Lenovo g50-30 Elantech Touchpad stops working after some time in ubuntu 16.04

[aswin venugopal]

The elantech touchpad works on booting into the system but stops working after sometime.

WORKAROUND: Install xserver-xorg-input-libinput.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: linux-image-4.4.0-36-generic 4.4.0-36.55
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-36.55-generic 4.4.16
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-36-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: aswin 3895 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Fri Sep 2 15:24:26 2016
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=d6fbfa44-941c-448e-a1b4-d5a0ddd4e37e
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-12-08 (268 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Beta amd64 (20150805)
MachineType: LENOVO 80G0
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-36-generic root=UUID=10532e9a-374a-4f9b-ae32-8da8ed306fb5 ro quiet splash crashkernel=384M-:128M vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.4.0-36-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.4.0-36-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.157.3
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-08-31 (1 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 10/21/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: A7CN44WW
dmi.board.asset.tag: NO Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Lancer 5A6
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: NANANANANO DPK
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: NO Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Lenovo G50-30
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrA7CN44WW:bd10/21/2014:svnLENOVO:pn80G0:pvrLenovoG50-30:rvnLENOVO:rnLancer5A6:rvrNANANANANODPK:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrLenovoG50-30:
dmi.product.name: 80G0
dmi.product.version: Lenovo G50-30
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

I have attached the files as metioned in https://wiki.ubuntu.com/simar/Touchpad#In_case_your_touchpad_stops_working_after_a_while.
Please note that I also encounter system freeze as reported in [Bug 1574047] Lenovo G50-30 laptop freeze.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Did this issue start happening after an update/upgrade? Was there a prior kernel version where you were not having this particular problem?

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v4.8 kernel[0].

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.8-rc4

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

@Joseph Salisbury: I have been facing system freezes on ubuntu 14.04 ,two days back I updated my system to 16.04 after which a new issue in the form of touchpad going unresponsive came up apart from the occasional system freeze.I also tried booting into 4.4.0-34-generic but face the same issue there also.
As far as testing the upstream kernel is concerned I need to give it a shot.

I have a query => should I remove the microcode from intel before testing it.Could you confirm it?

"First, if one is using select proprietary or out-of-tree modules (ex. vitualbox, nvidia, fglrx, bcmwl, etc.) unless there is an extra package available for the version you are testing, you will need to uninstall the module first, in order to test the mainline kernel. If you do not uninstall these modules first, then the upstream kernel more than likely will not boot"

[penalvch (penalvch)]

aswin venugopal, to advise, the scope of this report is the touchpad not working (not freezing). Hence, it is most helpful to scope comments to this only, and let LP#1574047 be where the discussion on freezing happens.

Despite this, please provide the results of https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1619592/comments/6 while keeping the microcode installed.

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

Sure Christopher point noted.

Meanwhile I got warnings for missing firmware i915 while upgrading the kernel.

update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.8.0-040800rc4-generic
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_01.bin for module i915
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/kbl_guc_ver9_14.bin for module i915
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/bxt_guc_ver8_7.bin for module i915
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/skl_guc_ver6_1.bin for module i915
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/kdump-tools 4.8.0-040800rc4-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.8.0-040800rc4-generic
kdump-tools: Generating /var/lib/kdump/initrd.img-4.8.0-040800rc4-generic
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_01.bin for module i915
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/kbl_guc_ver9_14.bin for module i915
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/bxt_guc_ver8_7.bin for module i915
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/skl_guc_ver6_1.bin for module i915

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

Is it safe to carry on with the upgrade?

As far as BIOS is concerned I had tried upgrading it by booting FreeDOS with the bios exe file in it but sadly it didn't work. :(

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

Ok I have booted into new kernel and so far so good,will give it some time to see if I face any issues.

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

The issue still exists in the new kernel.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

aswin venugopal, as per http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/products/Laptops-and-netbooks/Lenovo-G-Series-laptops/G50-30-Notebook-Lenovo?tabName=Downloads&linkTrack=Mast:SubNav:Support:Drivers%20and%20Software|Drivers%20and%20Software&beta=false an update to your computer's buggy, insecure, and outdated BIOS is available (A7CN48WW). When you update to this following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BIOSUpdate how does this improve the situation?

For more on BIOS updates and linux, please see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_reporting_etiquette .

Please note your current BIOS is already in the Bug Description, so posting this on the old BIOS would not be helpful.

Also, you don't have to create a new report.

It is most helpful that after the BIOS is updated, if the problem is still reproducible:
1) Please provide the output of the following terminal command (not perform an apport-collect):
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
2) Please make a comment specifically advising on how this improves the situation.
3) Please mark this report Status Confirmed.

If it's not reproducible, please mark this as Invalid.

Thank you for your help.

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

@Christopher
Keeping in mind that this is not a BIOS thread I am asking for help if possible

 I had already tried BIOS upgrade with a7cn48ww_64.exe file
and ThinkVantage(systemupdate5.07.0032.exe) file.
The former gave me "this program cannot be run in DOS mode" while the latter gave me "this program must be under win32".

I couldn't find a better or let say reliable way of doing BIOS upgrade.

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

Ok since I am not able to do a BIOS upgrade this I am closing this thread.
I am using workaround for google-chrome by adding the --disable-gpu flag ,now I can say its stable as far as the system freeze is concerned,but touchpad issue still persists .Also I am on the 4.8 -rc5 kernel.
Thanks guys

[penalvch (penalvch)]

aswin venugopal, to keep this relevant to upstream, one would want check for, and test the latest mainline kernel (now 4.8-rc6) as it is released.

Could you please advise?

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

Sure I can do that.

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

Update
$ uname -r
4.8.0-040800rc6-generic
touchpad issue exists

[penalvch (penalvch)]

aswin venugopal, to clarify, did you have the touchpad issue in 14.04?

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

Nope touchpad issue came up in 16.04.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

aswin venugopal, the next step is to fully commit bisect from kernel 3.13 to 4.4 in order to identify the last good kernel commit, followed immediately by the first bad one. This will allow for a more expedited analysis of the root cause of your issue. Could you please do this following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection ?

Please note, finding adjacent kernel versions is not fully commit bisecting.

Also, the kernel release names are irrelevant for the purposes of bisecting.

It is most helpful that after the fix commit (not kernel version) has been identified, you then mark this report Status Confirmed.

Thank you for your help.

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

Cool on it.

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

So as I understand
14.04
14.10
15.04
15.10
16.04

the mid release is 15.04 I should test that release first (continue until find the first bad release)

Post that bisect the kernel versions.Am I right?

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

I had done a release upgrade from 14.04 to 16.04(instead of a fresh install) if that needs to be taken into consideration.

[aswin venugopal (vaswin91)]

I have solved the issue by installing xserver-xorg-input-libinput.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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