Fix Logitech LIFT Side/Thumb Buttons on Linux Mint

[DawnFire42]

Fix Logitech LIFT Mouse Side Buttons on Linux Mint

Problem: Logitech LIFT side buttons only trigger on RELEASE instead of PRESS, causing delays and breaking game compatibility.

Solution: Install logiops + disable horizontal scrolling in libinput.

Note: This disables horizontal scrolling on your mouse (the hold-thumb-button + scroll gesture). This trade-off is required for the side buttons to fire immediately on press.

Tested on: Linux Mint 21.x / 22.x (should also work on Ubuntu and other Debian-based distros with X11)

---

Table of Contents

• TL;DR (Quick Setup)
• Prerequisites
• Why This Happens
• Step-by-Step Solution
• Troubleshooting
• Critical Files Reference
• Sources

---

TL;DR (Quick Setup)

For experienced users — copy-paste ready:

# 1. Install logiops
sudo apt install logiops

# 2. Create config (adjust device name if needed - see Troubleshooting)
sudo tee /etc/logid.cfg << 'EOF'
devices: (
{
    name: "LIFT For Business";
    hiresscroll: { hires: true; invert: false; target: false; };
    buttons: (
        { cid: 0x0053; action: { type: "Keypress"; keys: ["BTN_SIDE"]; }; },
        { cid: 0x0056; action: { type: "Keypress"; keys: ["BTN_EXTRA"]; }; }
    );
}
);
EOF

# 3. Disable horizontal scrolling in libinput (add option to pointer & keyboard sections)
sudo sed -i '/Identifier "libinput pointer catchall"/,/EndSection/ s/Driver "libinput"/Driver "libinput"\n\tOption "HorizontalScrolling" "false"/' /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-libinput.conf
sudo sed -i '/Identifier "libinput keyboard catchall"/,/EndSection/ s/Driver "libinput"/Driver "libinput"\n\tOption "HorizontalScrolling" "false"/' /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-libinput.conf

# 4. Enable and start service
sudo systemctl enable --now logid

# 5. Allow passwordless restart for autostart
sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/logid-restart << 'EOF'
%sudo ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/systemctl restart logid
EOF

# 6. Create autostart entry
mkdir -p ~/.config/autostart
cat > ~/.config/autostart/logid-restart.desktop << 'EOF'
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Restart logid for mouse
Exec=bash -c "sleep 5 && sudo systemctl restart logid"
Hidden=false
NoDisplay=true
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
EOF

Log out and log back in to apply the libinput changes. A full reboot also works but isn't strictly necessary.

Note: The sed commands assume a fresh libinput config. If you've modified it before, use the manual steps below instead.

---

Prerequisites

Requirement	Details
OS	Linux Mint 21.x / 22.x (also works on Ubuntu and Debian-based distros with X11)
Mouse	Logitech LIFT or LIFT For Business
Connection	USB receiver or Bolt encrypted receiver

---

Why This Happens

The Logitech LIFT has a "horizontal scrolling" gesture feature: hold a thumb button + scroll the wheel to scroll horizontally. To detect this gesture, the mouse firmware buffers button press events until it determines whether you're:

1. Just clicking the button (triggers on release)
2. Performing a gesture (hold + scroll)

This behavior exists on Windows too but can be disabled in Logitech Options+. On Linux, we need logiops to intercept and immediately fire button events, combined with disabling the horizontal scroll gesture in libinput.

---

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Install logiops

Install via Software Manager or terminal:

sudo apt install logiops

Step 2: Create logiops Configuration

Create the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/logid.cfg

Paste the following content:

devices: (
{
    name: "LIFT For Business";

    hiresscroll: {
        hires: true;
        invert: false;
        target: false;
    };

    buttons: (
        {
            cid: 0x0053;
            action: {
                type: "Keypress";
                keys: ["BTN_SIDE"];
            };
        },
        {
            cid: 0x0056;
            action: {
                type: "Keypress";
                keys: ["BTN_EXTRA"];
            };
        }
    );
}
);

Save and exit (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).

Note: The device name must match your mouse exactly. Common names are:

• "LIFT For Business" (business/Bolt receiver version)
• "LIFT VERTICAL ERGONOMIC MOUSE" (consumer version)

See Troubleshooting to find your mouse's exact name.

Step 3: Disable Horizontal Scrolling in libinput

Edit the libinput configuration:

sudo nano /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-libinput.conf

Add Option "HorizontalScrolling" "false" to the pointer and keyboard sections:

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "libinput pointer catchall"
        MatchIsPointer "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "libinput"
        Option "HorizontalScrolling" "false"   # ← Add this line
EndSection

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "libinput keyboard catchall"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "libinput"
        Option "HorizontalScrolling" "false"   # ← Add this line
EndSection

Leave the touchpad, touchscreen, and tablet sections unchanged.

Note: This disables horizontal scrolling on your mouse (the hold-thumb-button + scroll gesture). This trade-off is required for the side buttons to fire immediately on press.

Step 4: Enable and Start logid Service

# Enable and start logid
sudo systemctl enable --now logid

# Verify it's running (should show "active (running)")
sudo systemctl status logid

Step 5: Set Up Auto-Restart on Login

The logid service sometimes needs to restart after the mouse reconnects. This autostart script handles that.

1. Allow passwordless restart:

sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/logid-restart << 'EOF'
%sudo ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/systemctl restart logid
EOF

2. Create autostart entry:

mkdir -p ~/.config/autostart

cat > ~/.config/autostart/logid-restart.desktop << 'EOF'
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Restart logid for mouse
Exec=bash -c "sleep 5 && sudo systemctl restart logid"
Hidden=false
NoDisplay=true
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
EOF

This waits 5 seconds after login (giving the mouse time to connect), then restarts logid.

Step 6: Log Out (or Reboot) and Test

Log out and log back in to apply the libinput changes. A full reboot also works but isn't strictly necessary.

# Option A: Log out from your desktop menu

# Option B: Full reboot
sudo reboot

After logging back in, test your side buttons — they should respond immediately on press.

---

Troubleshooting

Verify Device Name

Run logid in verbose mode to see your mouse's exact name:

sudo logid -v

Move the mouse and press buttons to ensure it's detected. Look for a line showing the device name. Update /etc/logid.cfg if your name differs.

Bolt Receiver Tip: If using the encrypted Bolt receiver, move and click immediately after running the command. Otherwise, logid may only see the receiver and timeout before detecting the mouse.

Test Button Events with evtest

Install and run evtest:

sudo apt install evtest
sudo evtest

Select your mouse device, then press the thumb buttons. Verify:

• Button press events fire immediately on press (not on release)
• Events show as BTN_SIDE / BTN_EXTRA (not keyboard keys)

Check logid Service Logs

# View recent logs
journalctl -u logid -n 50

# Follow logs in real-time
journalctl -u logid -f

Buttons Still Delayed?

1. Verify the device name in /etc/logid.cfg matches exactly
2. Restart the service: sudo systemctl restart logid
3. Check if horizontal scrolling is disabled in libinput config
4. Reboot to ensure all changes take effect

---

Critical Files Reference

File	Purpose
/etc/logid.cfg	logiops configuration
/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-libinput.conf	libinput configuration
/etc/sudoers.d/logid-restart	Passwordless restart permission
~/.config/autostart/logid-restart.desktop	Auto-restart on login

---

Sources

• Linux Mint Forums Discussion
• logiops GitHub Repository
• logiops Configuration Wiki
• Solaar Issue #2883
• Disabling Horizontal Scroll on Ubuntu