Touchegg App Adds Multi-Touch Trackpad Feature to Ubuntu

Apple's Macbook and Macbook Pro laptop are popular for many reasons, one of which is the multi-touch trackpad. A multi-touch trackpad is a trackpad that accepts input from multiple touches, such as two or three fingers. This feature allows users to perform normal computing tasks, such as minimizing and maximizing windows, with simple single-hand motions.

Though Windows is yet to offer multi-touch trackpad use, the Touchegg app has brought this feature to Ubuntu, as well as other compatible Linux distros. This app, like nearly all other Linux apps, is free to download from its project website at Google Code.

The download is available as a .deb file designed specifically for Ubuntu, though it will also run on Debian, which also uses .deb files. Simply download the .deb file and double-click to install. If you don't have Ubuntu but want to give Touchegg a try, you can also download the raw source code and compile it using the Terminal in your personal distro.

Once installed, it will be preset with basic window actions, such as a three-finger pinch to minimize a window. You can change what the different finger moves and swipes mean by changing the configuration file (which is easier than it sounds), but you can't change the movements themselves. Touchegg is programmed to recognize nine different finger movements and commands. You can learn those commands by visiting the Touchegg wiki manual Gestures page.

The nine gestures include: a 2/3/4/5 finger tap, a 2/3/4/5 drag up, down and side to side, and a three-finger pinch, which is a three-finger movement where the bottom finger moves away from the other two fingers.

There are no currently known issues or bugs with Toughegg, though that is likely due to the new status of the app. I tested this app on my Ubuntu install, which was recently updated to 10.10, and experienced no errors or issues. The program worked as advertised, and was very responsive to touch, though it does take some practice to get the finger movements right. If you come across a bug during your normal usage, you can email the developer via the app's project page, or submit the bug on the project page's Issue section. Click "New Issue" and report the problem as clearly and concisely as possible.

If you enjoy Touchegg, you might also want to check out EggWM, which is a Linux Windows Manager based on QT4 developed by the creator of Touchegg.