What do you think are the best mice for use with linux?

What factors do you think are most important in selecting a mouse? (eg precision, build quality, comfort, other)

Price is optional

  • www-gem@lemmy.ml
    0·
    6 months ago

    Quite recently I moved to my first trackball (Elecom Deft Pro) and that was a life changer. I’ve shared my experience here.

  • edinbruh@feddit.it
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    6 months ago

    To me Logitech mice are usually so much better than others that I wouldn’t even look at other brands unless I was looking for an ultra specific feature. The cons are the pricing and I think modern Logitech mice use less durable switches than a few years ago.

    They would need special vendor software nog available on Linux, but solaar is pretty good and for my logi keyboard it even offers features that Logitech’s software doesn’t (swap function and fn keys, map fn+right/left as Home and End).

    Specifically, to me they are better because I still enjoy the build quality and because I need a feature that only pricey Logitech mice (and my out-of-production cheaper mouse) have. Which is connecting with both Bluetooth and an HID compatible dongle, and switch between devices with a button. Some other mice have the switching functionality, but they only have Bluetooth, and I also need the dongle.

    The wheel that goes brrrr is also cool, but I don’t have that.

    Beware of rubber coated mice, the rubber will eventually come off. You can try to super glue it back on. You might need to get a new device, but mine is out of production, and the cheapest mouse with the feature I need now costs like 60€ which I’m not going to spend.

    • phoh@lemmy.mlOP
      0·
      6 months ago

      yes i have a logitech. i really like it - other than the side button issue mentioned elsewhere (probably my fault as others has noted). they seem to be often recommended - including in this thread - but i was wondering if there were other high quality mice i hadnt heard of.

  • 404@lemmy.zip
    0·
    6 months ago

    I was looking for a mouse recently. My priorities were:

    • Comfortable (i.e. vertical; after getting used to it I’m not looking back)
    • Standard format replaceable battery, since built-ins always end up depleting or swelling and being hard to replace
    • Nice scroll wheel (highly subjective though)
    • Easy switching between Linux and Windows systems
    • Small-ish, portable

    I got the Logitech Lift. I am pleasantly surprised by how nice it is.

    Granted I mostly use my mouse for browsing, scrolling and navigating UIs. The rest is all keyboard. For games I prefer controllers and game pads so precision/high performance wasn’t an issue for me at all.

  • codeDude :archlinux: :neovim:@fosstodon.org
    0·
    6 months ago

    @phoh Do you mean the device the hardware when you mention mouse. If you do I think any good mouse works in any system no linux includes. I prefer mouses like this one https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Vertical-Wireless-Mouse-Rechargeable/dp/B07FNJB8TT/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2R9E7U9BIKABA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NtvOFD3vflxRQmrcZbBAeTvEtZpvC6RVQJQisSWTIKtHyCAZ4djsgrCneukJb7jNaHM98rsBBSb3I5ZfLgGbMF8BKXeG05Aefe05kyLeS3E2Qa6XBbUCpCYsGPKerQn_QhphPL6XkN2Z9xbIONgDYZ5FAebyWgELT9pedbyuCLgTtZSimw2tkDNmb5-6MDu5Wqip0Mpjs8NCv8BKKcR-Dq8_lMkBUIyPTviWGoNCWFE.YOTKbFt6LE8LzckOqChnY8noQx0gRl30_WPFNbOaSkQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=ergonomic+mouse&qid=1720474137&sprefix=ergonomic+mouse%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-5

    • GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      0·
      6 months ago

      Tons of brands use Windows-only software to control button mapping, lighting, etc.

      Anything outside basic movement, scrolling, and the first three buttons will need additional software.

      It’s been a while since I looked. Anyone know a good universal mouse config tool for linux that would let me map all buttons on a per-app basis?

      • njordomir@lemmy.world
        0·
        6 months ago

        My Logitec MX Master devices can be configured on Linux via Piper. Logitech Options (the official software) is for Windows and I’ve never messed with it, even on my Windows devices. The two MX Master devices I have work plug and play and having 2 Bluetooth connections and a dongle channel lets me easily switch between my computers without swapping mice. Apparently with the official software, I could drag the mouse from one computer’s desktop to another, but I’m happy to mash the little button on the bottom to tab between devices if it saves me having to interact with another hardware manufacturer’s half advertisement/half utility app.

      • DannyBoy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        0·
        6 months ago

        Piper is a GUI wrapper for libratbag which supports a bunch of gaming mice that is great for customizing button mapping. It doesn’t do per-app basis but once you map the mouse buttons to regular keys/commands you could use another application to do the mapping per application.

      • Ptsf@lemmy.world
        0·
        6 months ago

        Fortunately most have been ported to Linux via an open source revserse engineered community project or run well ish under wine! :)

    • phoh@lemmy.mlOP
      0·
      6 months ago

      i havent found a mouse that doesnt work at all, but my side buttons arent working (probably my issue, but still). it more about a mouse manufacturer who treats linux users as first class citizens.

  • Chewy@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    I personally would make sure to choose a mouse with on-board storage. E.g. most (all?) Logitech mice store DPI and RGB on the mouse, which means it works independent of the OS. At least some other manufacturers require a Windows “driver” to disable RGB and configure DPI, which is annoying as those aren’t available on Linux, and have to be constantly run in the background.

    Basic configuration of Logitech mice can be done through Piper on Linux.

    Edit: Precision shouldn’t be an issue with any decent mouse sensor. The PixArt PMW 3310 or later is good enough for even gaming and can be found in 20$ mice. Comfort is subjective, but I prefer larger mice where I can put most of my hand on top.

