(also on Linux kernel bug tracker at https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=153871)
Detailed bug description:
In Ubuntu 16.04.1 [1] on the Toshiba Chromebook 1, if you try to select text by word, by double-clicking/triple-touchpad-tapping and then dragging the mouse, this only works occasionally. However, selecting text by line with a triple-click/4-tap drag works fine. This bug does not appear when Ubuntu 16.04.1 is run in a VM in VirtualBox.
[1] and now Ubuntu 14.04.5 with the hardware-specific update to Linux kernel 4.4.0-34-generic (the same as for 16.04)
Steps to reproduce:
1) On a 1st-generation Toshiba Chromebook (and possibly other machines, too), run Ubuntu 16.04.1 from a boot disk (http://releases.ubuntu.com/16.04/ubuntu-16.04.1-desktop-i386.iso).
2) Open a terminal window and type several words.
3) Double-click/triple-touchpad-tap and then drag the mouse to attempt to select multiple words.
4) Compare this to the same boot disk run in VirtualBox, where it works properly.
5) Compare this to Ubuntu 14.04.5 with the hardware-specific update to Linux kernel 4.4.0-34-generic & an updated graphics stack (`sudo apt-get install $(hwe-support-status --show-replacements)`; http://wiki.ubuntu.com/1404_HWE_EOL), where it doesn't work.
6) Compare this to the hardware-specific update but with Linux kernel 4.4.0-34-generic removed (`sudo apt-get remove linux-image-4.4.0-38-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-38`), where it also doesn't work (and is therefore not a kernel problem, but rather relates to other files in the hardware-specific update).
7) On a non-working system, do a double-click drag-select with as fast of a double-click as possible. With this technique, you should be able to successfully double-click drag-select almost every time.
8) Open Gear menu > System Settings... > Mouse & Touchpad. Set Double-click to be as slow as possible. Also install & open GPointing Device Settings, and vary the Tapping tab settings. Neither of these fixes the problem.
Expected results:
Multiple words are selected.
Actual result:
Only the first word is selected, unless you double-click very quickly--much quicker than comfortable for normal use.
Reproducibility:
Appears to be "sometimes reproducible" at normal double-clicking speeds, but this is actually because you must do the double-click very quickly to get it to work.
Workaround:
In applications other than Terminal, can use Ctrl+Shift+Right-Arrow to select by word (significantly slower for large text blocks). For Terminal, do a double-click drag-select as quickly as possible and it will usually work.
Impact:
Recommend not upgrading to 16.04 if you have a computer where double-click drag-select doesn't work in it.
Description of the environment:
Operation system: Ubuntu 16.04.1
Versions of components: Linux kernel 4.4.0-34-generic (also on Ubuntu 14.04.5)
Reference architecture: 1st-generation Toshiba Chromebook (model name "Toshiba Leon")
Network model: N/A
Related projects installed: none (boot disk)
Additional information:
N/A
---
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.21
Architecture: i386
AudioDevicesInUse:
USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0: administrator 1882 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/controlC1: administrator 1882 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-04-05 (506 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release i386 (20150218.1)
MachineType: Toshiba Leon
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-34-generic root=UUID=127e42a1-2015-0521-0000-28e347c5f54d ro tpm_tis.force=1 quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-34.53~14.04.1-generic 4.4.15
RelatedPackageVersions:
linux-restricted-modules-4.4.0-34-generic N/A
linux-backports-modules-4.4.0-34-generic N/A
linux-firmware 1.127.22
Tags: trusty
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-34-generic i686
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dialout dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True
dmi.bios.date: 08/26/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: coreboot
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Toshiba
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvncoreboot:bvr:bd08/26/2014:svnToshiba:pnLeon:pvr1.0:cvnToshiba:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Leon
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Toshiba
bug confirmed to be specific to the Linux kernel used in Ubuntu 16.04, which is now a hardware-specific update on the Toshiba Chromebook 1