...
| thombles wrote:
| > AI prompt builder enabled by default in my mouse driver
|
| That's so wild I had to go and look up what that could possibly
| mean. What a world we live in. https://www.logitech.com/en-
| us/software/logi-ai-prompt-build...
| kdmtctl wrote:
| I didn't even check what it could be. I just got the rainbow
| cursor suddenly on boot, and the process name was enough to
| instantly uninstall the driver and search for a replacement.
| hedora wrote:
| What is a rainbow cursor?
|
| Do you mean the mac beach ball, or is it a misguided
| feature of the mouse?
| kdmtctl wrote:
| Beach ball, yes. I've started to call it rainbow cursor
| 30 years ago on air gapped Macs, and still reluctant to
| absorb any other names.
| gosub100 wrote:
| I worked at a fucking _air conditioner_ manufacturer, and
| sure as shit they had an AI developer. people are huffing
| some strong shit.
| KennyBlanken wrote:
| At least it's not actual spyware.
|
| https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29056847
|
| Wacom's drivers collect and send both application _and window
| title names_ to them. It still does, even after all the
| outrage.
| drdaeman wrote:
| How on Earth they're not sued into oblivion?
| terminalbraid wrote:
| But you agreed to it in the ToS when you installed it. You
| can disable this however (before it was discovered you
| could not).
| guiambros wrote:
| Yet.
| akerr wrote:
| I use BetterMouse with my MX Anywhere 3S and it does everything
| I need it to. It's a few dollars but it has a trial and is
| available via Homebrew.
|
| https://better-mouse.com
| OptionOfT wrote:
| Logitech implements the forward and backwards buttons on macOS
| in a REALLY weird way. It simulates swipe events. And you
| cannot set them to the default Mouse Forward and Mouse Backward
| (M4/M5). https://superuser.com/a/1216049
|
| On Windows that is what I do to make sure behavior is
| consistent across applications.
| kristofferR wrote:
| Oh awesome, so that's why Logitech mice work so much better
| than other mice in macOS. Cool project:
|
| https://sensible-side-buttons.archagon.net/
| pparanoidd wrote:
| "Mac Mouse Fix" or "Better Mouse" does everything I need on my
| MX Master 3S
| gbil wrote:
| Solaar works on Mac with some tries, at least for me the best
| approach was to get the repo and run the binary directly
| instead of trying to install it
| dkmar wrote:
| Just switched from logi options to Steer Mouse myself.
|
| You can map the buttons and add chords. The only thing it might
| lack is being able to use mouse movement as a trigger (eg hold
| the back button and move left to change spaces). Still looking
| for it
|
| https://plentycom.jp/en/steermouse/
| kergonath wrote:
| SteerMouse is fantastic. I've been using it for about 20
| years now.
| kstrauser wrote:
| I switched about a year ago. After about two days of trying
| it, I was throwing money at them. It's sooooo much better
| than Logitech's enormous blob, and actually
| looks/acts/feels like a Mac app. It was totally worth the
| small price.
| rational_indian wrote:
| What is the average lifespan of a logitech gaming mouse? I bought
| 3 over the years and the average life span has been around 2
| years.
| leeoniya wrote:
| im currently struggling to pair MX mice (anywhere S2 and S3) and
| keyboard via bluetooth in endeavourOS.
|
| works okay with intel ax-210 chipaet/driver on one machine but on
| another machine i can only get both to pair to a bluetooth 4 (le)
| dongle but not bluetooth 5+ chipset (realtek or intel 9560). not
| sure if bluez bug or btusb driver or smth :(
|
| any tips?
| hedora wrote:
| Huh. I bought a Rii brand keyboard/trackpad combo for my couch
| because logitech and all other brands I'd heard of only have
| humorously bad form factors or are out of business (like
| gyration).
|
| Bullet dodged.
| LarsDu88 wrote:
| I'm using this right now! It's awesome!
| LarsDu88 wrote:
| Did not realize it was written in python of all things!