    Edit 2: I’ve now read you’re already using a Logitech mouse and are having issue with the the side buttons. What issues do you have with them? My G Pro Wireless side buttons work for going a website back/forward in the web browser, but I don’t use them much.

    • IrritableOcelot@beehaw.org
      0·
      6 months ago

      I’ll second the onboard storage, and add that any >3-button mouse should have buttons that map to actual key/character presses. I got a Razer Basilisk Pro on clearance, and it does have onboard storage, so once I turned off the RGB in the windows software on an old laptop, I could get rid of it. What I didn’t realize til later is that the nice little thumb lever can’t be remapped by anything but the Razer software (which has to be running all the time) because it doesnt register as any key combo, it had to be processed through their app to be used. Damn it.

      Edit: Have you tried looking at what keycodes the side buttons on your current mouse are mapped to? Sometimes you can intercept that input and make it perform correctly. I haven’t done it on linux yet, but I’m sure there’s an equivalent to AutoHotkey for Linux.

      • Chewy@discuss.tchncs.de
        0·
        6 months ago

        Using wev (wayland event viewer, which shows pressed keys) the side buttons show up as extra mouse buttons, so it should be possible to remap them.

        button: 272 (left)
button: 273 (right)
button: 274 (middle)
button: 275 (side) <- side button
button: 276 (extra)  <- side button

        PS: My old Logitech G710+ keyboard has some extra buttons which show up as normal numbers, which makes them pretty much useless. A while ago I found the now abandoned sidewinderd project which adds support for them. It’s sad that those manufacturers don’t create proper standards for these kind of things and instead hack it together somehow.

  • Veraxis@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    Are there mice which are not supported in Linux? Everything I have used from a junky unbranded wireless mouse to a high end Logitech gaming mouse have all been plug and play for me. Even the RGB settings can be configured in openRGB.

    Comfort should always be an important factor in a mouse for any OS, I would think. In terms of build quality, I have had the rubber on some mice start to degrade over time, but that is about it. Even the cheapest mice that are hard plastic can last for decades with no problem.

    I would say that switchable DPI would be a must-have feature for me with modern displays. As someone with a 4k monitor, some junky office mice do not have enough sensitivity for me on high resolution monitors even with the setting cranked to max in the settings menu.

    For wireless mice, I prefer AA battery mice over USB rechargeable mice, but that is a matter of personal preference. If my mouse battery dies in a AA mouse, I can swap the rechargeable NiMH battery in a minute and continue using it. However, if a USB rechargeable mouse is dead, I either have to use it on a tether for a while or remember to constantly keep recharging it. Also, having an integrated li-ion battery will give any mouse a limited lifespan unless you are willing to open up and solder in a new battery when it wears out, whereas I have some AA-powered mice which are going strong probably a decade later, so long I have had to open them up and re-solder them with new microswitches instead of new batteries.

    • Wilzax@lemmy.world
      0·
      6 months ago

      Logitch mice work on Linux but additional mouse buttons are not supported for some reason

    • ByteWelder@lemmy.ml
      0·
      6 months ago

      My Steelseries Prime Wireless only has basic functionality working. I could run the software via Wine or VM (don’t remember) but it didn’t remember the settings after a power cycle of the mouse or the PC (also don’t remember).

    • bitfucker@programming.dev
      0·
      6 months ago

      I have CoolerMaster MM712. If I use the USB dongle the mouse goes to sleep after a while even when I am using it. So yeah, there are some quirky ones

      • Veraxis@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        6 months ago

        Interesting. Do you use Powertop or TLP, by any chance? Some power utilities will turn on USB power saving if there is no activity on a USB port for a while, which can cause issues with USB mice. Generally I turn off that specific setting, or I believe there might be some way to whitelist certain USB devices to not have this sleep behavior.

        • bitfucker@programming.dev
          0·
          6 months ago

          No. I have a bog standard ASUS UX325UA_UM325UA laptop running arch+kde. I have not tweaked with power saving at all (only adding hibernate)

          • Veraxis@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            6 months ago

            I am not sure, then. If you are on a laptop, you might try one or the other of those utilities regardless simply because they can improve battery life, but that is a separate issue.

            • bitfucker@programming.dev
              0·
              6 months ago

              Yeah, I am not having issues with battery life so I do not tweak my power settings. The mouse works in wired or bluetooth too, just the dongle is a bit problematic

    • chillhelm@lemmy.world
      0·
      6 months ago

      Another reason to use Logitech mice: ease of repair. Apart from skates covering the screws on the underside, Logitech does not use glue to keep it’s mice together. And due to their popularity, replacement parts (including the battery btw) are widely available even for older models.

  • png@discuss.tchncs.de
    0·
    6 months ago

    All xtrfy mice don’t have any software and ate conpletely configurable through onboard buttons.

  • therealjcdenton@lemmy.zipEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    The $15 Logitech mouse in the bargain bin at office max lasted me literally 4 years. Any mouse will work, your issue will be configuring those 18 button mmo mice

  • mihnt@lemmy.ca
    0·
    6 months ago

    I have a Corsair Nightsword.

    There’s an open source version of the software that, I don’t think, is official but works well. It can rebind, set RGB, change DPI settings, and most if not everything the official software can.

    Corsair mice aren’t the best, and the problems seem to be certain versions of their mice. (M65 is garbage. I went through 6 of them in 6 months.) Nightsword has been great though. Scimitar is good as well, have one that’s 6 years old now.

  • bellsDoSing@lemm.ee
    0·
    6 months ago

    Have a ZOWIE EC2 for quite a while now:

    • gaming mouse, 5 buttons
    • USB compliant
    • no special vendor drivers needed to use all mouse features (has buttons on bottom side for settings)

    Works well on all OS.