Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices

github.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 274 posts

Re: Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices

#171

Post by homebrewer »

burnt_toast wrote: post #116
KennyBlanken wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their major flaw is that they purposefully use shitty switches that fail, sometimes within months. This is true even with their absurdly overpriced gaming mice. I have never had a mouse whose buttons failed until I bought a logitech. Every person I know raves about them until you ask them how many they've had to buy.

Semi-agree. I've had 2 mx525s fail within ~6 months of purchase but I've also had a mx anywhere 2s that I bought used and got 3 years of usage out of it before I had to replace the switches. I wouldn't buy a cheap mouse from them again.

Three years is below what should be considered acceptable, let alone impressive. I got a bit over ten years of really heavy use out of a dirt-cheap Genius mouse ($3-4) before it had to be replaced, and not because of the switches but because of the physical wear of the case.

Re: Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices

#173

Post by bayindirh »

teekert wrote: post #161
seaal wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the real highlight of the Bolt receiver is being able to pair up to 6 devices with just a single receiver.

I think the real highlight is that it is not backwards compatible. So I now have an MX Keys and an MX Master 3s, both on their own dongle.

IIUIC, Unifying receiver used a completely different protocol, but Bolt protocol is just supercharged Bluetooth with some low latency and encryption sauces on top.

Re: Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices

#174

Post by wodenokoto »

seaal wrote: post #134
resoluteteeth wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bolt is logitech's newer wireless protocol (with devices using a dongle rather than bluetooth) that's supposed to be more secure than the older one.

I think the real highlight of the Bolt receiver is being able to pair up to 6 devices with just a single receiver.

Doesn't bluetooth handle many, many more devices?

Re: Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices

#176

Post by superb_dev »

teekert wrote: post #167
superb_dev wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was the AI prompt builder sarcastic or a serious suggestion? I can’t figure out how any AI fits into my mouse configuration utility

Sorry, it’s absolutely sarcastic. I thought I wasn’t able to couple my MX Keys to the Bolt dongle and the MX Master 3S to the “Unifying” dongle because I needed Windows (but no, it’s by design!). So I grab my wife’s laptop, install that Logitech garbage and it greets me with an AI prompt builder. I was like that Picard Gif, squared. Unbelievable.

It seemed so ridiculous that I thought it must be sarcastic but you never know with how rabid AI people are. Absolutely insane that they included that in the official software!

Re: Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices

#177

Post by bayindirh »

yndoendo wrote: post #137
bayindirh wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be able to program all the configurable buttons, and upload the macros and settings to the profiles present on the mouse itself, so you can use all the features of your mouse, tailored to you, even if you don’t have the software on the target device you’re using your mouse. Yes, Logitech’s high end mice store settings themselves. The app is just a programming interface. It sometimes does per program profile switch…

All programmable mice store their settings on the device itself, like Roccat and Razer. A true programmable mouse doesn't need software running in the background. A configuration application that needs to continue running is now just a background service running in user mode and not a true configuration application. Roccat user because of the size of the mouse is bigger than others and all the buttons can be reprogra…

> because the wheel could not be programmed to control the sound volume.

If that's your biggest gripe with Logitech, then I can say they're pretty successful. Personally, I'd not prefer to reach to my mouse just for volume, but everyone is to their own.

> A true programmable mouse doesn't need software running in the background.

Logitech Mice doesn't need the application to run in the background. I'm using my G700's profiles (which I set once under Windows) under Linux without any tools for (checks notes) 14 years at this point.

> Windows VM is needed just to program the mouse, which only done once.

How this is different from Logitech devices? It's exactly the same with Logitech.

Re: Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices

#178

Post by bayindirh »

lsaferite wrote: post #100
bayindirh wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be able to program all the configurable buttons, and upload the macros and settings to the profiles present on the mouse itself, so you can use all the features of your mouse, tailored to you, even if you don’t have the software on the target device you’re using your mouse. Yes, Logitech’s high end mice store settings themselves. The app is just a programming interface. It sometimes does per program profile switch…

And yet, my keyboard can do almost (no per-program switching) all of the same FROM A WEB PAGE. WebHID should be all that's needed for advanced input devices. If you want some sort of per-program profile switching, sure, release a dedicated app that handles sending a special HID command sequence to trigger a profile switch.

WebHID would be sci-fi material in 2010. If you can reduce the power requirement for the hardware, there's no obstacle to embed it in a mouse.

Keyboard is infinitely more flexible since you can wire it without much obstruction.

Re: Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices

#179

Post by kristjank »

wodenokoto wrote: post #174
seaal wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the real highlight of the Bolt receiver is being able to pair up to 6 devices with just a single receiver.

Doesn't bluetooth handle many, many more devices?

It also introduces a ton of lag, especially when more than a single device and some distance is involved (Mouse + Keyboard + Headphones makes my headphones cut out sometimes)

Re: Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices

#180

Post by bayindirh »

homebrewer wrote: post #147
hedora wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds like a job for contact cleaner, assuming it’s possible to non-destructively get a tube next to the switches. I’m about to open my second bottle. My first bottle is from the 1990’s.

No, it's a job for a sewing needle or a toothpick. Logitech switches can be temporarily fixed by disassembling the switch and adjusting the contact plate inside because it gets bent out of shape and stops registering the clicks correctly. But it's easier (and more reliable) to replace them with higher quality alternatives while you're in there.

The G700 in question registers clicks correctly for 14 years at this point. The problem in my case is very light clicks and dust ingress to said switches. I have 10+ year old M705 mice which doesn't have any switch problems.
Post reply on HN