| Inspiring me to right now to write more FOSS software!
| buserror wrote:
| I use for pairing etc and it's great, but the rule editor is just
| completely bonkers. I tried several times to add a gesture move
| for the 'gesture' button on my 3S, and eventually gave up!
|
| Seems you need to know the exact keycodes, or names, or whatever
| key you want to use. Like XF86_MonBrightnessUp. Want to add a
| combo? not sure how to do that either.
| jdndjfhdbr wrote:
| I don't get the use case for this, all Logitech keyboard and mice
| are supported with the default USB/Bluetooth HID drivers shipped
| by any OS in the last 20 years
| dmm wrote:
| You're right. It's not a driver. It's a configuration tool. I
| use it to associate devices with the little dongles.
| aorth wrote:
| Thanks! This is timely. I just spent an hour of my working
| morning fiddling with my Ergo K860 keyboard after changing it
| from Bluetooth to Unifying receiver. Having to find the secret
| reset key sequence, swapping ports, restarting everything, argh!
| teekert wrote:
| I only buy Logitech because Solaar exist. It would be nice if
| they'd get some kickback. I just feel like it needs an AI prompt
| builder and then it's finished.
| superb_dev wrote:
| Was the AI prompt builder sarcastic or a serious suggestion? I
| can't figure out how any AI fits into my mouse configuration
| utility
| teekert wrote:
| Sorry, it's absolutely sarcastic. I thought I wasn't able to
| couple my MX Keys to the Bolt dongle and the MX Master 3S to
| the "Unifying" dongle because I needed Windows (but no, it's
| by design!). So I grab my wife's laptop, install that
| Logitech garbage and it greets me with an AI prompt builder.
| I was like that Picard Gif, squared. Unbelievable.
| superb_dev wrote:
| It seemed so ridiculous that I thought it must be sarcastic
| but you never know with how rabid AI people are. Absolutely
| insane that they included that in the official software!
| teekert wrote:
| Yeah, I mean what is the thought process here?
|
| - Lets build a plug-in that can put an AI prompt builder
| under a mouse button!
|
| - But nobody would download and use it!
|
| - You're right, lets force-feed it through our main app!
| bbutkovic wrote:
| I have been using this for my ancient MX Master 2s for quite some
| time now.
|
| I use it mostly to adjust the point where the scrollwheel no
| longer ratchets and just freewheels (Logitech put an electrically
| actuated lever that controls the ratchet into their mice), Solaar
| has an option to tune it, it works amazingly.
|
| Not to mention how you can bind keyboard shortcuts to specific
| "gestures" using the palm button.
|
| Solaar is awesome, thank you, Solaar devs!
| ensocode wrote:
| That looks great, thanks. Just for info: if needed only for
| pairing dongles there is an even more lightweight approach
| https://lekensteyn.nl/logitech-unifying.html
| BiteCode_dev wrote:
| Good software, simple, does what it says.
|
| I rarely need it; now BT mice work quite well, but sometimes, to
| avoid pairing one mouse with a new device (and losing the
| previous one), I will use it.
| mathfailure wrote:
| How does its functionality differ from the logiops package?
| steakscience wrote:
| It's so good in fact that I wish it existed for macOS so I
| wouldn't need to use the official Logitech crap
| terminalbraid wrote:
| The Logitch Options+ is super hot garbage I tried _once_. The
| regular "Options" I don't find to be as obtrusive. But I would
| use this in a heartbeat if it existed.
| Rebelgecko wrote:
| If you look on their GitHub there's a WIP Mac version you can
| try
| adamtaylor_13 wrote:
| I love my Logitech G602/502 series but after they killed the line
| it's time for my money to go to a company that values me.
|
| The problem is, I LOVE my 8-programmable buttons and there isn't
| another mouse I've been able to find that approaches the number
| of buttons and ergonomics of the G602.
|
| The price I'm willing to pay for the right mouse is absurdly
| high, but it isn't $200 for a mouse that dies within a year due
| to shitty switches.
