Join my community / free newsletter — sign up here

Ubuntu Select Touch Device

17 July 2021

Quick note: xinput map-to-output 11 eDP

I have a thinkpad laptop with a touchscreen. When I connect my external screen, then the touch sensor on my laptop screen moves the cursor on the external screen, which is not what I want. I want to keep my touch on my laptop screen.

I followed the instructions here: https://askubuntu.com/questions/51445/how-do-i-calibrate-a-touchscreen-…

First run:

xinput

Output:

⎡ Virtual core pointer                          id=2    [master pointer (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer                id=4    [slave pointer (2)]
⎜   ↳ ELAN Touchscreen                          id=11   [slave pointer (2)]
⎜   ↳ ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad                  id=13   [slave pointer (2)]
⎜   ↳ ETPS/2 Elantech TrackPoint                id=14   [slave pointer (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                         id=3    [master keyboard (2)]
   ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard               id=5    [slave keyboard (3)]
   ↳ Power Button                              id=6    [slave keyboard (3)]
   ↳ Video Bus                                 id=7    [slave keyboard (3)]
   ↳ Power Button                              id=8    [slave keyboard (3)]
   ↳ Sleep Button                              id=9    [slave keyboard (3)]
   ↳ Integrated Camera: Integrated C           id=10   [slave keyboard (3)]
   ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard              id=12   [slave keyboard (3)]
   ↳ ThinkPad Extra Buttons                    id=15   [slave keyboard (3)]

I found that my internal laptop screen is the "ELAN Touchscreen" with ID 11.

Then run:

xrandr

Output:

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 3840 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 309mm x 173mm
  1920x1080     60.01*+
  1680x1050     60.01
  1280x1024     60.01
  1440x900      60.01
  1280x800      60.01
  1280x720      60.01
  1024x768      60.01
  800x600       60.01
  640x480       60.01
HDMI-A-0 connected 1920x1080+1920+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 600mm x 340mm
  1920x1080     60.00*+ 144.00   120.00   100.00   119.88    50.00    59.94    30.00    25.00    24.00    29.97    23.98
  1680x1050     59.88
  1600x900      60.00
  1280x1024    143.85   119.96    75.02    60.02
  1440x900      60.00
  1280x800      59.91
  1152x864      75.00
  1280x720      60.00    50.00    59.94
  1024x768     119.99    75.03    60.00
  832x624       74.55
  800x600       75.00    60.32
  720x576       50.00
  720x480       60.00    59.94
  640x480       75.00    60.00    59.94
  720x400       70.08
DisplayPort-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DisplayPort-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

xrandr shows me my primary screen ID is "eDP".

To map the touchscreen back to my primary screen, I use following command:

xinput map-to-output 11 eDP

Happy coding!

You might want to add the command to a startup script: https://networks.guru/2018/11/23/using-dual-monitor-dual-touch-screens-…

Keywords: multiple screens multi multiscreen

Latest articles

When the AI API Says “Try Again,” What Does Your Customer See?

2026-10-04

When an OpenAI request stalls, customers need an accurate status. Set sensible retry limits, preserve submissions, and make unresolved work visible.

Apprentice wanted: security and SaaS setup, learned by doing it

2026-10-03

I learned server operations by breaking my own servers. I want someone who stands next to me while I do it, then does it themselves the week after.

I build AI agents for small businesses. I need someone who can sell them.

2026-10-03

I am good at building and bad at calling. Here is who I want next to me, what is easiest to sell, and how we split it.

Before an AI Assistant Issues a Refund, Put Approval in Its Path

2026-10-03

An AI assistant can prepare a refund, but a person should approve the exact payment and amount. Here is how to make that approval hold up through execution and retries.

New Starter on Monday: AI Organizes the Tasks, the Manager Approves Access

2026-10-02

AI can pull together onboarding tasks before a new hire’s first day. See how the manager approves specific access and how outstanding tasks are followed through.

The Answer Was in the Old Handbook: Keeping an AI Assistant Current

2026-10-01

An internal AI assistant can cite an obsolete handbook with confidence. Here is how to manage document ownership, updates, deletions, access and answer review.

Cloudflare Free Protects Your Site. Where Does It Stop?

2026-09-30

Cloudflare Free provides useful website protection, but its rate limiting and bot controls have limits. Here is how to assess them for a WordPress site.

AI on Your Booking Page: What Can It Promise Customers Before You Speak?

2026-09-29

An AI assistant can answer questions and guide customers to a booking. Here are practical boundaries for prices, delivery times, personal data, and contact with a staff member.

AI Search Has Reports Now. Are You Measuring Citations or Guessing?

2026-09-28

Google and Bing now offer first-party AI search visibility reports. Here’s how to build a useful baseline without inventing a misleading GEO score.

That AI Crawler Says It’s Google. Can Your Edge Prove It?

2026-09-27

AI crawlers can copy a familiar name. Here’s how to verify signed agents at the edge while keeping legitimate automated traffic moving.