Configuring the Mouse

Use the Mouse preference tool to configure the mouse to suit your needs. To open the Mouse preference tool, choose Applications -> Desktop Preferences -> Mouse. The Mouse Preferences dialog is displayed.

To Configure the Behavior of the Mouse

The following sections describe how to modify the behavior of the mouse to suit your needs.

To Configure the Mouse for Left-Handed Use

To configure the mouse for left-handed use, click on the Buttons tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog, then select the Left-handed mouse option. When you select this option, the system swaps the functions of the left mouse button and the right mouse button immediately.

To Configure the Double-Click Behavior

If you have difficulty double-clicking, you can increase the period of time that the system allows to elapse between the first click and the second click of a double-click. For example, if the double-click timeout setting is 0.4 seconds, you must perform the second click of a double-click within 0.4 seconds of the first click. If the second click occurs more than 0.4 seconds after the first click, the system interprets the two clicks as two single clicks.

To configure the double-click timeout setting, perform the following steps:

1. Click on the Buttons tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog.

2. Use the Delay slider to specify the timeout in seconds that the system allows between the two clicks of a double-click.

3. Double-click on the light bulb to the right of the slider to test the setting. If you perform the two clicks of the double-click within the timeout specified, the light bulb lights up fully to display a yellow glow around the bulb. If you do not double-click within the timeout specified, the light bulb does not light fully. You should increase the timeout setting and try again. When the light bulb lights, the timeout setting is suitable for your needs.

To Configure the Speed and Sensitivity of the Mouse

To configure the speed and sensitivity of the mouse, perform the following steps:

1. Click on the Motion tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog.

2. Configure the following options:

   Acceleration

   Use the slider to specify the speed at which the mouse pointer moves around the screen when you move your mouse.

   If you select a low setting, the mouse pointer moves at a speed similar to the speed at which you are physically moving the mouse. This means that you need to physically move the mouse larger distances to cover the screen area. If you select a high setting, the mouse pointer moves at a faster speed than the speed at which you are physically moving the mouse. This means that you need to physically move the mouse small distances to cover the screen area.

   Sensitivity

   Use the slider to specify how sensitive the mouse pointer is to movements of your mouse.

   Threshold

   Use the slider to specify the distance that you must move an item before the system interprets the move action as a drag-and-drop action.

To Locate the Mouse Pointer

If you have difficulty locating the mouse pointer on the screen, you can enable an option to highlight the pointer when you press the Control key. To enable this option, click on the Cursors tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog, then select the Show position of cursor when the Control key is pressed option. When you press Control, the system displays an animation around the pointer to highlight the pointer.

To Configure the Mouse Pointer

The following sections describe how to modify the display characteristics of the pointer.

To Change the Pointer

To select the type of pointer that is displayed on the desktop, perform the following steps:

1. Click on the Cursors tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog.

2. Select one of the following themes from the pointer themes that are listed in the Cursor Theme list box:

   • Default Cursor

     Displays the default black pointer.

   • White Cursor

     Displays a white pointer that is the same size as the default pointer.

   • Large Cursor

     Displays a large black pointer.

   • Large White Cursor

     Displays a large white pointer.

3. To change the pointer theme, you must log out of your session and log in again.

To Stop the Cursor Blinking

To stop the cursor blinking in text boxes and fields, perform the following steps:

1. Choose Applications -> Desktop Preferences -> Accessibility -> Keyboard to start the Keyboard Accessibility preference tool.

2. Click on the Repeat Key Preferences button. The Keyboard Preferences dialog is displayed.

3. In the Keyboard tabbed section, deselect the Blinks in text boxes and fields option.

To Use the Keyboard to Emulate the Mouse

If you have difficulty using a mouse, you can use the keyboard to emulate the mouse functions. See To Enable the Keyboard to Emulate the Mouse of this manual for more information.