Disable Middle Mouse Button

LudditeGeek

I use the middle mouse button and track stick to scroll the browser window. However, if the cursor is over a link while I press the middle mouse button to initiate the scroll, the window won't scroll. Instead, the link will open in a background tab.

I'd like to disable that behavior. I believe it's a security risk -- a malicious link could be opened unintentionally.

Is there a way to configure the middle mouse button so that it does nothing? I've already disabled all mouse gestures, but that didn't help.

iAN CooG

@LudditeGeek said in Disable Middle Mouse Button:

I believe it's a security risk -- a malicious link could be opened unintentionally.

With that thinking any mouse button could be a security risk because they can open a link unintentionally.
Anyway no, it's hardcoded and not configurable, probably needs a user.js modification
For now you can vote for the feature request
https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/25542/configurable-middle-click-e-g-open-tabs-in-foreground

DoctorG

This post is deleted!

LudditeGeek

@iAN-CooG Thank you for responding. I'll put in my vote.

Just to clarify, when I use the middle button, it's only to scroll, which shouldn't follow links. When I use the left mouse button, it's either to follow links (and then I'm very careful) or to select text (while dragging). When I use the right mouse button, it's to open a context menu. So "any mouse button could be a security risk" doesn't make sense to me.

MrFlamey

This is also a problem when using Trackpoint on Thinkpad laptops, where you scroll by holding down the middle button and pushing the Trackpoint nub. I'm opening background tabs all over the place on sites like Youtube and Amazon and it's incredibly frustrating. I can use the trackpad instead, but then clicking is more annoying than with Trackpoint, so I'd like to be able to disable the middle mouse behaviour for opening links if at all possible.

I know that not everyone loves Trackpoint, and the number of Trackpoint loving Vivaldi users is even more niche, but there are a huge number of Thinkpads out there, and the OP was having a similar issue with another device, so it would be great to get the ability to customise middle mouse action.

EDIT: I'm using Linux btw, but I suspect it would be the same on Windows. I remember having something similar happen in the past with Twitter, which was even more troublesome.

DoctorG

@MrFlamey

DoctorGTesting

And on Windows mousebuuton can be disabled with Autohotkey and a AHK rule.

DoctorG

Untested idea:

#IfWinActive, ahk_exe vivaldi.exe
WheelUp::Return

But i have not done much with AHK these last years, lack if this will work.

MrFlamey

@DoctorG Thank you very much. I didn't really notice it on the rest of the OS because I just got this laptop and had mostly been using it to browse the web, but I noticed the same issue browsing Steam, so I'll try this fix. Thanks!