Using Kando with only a Mouse via Input Remapper on Linux

[ClixTW]

This article is now available on Kando Docs. It has been polished by @Schneegans for better readability—Check it out here: https://kando.menu/input-remapper-tutorial/

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I am a heavy mouse gesture user. After switching to Linux ( Bluefin, which is a truly elegant distribution), I spent some time figuring out how to use Kando with just the mouse without affecting the mouse's original button functionality.

Unexpectedly, Input Remapper supports simple scripting, making this possible. I'm sharing this for those who might find it helpful. ❣️

Introduction

Input Remapper is a tool which allows you to remap mouse buttons to keyboard shortcuts. While you can use it directly to bind menus to mouse buttons via keyboard shortcuts, it also allows for more advanced setups like showing menus when pressing two mouse buttons at the same time.

Input Remapper on GitHub: https://github.com/sezanzeb/input-remapper

You can visit the repository to learn about installation and general usage. This article will focus specifically on how to work with Kando.

Configuration

There are three ways to trigger a Kando menu through Input Remapper.

Note

To demonstrate the most complex scenarios, the examples below use Ctrl+Shift+F1 as the trigger. You can modify this to your preferred shortcut.

Option 1: Direct Shortcut Mapping

This is the simplest method. Pressing a single mouse button triggers the Kando menu:

# Any Mouse Button
# Target: keyboard
KEY_LEFTCTRL + KEY_LEFTSHIFT + KEY_F1

• Pros: Fast response with zero latency; simple setup.
• Cons: The button loses its original function, only suitable for mice with extra buttons.

Option 2: Long Press Mouse Button

A long press triggers the Kando menu, while a short press (tap) retains the button's original function. The following example uses the Right Mouse Button:

# Mouse Button RIGHT
# Target: keyboard + mouse
if_tap( key( BTN_RIGHT ), modify( KEY_LEFTCTRL, modify( KEY_LEFTSHIFT, key (KEY_F1 ))).wait( 100 ).hold( KEY_LEFTCTRL ), 150 )

Tip

The number 150 at the end represents the duration required for a long press in milliseconds (ms). You can adjust this value, but setting it too short may lead to accidental triggers.

• Pros: Preserves the button's original tap functionality.
• Cons: You lose the button's original hold function; holding and dragging will now interact with the Kando menu instead.

Option 3: Combining Two Mouse Buttons

Triggered by holding one mouse button and tapping another. The following example uses Hold Right Click + Tap Left Click:

# Mouse Button RIGHT
# Target: keyboard + mouse
if_tap( key( BTN_RIGHT ), hold( KEY_LEFTCTRL ))

# Mouse Button RIGHT + Mouse Button LEFT
# Target: keyboard
KEY_LEFTCTRL + KEY_LEFTSHIFT + KEY_F1

• Pros: Allows you to hold Right Click and tap Left Click multiple times to quickly toggle between menus assigned to the same shortcut.
• Cons: You lose the button's original hold function; holding and dragging will now interact with the Kando menu instead.

[Schneegans]

This is pretty cool! I did not know that Input Remapper could do such advanced stuff. I'll definitely link this guide if somebody asks for mouse-only activation on Linux! I'll also put a link on the homepage. Thanks a lot!

[Schneegans]

Thank you for the kind words! Honestly, without Kando, I probably couldn't have switched away from Windows, so thank you for developing such a fantastic piece of software! 🤗

I think it would be cool if we integrated a tutorial like this into the homepage of Kando. This would make this much easier to find! I started the page here. Would you have the time to move your post here to Kando's homepage? Maybe we could also add a more simple option in the beginning where just a single mouse button is mapped to a shortcut for Kando.

[ClixTW]

Thank you for the kind words! Honestly, without Kando, I probably couldn't have switched away from Windows, so thank you for developing such a fantastic piece of software! 🤗

I think it would be cool if we integrated a tutorial like this into the homepage of Kando. This would make this much easier to find! I started the page here. Would you have the time to move your post here to Kando's homepage? Maybe we could also add a more simple option in the beginning where just a single mouse button is mapped to a shortcut for Kando.

I’d be happy to do that!

My plan is to start with a brief introduction to Input Remapper, followed by three different methods for triggering Kando with a mouse:

1. Directly mapping a mouse button to the Kando shortcut.
2. Triggering Kando via a long-press on a mouse button.
3. Triggering Kando by pressing two mouse buttons simultaneously.

What do you think? Do you think this might be too complex for the homepage?

[Schneegans]

I think this sounds very good! You can have a look at the various pages of the homepage, there are quite a few cool elements you can use. Like tabs, asides, numbered steps, etc.

[ClixTW]

Sounds like a great learning opportunity! Give me some time and I'll submit a PR. 💪

[Schneegans]

It's now live here: https://kando.menu/input-remapper-tutorial/
Thank you so much!

[Schneegans]

I just tried to replicate the third option. Doesn't this fully override the left mouse button?

[ClixTW]

Oops! I missed that. It should be corrected to Mouse Button RIGHT + Mouse Button LEFT.