Debian HOW-TO: Logitech MX

Logitech MX series mouses are good. Here is how to get them working in Linux.

This HOW-TO is tailored for the MX500, on Debian GNU/Linux, but the principles are the same for most multi buttons mice, as well as for most distros.

Just replace your mouse section in /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 or /etc/X11/xorg.conf with this one,


For XFree86 4.3 and Xorg 6.8.2 (ex: Debian Sarge, Suse 10.0, Fedora Core 4, etc.)

Section "InputDevice"
   Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
   Driver          "mouse"
   Option          "CorePointer"
   Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/mice"
   Option          "Protocol"              "ExplorerPS/2"
   Option          "Resolution"            "800"
   Option          "Buttons"               "7"
   Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "4 5"
EndSection

or this other one,


For Xorg 6.9 and Xorg 7.0 (Debian Etch, Fedora Core 5, etc.)

Section "InputDevice"
   Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
   Driver          "mouse"
   Option          "CorePointer"
   Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/mice"
   Option          "Protocol"              "ExplorerPS/2"
   Option          "Resolution"            "800"
   Option          "Buttons"               "10"
   Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "4 5"
   Option          "ButtonMapping"         "1 2 3 6 7"
EndSection

That's it, all the buttons will work perfectly in Mozilla and Mozilla Firefox (even those back/forward buttons on the side).

For back/forward to work properly in Konqueror, you have to set up "imwheel", but that is left as an exercice.

Thanks to:
http://www.cs.cornell.edu/~djm/ubuntu/#enable-5button-mouse
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=901985#post901985