<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its"
type="topic" style="task"
id="mouse-mousekeys">
<info>
<link type="guide" xref="mouse"/>
<link type="guide" xref="a11y#mobility" group="pointing"/>
<revision pkgversion="3.8" date="2013-03-16" status="outdated"/>
<revision pkgversion="3.10" date="2013-11-07" status="review"/>
<revision pkgversion="3.18" date="2015-09-28" status="final"/>
<revision pkgversion="3.29" date="2018-08-20" status="review"/>
<revision pkgversion="3.33" date="2019-07-20" status="candidate"/>
<credit type="author">
<name>Phil Bull</name>
<email>philbull@gmail.com</email>
</credit>
<credit type="author">
<name>Shaun McCance</name>
<email>shaunm@gnome.org</email>
</credit>
<credit type="editor">
<name>Michael Hill</name>
<email>mdhillca@gmail.com</email>
</credit>
<credit type="editor">
<name>Ekaterina Gerasimova</name>
<email>kittykat3756@gmail.com</email>
<years>2013, 2015</years>
</credit>
<include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>
<desc>Enable mouse keys to control the mouse with the numeric
keypad.</desc>
</info>
<title>Click and move the mouse pointer using the keypad</title>
<p>If you have difficulties using a mouse or other pointing device, you can
control the mouse pointer using the numeric keypad on your keyboard. This
feature is called <em>mouse keys</em>.</p>
<steps>
<item>
<p>Open the <gui xref="shell-introduction#activities">Activities</gui>
overview and start typing <gui>Accessibility</gui>.</p>
<p>You can access the <gui>Activities</gui> overview by pressing on it,
by moving your mouse pointer against the top-left corner of the screen,
by using <keyseq><key>Ctrl</key><key>Alt</key><key>Tab</key></keyseq>
followed by <key>Enter</key>, or by using the
<key xref="keyboard-key-super">Super</key> key.</p>
</item>
<item>
<p>Click <gui>Accessibility</gui> to open the panel.</p>
</item>
<item>
<!-- TODO investigate keyboard navigation, because the arrow keys show no
visual feedback, and do not seem to work. -->
<p>Use the up and down arrow keys to select <gui>Mouse Keys</gui> in the
<gui>Pointing & Clicking</gui> section, then press <key>Enter</key>
to switch the <gui>Mouse Keys</gui> switch to on.</p>
</item>
<item>
<p>Make sure that <key>Num Lock</key> is turned off. You will now be able
to move the mouse pointer using the keypad.</p>
</item>
</steps>
<p>The keypad is a set of numerical buttons on your keyboard, usually
arranged into a square grid. If you have a keyboard without a keypad (such as
a laptop keyboard), you may need to hold down the function (<key>Fn</key>)
key and use certain other keys on your keyboard as a keypad. If you use this
feature often on a laptop, you can purchase external USB or Bluetooth numeric
keypads.</p>
<p>Each number on the keypad corresponds to a direction. For example,
pressing <key>8</key> will move the pointer upwards and pressing
<key>2</key> will move it downwards. Press the <key>5</key> key to click once
with the mouse, or quickly press it twice to double-click.</p>
<p>Most keyboards have a special key which allows you to right-click,
sometimes called the <key xref="keyboard-key-menu">Menu</key> key. Note,
however, that this key responds to where your keyboard focus is, not where
your mouse pointer is. See <link xref="a11y-right-click"/> for information on
how to right-click by holding down <key>5</key> or the left mouse button.</p>
<p>If you want to use the keypad to type numbers while mouse keys is enabled,
turn <key>Num Lock</key> on. The mouse cannot be controlled with the keypad
when <key>Num Lock</key> is turned on, though.</p>
<note>
<p>The normal number keys, in a line at the top of the keyboard, will not
control the mouse pointer. Only the keypad number keys can be used.</p>
</note>
</page>