TrackPoint

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IBM TrackPoint

IBM TrackPoint

The TrackPoint is IBMs name for the stick that sits between the g, h and b keys of the keyboard. It is used as a pointing device and hence as an alternative to an external mouse or a touchpad. What sets it apart from devices found in notebooks of other manufacturers is that it has no moving parts. It works using a solid state strain gauge. Its tap-to-click feature, which means that you can tap the stick to do a left click instead of using the left mouse button, is also handy.

Modern kernels (after Oct 2005) fully support the TrackPoint.

Configuration

If you are using GNOME, you might want to use configure-trackpoint as a graphical frontend.

Obsolete notes

The TrackPoint uses the PS/2 interface, so it is supported by the standard psaux mouse input driver included in the Linux kernel.

Modern kernels (after Oct 2005), also support TrackPoint-specific support is also part of the regular PS/2 Mouse support.

Note that the "IMPS/2" driver of the X server is incompatible with most TrackPoints. You'll have to use "PS/2" in the protocol option of your input section if your mouse pointer always jumps to the lower left corner of the screen. This seems to be solved with the T4x generation of ThinkPads.

To make use of advanced features like configuring sensitivity or enabling "tap-to-click" there are different solutions available depending on the kernel you are using.

Models featuring this Technology

TrackPoint

  • ThinkPad 220 (if that's what the original trackpoint is)

TrackPoint II

TrackPoint III

TrackPoint IV

External Sources