Configure your Logitech MX Master 4 mouse on Ubuntu with Solaar

This guide explains how to configure your Logitech MX Master 4 mouse on Ubuntu using the Solaar application.

Installing Solaar

To upgrade Solaar to the latest version on Ubuntu, add the official stable PPA to your system’s Software Sources:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:solaar-unifying/stable
sudo apt update

Install Solaar using the following command:

sudo apt install solaar

Check the version of Solaar installed:

solaar --version

See Installation, in the Solaar Documentation for the latest installation instructions, as they may have changed since this guide was written.

Configuring mouse gestures

The MX Master 4 supports directional gestures (Mouse Up, Mouse Down, Mouse Left, Mouse Right) triggered while holding the Gesture Button.

To configure mouse gestures in Solaar, you must first set Key/Button Diversion for the Mouse Gesture Button to Mouse Gestures.

See Key and button diversion in the Solaar Documentation for more information on how to configure key/button diversion.

Here’s an example of common mouse gestures that you can configure:

# 2. Gestures: Hold Gesture Button and move (Requires Key/Button Diversion: ON)
- Rule:
  - MouseGesture: Mouse Up
  - KeyPress: [Super_L, a]           # Open Application Overview
  - click
---
- Rule:
  - MouseGesture: Mouse Down
  - KeyPress: [Super_L, d]           # Show Desktop
  - click
---
- Rule:
  - MouseGesture: Mouse Left
  - KeyPress: [Control_L, Alt_L, Left] # Switch to Left Workspace
  - click
---
- Rule:
  - MouseGesture: Mouse Right
  - KeyPress: [Control_L, Alt_L, Right] # Switch to Right Workspace
  - click
---
# 3. Simple Click: Press & Release Gesture Button (without moving)
- Rule:
  - And:
    - Key: [Mouse Gesture Button, released]
    - MouseGesture: []
  - KeyPress: Super_L                # Toggle Start Menu/Activities
  - click

Save the above configuration in ~/.config/solaar/rules.yaml and restart Solaar for the changes to take effect.

Configuring the thumb wheel

The MX Master 4 supports a thumb wheel that can be configured to perform different actions when scrolled up or down.

To configure rules for the thumb wheel in Solaar, you must first turn on the Thumb Wheel Diversion.

Configure thumb wheel for tab switching

Here’s an example of how to configure the thumb wheel to switch between browser tabs:

%YAML 1.3
---
# 1. Thumb Wheel: Tab Switching (Requires Thumb Wheel Diversion: ON)
- Rule:
    - Test: [thumb_wheel_up, 10]
    - KeyPress: [Control_L, Page_Down]  # Next Tab
    - click
---
- Rule:
    - Test: [thumb_wheel_down, 10]
    - KeyPress: [Control_L, Page_Up]    # Previous Tab
    - click

Configure thumb wheel for volume control

Here’s an example of how to configure the thumb wheel to control the system volume:

%YAML 1.3
---
# 1. Thumb Wheel: Volume Control (Requires Thumb Wheel Diversion: ON)
- Rule:
    - Test: [thumb_wheel_up, 10]
    - KeyPress: XF86AudioRaiseVolume  # Volume Up
    - click
---
- Rule:
    - Test: [thumb_wheel_down, 10]
    - KeyPress: XF86AudioLowerVolume  # Volume Down
    - click

Uninstalling Solaar

If you have previously installed Solaar, you can uninstall it using the following command:

sudo apt remove --purge solaar

Delete the Solaar configuration directory:

rm -rf ~/.config/solaar

Other resources

• Configure your Logitech MX Master 3/3S/4 mouse on Ubuntu with Solaar