Problems with Alps touchpad after upgrade to Edgy

[Andrea Gamba]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-input-synaptics

My Alps touchpad worked perfectly with Dapper on a Toshiba Satellite M70-165. After upgrade to Edgy I got the following problem:

- when xserver is started I have tapping but not scrolling;

- if I switch to tty with Ctrl-Alt-F1 and come back to X with Ctrl-Alt-F7 I get scrolling (buttons 4, 5) but no tapping.

The touchpad is recognized and synclient apparently works.

My xorg.conf and Xorg.0.log follow:

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

Section "Files"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/CID"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
 FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
        # paths to defoma fonts
 FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
 FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/CID"
EndSection

Section "Module"
 Load "i2c"
 Load "bitmap"
 Load "ddc"
 Load "dri"
 Load "dbe"
 Load "extmod"
 Load "freetype"
 Load "glx"
 Load "int10"
 Load "type1"
 Load "vbe"
 Load "synaptics"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
 Driver "kbd"
 Option "CoreKeyboard"
 Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
 Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
 Option "XkbLayout" "it"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Configured Mouse"
 Driver "mouse"
 Option "CorePointer"
 Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
 Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
 Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
 Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Alps Touchpad"
 Driver "synaptics"
        Option "AlwaysCore"
 Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
 Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
        Option "LeftEdge" "120"
        Option "RightEdge" "830"
        Option "TopEdge" "120"
        Option "BottomEdge" "650"
        Option "FingerLow" "14"
        Option "FingerHigh" "15"
        Option "TabButton2" "2"
        Option "MaxTapTime" "180"
        Option "MaxDoubleTapTime" "300"
        Option "MaxTapMove" "110"
        Option "ClickTime" "0"
        Option "EmulateMidButtonTime" "75"
        Option "VertScrollDelta" "20"
        Option "HorizScrollDelta" "20"
        Option "MinSpeed" "0.2"
        Option "MaxSpeed" "0.5"
        Option "AccelFactor" "0.020"
        Option "EdgeMotionMinSpeed" "15"
        Option "EdgeMotionMaxSpeed" "15"
        Option "UpDownScrolling" "1"
        Option "CircularScrolling" "0"
        Option "CircScrollDelta" "0.1"
        Option "CircScrollTrigger" "2"
        Option "SHMConfig" "true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Intel Corporation Intel Default Card"
 Driver "i810"
 BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
   VideoRam 131072
   Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
 Identifier "Generic Monitor"
 Option "DPMS"
 Modeline "1280x800@60" 83.91 1280 1312 1624 1656 800 816 824 841
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 Identifier "Default Screen"
 Device "Intel Corporation Intel Default Card"
 Monitor "Generic Monitor"
 DefaultDepth 24
 SubSection "Display"
  Depth 1
  Modes "1280x800"
 EndSubSection
 SubSection "Display"
  Depth 4
  Modes "1280x800"
 EndSubSection
 SubSection "Display"
  Depth 8
  Modes "1280x800"
 EndSubSection
 SubSection "Display"
  Depth 15
  Modes "1280x800"
 EndSubSection
 SubSection "Display"
  Depth 16
  Modes "1280x800"
 EndSubSection
 SubSection "Display"
  Depth 24
  Modes "1280x800"
 EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
   Option "AIGLX" "true"
 Identifier "Default Layout"
 Screen "Default Screen"
 InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
 InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
 InputDevice "Alps Touchpad" "AlwaysCore"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
 Mode 0666
EndSection

$ grep -i synaptics /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so
(II) Module synaptics: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
(II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
(II) Reloading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so
(II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 0.14.6 (1406)
Synaptics DeviceInit called
SynapticsCtrl called.
Synaptics DeviceOn called
Synaptics DeviceOff called
Synaptics DeviceOn called
Synaptics DeviceOff called
Synaptics DeviceOn called
Synaptics DeviceOff called
Synaptics DeviceOn called
Synaptics DeviceOff called
Synaptics DeviceOn called
Synaptics DeviceOff called
Synaptics DeviceOn called

[Andrea Gamba (andrea-gamba)]

Xorg.0.log added

[Andrea Gamba (andrea-gamba)]

It may be related to Bug #44768:

$ grep -i event /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(--) Alps Touchpad auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event2
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event2"
(**) Alps Touchpad: always reports core events
(--) Alps Touchpad auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event2
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event2"
(--) Alps Touchpad auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event3
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event3"
(--) Alps Touchpad auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event3
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event3"
(--) Alps Touchpad auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event2
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event2"
(--) Alps Touchpad auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event3
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event3"
(--) Alps Touchpad auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event3
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event3"

[Andrea Gamba (andrea-gamba)]

My xorg.conf lacked the option

 Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"

however, after adding it, nothing changes.

[Andrea Gamba (andrea-gamba)]

My xorg.conf lacked the option

 Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"

however, after adding it, nothing changes.

