Option for no touchpad?

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Does just disabling the touchpad not work for you? Looks like it can be disabled in windows. But be sure you have Framework’s drivers installed, otherwise you may not have all settings available [RESPONDED] Jumping - Disappearing Cursor - Track Pad - #9 by MJ1

Framework has not mentioned plans to create a blank palmrest. It’s possible that someone from the community could create a 3d printed one.

@ mods, perhaps merge this thread with Option for no touchpad?

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Windows has a way to disable the track pad but Linux doesn’t always have that feature through the GUI. Something I often have done with my Windows laptops but to be able to have no track pad would completely eliminate the problem entirely as well as offer a nice clean aesthetic. Given the modularity of the Framework 16 laptop this could be a lot easier to accomplish.

Most laptops make this task more of an issue as often the track pad is glued in or in the case of some laptops screwed in with about 15 or 20 microscopic screws that an accidental breath could send them flying across the room(magnetic pads definitely required).

Thanks for the suggestion. I suppose I could use my 3D printer to make a blank mod for the palm rest.

The difficult thing would bring able to model it and have it fit properly. I’m not an artist nor have I ever 3D modeled anything on my own before though.

I suppose I would have to buy one to see if I could do it. I know my new Ankermake 3D printer would be up to the task but my own skills aren’t there yet.

I wonder if someone has made one for the 13 inch model which I could size up to the 16 inch. :thinking:

I would also love no trackpad, IF there was a keyboard with a trackpoint option as @Kris_Bright mentioned. I will be using my Framework with Linux only, and am concerned about the possibility of trackpad interfering when resting palm during typing.

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Some distros have the option to disable the touchpad during typing. Linux Mint has it right in the touchpad system settings GUI. If yours doesn’t have that, you’ll have to hunt around for a way to do it, or switch to a distro which offers it. Which distro are you using?

I will be using openSuse mainly, but will probably try Arch as well. A quick google search suggests openSuse doesn’t have a way to disable trackpad when typing, but I’ll be able to know more after experimenting myself once I have the laptop.

It doesn’t seem like a keyboard with trackpoint will happen anytime soon, if ever, so I will be glad to contribute to the community by contributing some software solution for this.

If I were to bet, I’d say it will happen at some point, in some form. Maybe only a DIY option with quite a bit of effort involved. But I could see a 3rd party ready-to-go trackpoint keyboard being offered for sale. Depends on how things align.

If Framework can make single-key modules available, then it would seem much easier and more likely to see custom keyboard for sale.

Since I’m building a custom chassis, I am using a ThinkPad USB keyboard without a touchpad to do this. Not sure if Framework will provide support for this ever.

@MJ1 Thank you so much for linking to that post. That gives me hope for future possibility of a keyboard with trackpoint, and so much more.

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Peaked my interest. Have this documented anywhere?

Would love this, no use for a touchpad on a laptops for most users. I get why they need to provide one as a default but would be great to upgrade to a more useful module or even nothing at all

Pardon?!?

I’d love to see some proof on that.

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Purely anectotal. I don’t know of anyone that uses a laptop without a plug-in mouse. Especially with laptops intended to be used for work / gaming, using a touchpad would be impossible. I personally don’t even like using them for light browsing, too finicky.

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Totally agree. Under Linux, I wrote a script to disable the touchpad on my latitude. Just a matter to remove the driver really. Check what is registered with:

xinput --list

and disable it. But I’ll be using wayland in future, so don’t really know how to handle it there yet :}

If you’re ever in the UK, I’ll give you a tour of the office! :rofl:

90% use the TouchPad, the rest are split between a mouse and a ThinkPad TrackPoint.

Complete opposite for us in out office. Tiny tasks take so much longer just by using a trackpad. We provide out WFH team members with mice as a standard.

Would be great to have the option for that extra customisability with the FW 16. Even if it’s purely cosmetic. Especially if using an off centered keyboard, having to use an off-centered trackpad with the 2 thin metal strips to 1 side i a bit of an eyesore, would be great to have the option of 1 solid piece of metal to cover the bottom.

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Eyesore is a over-egging it a bit. It’s ergonomically adjustable so keeps you healthy. Which I discovered was important after getting a trapped nerve in my neck…

A touchpad, especially one with no physical button is just unusable for a lot of people including me. As long as there is no option for a touchpoint (like a thinkpad) it means an external mouse is required.
I usually just disable the touchpad in the bios (when possible) or by software when it’s the only solution as it just gets in the way when typing.
I might also consider a flat panel to replace the touchpad if it’s available.

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Linux and as far as I know any other Unix based operating system requires 3 buttons. How do you even make it work with a touchpad with no physical button ??

Tap with 1 finger = left button
Tap with 2 fingers = right button
Tap with 3 fingers = middle button

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Libinput#Tappin_Button_re-mapping

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Not sure what difference it would make to ergonomics. I love the customiability option, howveer I would love the ability to have 1 metal piece instead of the 2. However it possible to go one step further and have 1 metal piece for the whole bottom half, that would be amazing. Extra cusomisability can’t be bad?


image source: The Verge article The Framework Laptop 16 promises the ‘holy grail’ of upgradable graphics - The Verge

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