[Desktop] Support for mouse back/forward button

[Kee_Spees]

Can we have support for the Back/Forward button found on many mice? I find it rather cumbersome to move the mouse to one of the 2 little arrow button on the top left part of the desktop application when you want to go back/forward.

[Marco]

Updated: 2015-10-11

Hello!
Could you explain your idea a bit more?

I take it it's a normal mouse for desktop/laptops where the mouse buttons don't work?
Mine work just fine on a Logitech mouse, what brand are you using?

A little insight would be great 🙂

[Kee_Spees]

Hello,

I have a Logitech mouse too, with 2 small buttons on the thumb side of the mouse. They work as Back/Forward page buttons in almost any browser and I use it a lot to minimize moving the mouse around the screen. Using Linux I am used to shortcut keys while using my PC. I would never buy a mouse again that hasn't these little nifty keys. See attached picture.

I would love to have this option in the desktop application for users that have these buttons on their mouse.

Thanks,

[Marco]

I've moved it over here since it seems to be a bug with a specific mouse model.

My logitech back/forward buttons on the side work fine on the desktop version.

To see if that's a known issue, I would need a bit more information:

• Your operating system (Windows, OSX, etc)
• Your Spotify desktop version (Spotify Menu => Help => About Spotify)
• Model name of the mouse

Then I can escalate it to the right team, to check what's the issue. Thanks! 😉

[Kee_Spees]

I am running Linux Mint 17.2 Rafaela 64-bit, Spotify version 0.9.17.1.g9b85d436, Logitech M705.

[Marco]

I'm afraid Linux is not officially supported by Spotify, therefore I can't escalate it.

It's a side project by dedicated Spotify devs.

Could you try updating to the newest version and see if it works there?

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Help-Desktop-Linux-Windows-Web/Linux-users-important-update/m-p/115...

[Kee_Spees]

I'm already using the latest version of Spotify for Linux. Sorry to hear that Linux is not officially supported. I refuse to pay for an OS that invades your privacy. But thanks for the reply.

[fehumm]

Thanks to all the dedicated Spotify devs that push the Linux client forward!

It is unfortunate that there is no way for you to escalate this.

I believe that the dedicated Spotify devs would like to know what features their users want. Perhaps you could create a "Help / Linux" section, so the devs could measure demand for certain features of the Linux client?

Basically what I'm saying is this:

- keep the "not officially supported" label, but

- enable closer communication between the "dedicated Spotify devs" and their target audience

Thanks again!

Cheers

  Felix

PS: I really want that feature, because my default workflow is: do stuff, hit "mouse back", repeat

[Atnius]

I have a wireless mouse and Spotify. When you are using Spotify some mouse buttons (as the scrolling button or 4 and 5 buttons) may change to control Spotify instead of controlling the PC scrolling up/down or back/forward. I found that if I press for 3 seconds the DPI button on my mouse it continues to control normal the PC functions. 

If I press DPI button again for 3 seconds it changes again to media mode and continues to control Spotify. 

[1byow7r-9c_0s · Accepted solution]

My hacky work-around:

sudo apt-get install xautomation xbindkeys

edit/create ~/.xbindkeysrc and add:

# fwd/back to work in spotify
"xte 'keydown Alt_L' 'key Left' 'keyup Alt_L'"
  b:8

"xte 'keydown Alt_L' 'key Right' 'keyup Alt_L'"
  b:9

Then run xbindkeys   (which starts itself in the background)