In particular, different events are assigned each time:

$ grep -i event /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(--) Alps Touchpad auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event2
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event2"
(**) Alps Touchpad: always reports core events
(--) Alps Touchpad auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event2
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event2"
(--) Alps Touchpad auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event3
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event3"

$ grep -i synaptic /var/log/Xorg.0.log
(II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so
(II) Module synaptics: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
(II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
(II) Reloading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so
(II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 0.14.6 (1406)
Synaptics DeviceInit called
SynapticsCtrl called.
Synaptics DeviceOn called
Synaptics DeviceOff called
Synaptics DeviceOn called

The single DeviceOff in this log apparently correspond to switching once to tty and back.

Its effect seems to be to enable scrolling and disabling tapping. Weird.

[Andrea Gamba (andrea-gamba)]

More or less the same problem is reported here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=275564

[saniac (stephen-vital)]

I have very similar symptoms. My laptop is a Toshiba Tecra A6, also with an Alps touchpad, and after a dapper -> edgy upgrade scrolling stopped working. Scrolling starts working after switching consoles, logging in a new gdm session, or after a suspend.

[saniac (stephen-vital)]

I also see the same lines in Xorg.0.log that Andreas sees.

[cvrse (cvrse)]

exact same problem here with a SONY VGN-FE25GP

[arodle (justinhclemons)]

Same issues with the alps touchpad on my Sony VGN-FS760/W. The scrolling worked fine in Dapper, however, in Edgy. I can make it work if I do like all the others and switch consoles and log in, then it works.

[Matthias Kiesselbach (matthiaskie-gmail)]

Same problem here with SONY VGN-FS415S and Edgy. According to the workaround at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=275564 , after starting X, I have to restart X (by Ctrl-Alt-Backspace) to get the touchpad functionality from Dapper back. This works but is annoying.

What's interesting is that on startup (i.e. before _re_start of X), syndaemon does load but neither a "syndaemon -d -t -k" or a "synclient var=[whatever]" does anything. They do not return error messages though.

[towsonu2003 (towsonu2003)]

is bug # 63714 same as this?

[Andrea Gamba (andrea-gamba)]

I think

https://launchpad.net/bugs/63714

is the same.

[getaceres (getaceres)]

I'm using a VAIO VGN-FE31Z and scrolling doesn't work (even when enabled from gsynaptics) and also double click+drag doesn't work. Rolling back to edgy version solves the problem but I get a random behavor with scrolling (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't). Anyway, dapper version works way better than edgy version.
Does anyone knows a driver version that works? I don't want to wait to Feisty to use my touchpad.

[getaceres (getaceres)]

Sorry, I mean, rolling back to dapper version works a little better.

[Igor Zubarev (igor.zubarev)]

Confirm. I'm using a VAIO VGN-FS11MR and scrolling doesn't work at all in Edgy.

[Matthias Kiesselbach (matthiaskie-gmail)]

Update: Since yesterday (some automatic update?) I can't even use the workaround http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=275564 any more!

[Andrea Gamba (andrea-gamba)]

Here everything is as it used to be, need Ctrl-Alt-F1 / Ctrl-Alt-F7 to get scrolling working but than you loose tapping. Actually, I noticed that tapping still works if accompanied by a short movement from top-right to bottom-left, and / or by a short pressure.

I am quite prepared to wait for Feisty to have back a normally working touchpad... I just hope that with Feisty things will not get worse... I mean, everything used to work perfectly and now is broken... so why Feisty should be better if nobody knows where the bug is and how it can be fixed?

[Matthias Kiesselbach (matthiaskie-gmail)]

Actually, my laptop is now also back to how it was (i.e. touchpad faulty, but open to the workaround referred to above). This might help, though: After upgrading the kernel (to 2.6.17-11, with a switch from -generic to -386) my touchpad was "completely" gone (i.e. no workaround possible). Only when I re-installed the restricted modules (which I had to because the kernel update shot my non-free nvidia driver down), the laptop got back into the faulty but work-aroundable state. (Excuse my abbreviated language)

[Matthias Kiesselbach (matthiaskie-gmail)]

Hi all -- this is just to let you know that the problem has vanished with the upgrade to Feisty. At least for me (on Sony Vaio VGN FS 415S) Everything as it used to be with Dapper. Thanks for the good work.

[towsonu2003 (towsonu2003)]

is this solved for everyone here?

[Eugene Cormier (eugene-cormier)]

This is fixed since the feisty upgrade for me

Eugene

[Andrea Gamba (andrea-gamba)]

Also fixed for me!
Andrea

[saniac (stephen-vital)]

Fixed for me also.

[Nelson Lago (lago)]

Fixed here too, but I don't remember *when* it became fixed (I don't reboot often and upgraded to Feisty during beta, so I don't know if the fix appeared before or after the upgrade).

[Peter Whittaker (pwwnow)]

Marking as fix released based on several positive comments

[getaceres (getaceres)]

Fixed in Feisty but I fear it's not fixed for Edgy users...

[Ted Lemon (mellon-fugue)]

On May 2, 2007, at 1:03 PM, getaceres wrote:
> Fixed in Feisty but I fear it's not fixed for Edgy users...

No worries, I'm running Feisty anyway. Thanks for following up!