It currently defaults to completely disabling the touchpad for 2 seconds when a key is pressed, making this option unusable for me. Linux Mint and Xubuntu (I think) modify Xfce to add the -t option to syndaemon, to only disable tapping and scrolling, which is much better. They also only use -i 1. At least the -i ("How many seconds to wait after the last key press before enabling the touchpad.") and -t ("Only disable tapping and scrolling, not mouse movements, in response to keyboard activity.") options given to syndaemon should be adjustable.
This has been partially improved through bug 8948, but it's still lacking the (very useful) -t option
See bug 11356 I just applied as to the xfconf-query bug that is slightly related to this feature request / bug. Please CC delahunt@puresimplicity.net on this bug. Manually setting touchpad typing timeout duration has a bug (not sure if it applies to this or if it should/must be separate bug). You can set this value manually using (per http://docs.xfce.org/xfce/xfce4-settings/mouse) the command "syndaemon -i 2.0 -K -R" I've tried to use -i 1.0 and it seemed to have effect, but eventually it seems having this option checked in Xfce settings for the mouse results in it being taken back over to 2 seconds of delay. I was attempting to find a way to manually tell Xfce that I want it to disable for only 1 second. While being helped in FreeNode #xfce I was told to try this: xfconf-query -c pointers -p /DisableTouchpadDuration -n -t float -s "1.0" This does not seem to have the desired effect, as delay is still 2 seconds. Here's the "play by play" breakdown: If I start typing and then immediately stop and move my finger on the touchpad, it could stay disabled for up to a minute, should I not lift my finger one time. If I start typing, immediately stop, then move my finger on the touchpad for one second, then lift my finger, put it back down (not a tap to click) and start moving again, the touchpad stays disabled for a total of only 2 seconds. So 1) it's not taking my settings and 2) there seems to be something broken in the touchpad logic. I found this using Xfce 4.10.0 and OpenSuSE 13.2 64bit. Any and all files and information available upon request: just email or reply to bug.
There is a slider in the settings (at least in 4.11) that allows you to modify the duration of the touchpad being disabled while typing.
(In reply to Simon Steinbeiss from comment #3) > There is a slider in the settings (at least in 4.11) that allows you to > modify the duration of the touchpad being disabled while typing. That's true, but the -t option is still lacking as of 4.12. It would probably even be acceptable to hardcode it without making it an option.
Seeing as all (?) modern distros have since switched to libinput, which has no configuration options for 'libinput Disable While Typing', this bug can probably be closed.
After a personal email asking me not to close this yet, I figure some may still be using synaptics, so I'm setting it to LATER instead.