mouse-debounce

Got a mouse that double-clicks when you single-click? That's a worn switch bouncing inside. This tool sits between your mouse and your computer and filters out those fake extra clicks, so you don't have to buy a new mouse (or open it up to replace the switch).

Works on Linux, both Wayland and X11.

Install

cargo build --release
sudo cp target/release/mouse-debounce /usr/local/bin/

Setup

1. Copy the example config and pick your mouse:

   mkdir -p ~/.config/mouse-debounce
   cp config/config.example.toml ~/.config/mouse-debounce/config.toml

   Find your mouse in /dev/input/by-id/ (look for the event-mouse one) and put that path in the device line.
2. Run it with sudo (it needs permission to read your mouse):

   sudo mouse-debounce

   The service version reads /etc/mouse-debounce/config.toml instead. When running as root, always point at the system config explicitly: sudo -H mouse-debounce --config /etc/mouse-debounce/config.toml.

Tuning

One number matters: ms — how long to ignore bounces after a click. Bigger = fewer double-clicks, but releasing the button feels slightly later. Start at 40. Worn-out left click? Give it more (like 55), leave the rest low:

ms = 35
[buttons]
"272" = 55   # left click — the worn one
"273" = 20   # right click
"274" = 10   # middle click

(272 = left, 273 = right, 274 = middle, 275/276 = side buttons.)

Things to know:

• Clicking still feels instant. Only the release is delayed by ms, so super-fast double-clicks (faster than your ms) can merge into one — lower ms if that happens.
• Holding the button to drag is safe — shaky switches won't drop the drag.
• Only mouse buttons are filtered. If your receiver also handles a keyboard (combo dongle), typing passes through untouched — but use the mouse-only event-mouse device if you can.

Usage

# Use config file
sudo mouse-debounce

# Just try it on one mouse without a config
sudo mouse-debounce --device /dev/input/by-id/usb-...-event-mouse --ms 50

# See what it's filtering
sudo mouse-debounce --verbose