Make The Linux Mouse Work Like It Does In Windows (or Mac OSX)
Updated: 28-Jun-2016
If you are switching from Windows or OSX to Linux, you may be irritated by the fact that with some versions of Linux, the mouse behaves differently. By default, when you first install Windows, the mouse (cursor) requires a double-click to open an application, and a single-click to open a link in a web browser. Although the mouse, under the Linux Gnome, MATE and Cinnamon desktops behaves the same way as it does in Windows, when using the KDE desktop, by default, a single-click is used for everything.
Two-finger scrolling with a touchpad works the same in Linux as in Windows, but it's upside down from the way it works in OSX.
In the interest of easing your transition to Linux, here is how you change the mouse-click and scrolling behavior so that it works the way you expect. Each Linux distribution can have a slightly different menu selection, but these three examples will guide you in the right direction.
Ubuntu-MATE Linux 16.04
- From the menus, select System, then Control Center.
- Click the Mouse icon to open the Mouse Preferences pane.
- Change the mouse settings to change the way the mouse behaves.
- Select the Touchpad tab to change the touchpad scroll behavior.
- Change the scrolling properties allowed by your particular touchpad, trackpad or clickpad hardware. ("Natural scrolling" works like it does on OSX.)
Linux Mint MATE or Cinnamon 17.3
- Click the Menu button on the panel, then click on the System Settings (Control Center) icon.
- Click the Mouse and Touchpad icon to open the Mouse and Touchpad preferences pane.
- Change the mouse settings to change the way the mouse behaves.
- Select the Touchpad tab to change the touchpad scroll behavior.
- Change the scrolling properties allowed by your particular touchpad, trackpad or clickpad hardware. ("Natural scrolling" works like it does on OSX.)
openSuSE 10.1
- Click the K-menu and choose Personal Settings.
- Select Peripherals, Mouse.
- On the General tab, select the radio button next to "Double-click to open files and folders (select icons on first click)"