| Am4TIfIsER0ppos wrote:
| What does this offer me over piper and libratbag? I only need
| something to configure the extra 2 buttons on my mouse. If it has
| its own profiles or a command line interface then I would see
| some value in using it myself.
| mzajc wrote:
| I like this a lot, and the rule editor is able to create some
| very powerful workflows.
|
| My mouse has two side buttons, and I bind one of them plus
| scrollwheel to virtual desktop switching. Unfortunately this
| takes complete control of your scrollwheel, so you need to
| experiment with the rules a little in order to avoid performance
| issues.
|
| Honorable mention: https://github.com/PixlOne/logiops/, although
| its rules are much less powerful.
| deadbunny wrote:
| Piper[1] has always worked for me. Granted I only use wired mice.
|
| 1. https://github.com/libratbag/piper
| yapyap wrote:
| I like Solaar more than the actual Logitech shit actually cuz 1.
| you can see actual battery % and 2. you can set actual dpi
| numbers instead of a f*king slider like the actual logitech app,
| like the software department for logitech should get fired just
| for that.
| rafaelmn wrote:
| One thing I'm kind of surprised by is that the custom mouse space
| is so empty, compared to custom keyboard scene.
|
| I would like to have some custom micro controller/ZMK based mouse
| that I can pair with say my wireless split keyboard. Logitech has
| OK hardware but they don't have basic functionality like sync
| switching between devices - this would easily be handled by OSS
| firmware.
| mmazzanti wrote:
| I've wanted the same for a while. I think there are two main
| restrictions:
|
| - Mouse bodies are harder to make, since they generally have
| more complex curves compared to a flat keyboard. 3d printing
| helps a lot, but you don't get the same durability or quality
| as injection molding
|
| - Mouse sensors are strangely hard to find. The "good" sensors
| on a lot of the high-end mice are difficult to find as
| individual components. From a quick look at what custom mice
| exist, they'll often cannibalize an existing mouse for
| components rather than order things from say DigiKey, like you
| can for keyboard components
| bjoli wrote:
| Does anyone know of a good program to help tweak the mx ergo on
| linux? I have some xinput tweaks, but I feel I am leaving much on
| the table - probably by not really understanding xinput. It is
| also soooo much more comfortable to use the trackball on my mac
| where I have the Logitech software installed.
| jlarocco wrote:
| It's a shame vendor specific software like this is necessary.
|
| I wonder why setting DPI and stuff like that were never added to
| the standards so the baseline drivers can use them?
| FrameworkFred wrote:
| I use solaar with a mx master 3s and it's great (thumbscrolling
| works as it should) except the mouse battery level indicator is
| uncalibrated...20% at the highest, then it's quickly at 5% where
| it stays for-e-ver.
|
| I gas-up my car when my tank is below 1/4, so it's a little
| disconcerting to have a red battery indicator with an exclamation
| point on it...not enough to actually want to use it with the
| cable plugged in, but still...
| ComputerGuru wrote:
| Out-of-the-box Linux distributions give me a desktop notification
| when my 17-year-old MX mouse (connected via unifying dongle) is
| low on battery. Does anyone know how to get this on Windows?
| Nothing worse than the battery dying mid-use.
| porkloin wrote:
| Slowly but surely, desktop Linux is developing an ecosystem of
| quality of life applications like this that make using common
| peripherals and stuff on Linux not feel so bad.
|
| Some of my other current favorites are:
|
| - CoolerControl (https://gitlab.com/coolercontrol/coolercontrol)
| - fan control/curve designer/temp sensor overview tool. Seriously
| awesome tool!
|
| - LACT (https://github.com/ilya-zlobintsev/LACT) - AMD GPU tool
| for overclocking, etc. Anything you would do with the radeon app
| on windows
|
| - BoatSwain (https://flathub.org/apps/com.feaneron.Boatswain) -
| Elgato StreamDeck tool
___________________________________________________________________
(page generated 2024-12-19 23:01 UTC)