Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity in Ubuntu
In Ubuntu Linux, the default double-click speed determines how quickly you must press the mouse button twice for the operating system to register it as a double-click rather than two single clicks. If you find that files are not opening when you try to double-click them, or if you frequently open files by accident when you simply meant to select them, adjusting the double-click speed can significantly improve your daily workflow.
Modifying the Double-Click Speed via Settings
The GNOME desktop environment makes it straightforward to adjust mouse accessibility settings to suit your personal typing and clicking speed.
1. Open the Activities overview and search for Settings.
2. In the left-hand sidebar of the Settings window, scroll down and click on Accessibility.
3. Under the “Pointing & Clicking” section, click on Click Assist.
4. Look for the Double-Click Delay slider.
5. Drag the slider to the left (towards Short) if you want the system to require faster clicks, or to the right (towards Long) if you need more time between clicks.
6. You can test your new setting immediately by double-clicking the lightbulb icon located right next to the slider; it will light up when a successful double-click is registered.
Alternative: Using the Command Line
For advanced users who prefer configuring their system via the terminal, you can adjust the double-click delay using the gsettings command. Open your terminal and run the following command to set the delay (measured in milliseconds):
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.peripherals.mouse double-click 400
You can adjust the numerical value to find the exact speed that feels most comfortable for your hardware.