Configuring Lenovo TrackPoint Mouse Wheel Emulation Scrolling in Ubuntu

I have a Lenovo X120e and have grown accustomed to using the once-loathed TrackPoint (also known as the nubbin, the navigation nipple, the eraserhead, and others) for scrolling through Web pages, windows, etc. as I would with a mousewheel. Here is how you would do it in Ubuntu (in this case 11.04 Natty Narwhal, but it should apply to anything Maverick or later:



Open up a terminal and type:

gpointing-device-settings

UPDATE (8/13/11): The package isn't installed by default in 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot, so you'll have to install it first, either through Synaptic package manager or by typing

sudo apt-get install gpointing-device-settings

Select the TrackPoint device from the pane on the left. Mine is called "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint." In the middle of the window, you'll see a checkbox labeled "Use wheel emulation." Check the box, along with the ones labeled "Enable vertical scroll" and "Enable horizontal scroll" as you see fit.

You'll also need to select your scroll button from the pull-down menu. In my case, it was button 2, but YMMV.

While you're here, you can also switch to the TrackPad options and disable your trackpad, if that's what you're into.