"Pointer keeps on moving while the finger rests on touchpad"

[pep]

"Pointer keeps on moving while the finger rests on touchpad".
This is specially noted in small pointer movements which are very hard to do.
The touchpad feels feels totally imprecise.

This is present in ubuntu 12.04 using kernel 3.2.0-12-generic #21-Ubuntu.
It's already been reported in debian bugs:

http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=656365

When running
synclient -l | awk '/=/{printf "Option \"%s\" \"%s\"\n",$1,$3}'

PressureMotionMinZ = format mismatch(32)
PressureMotionMaxZ = format mismatch(32)

are reported.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 1.5.0+git20120101-1ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-12.21-generic 3.2.2
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-12-generic i686
ApportVersion: 1.91-0ubuntu1
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Feb 1 09:13:31 2012
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2012-01-22 19:58:35.695384
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111012)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer INC. 901
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-12-generic root=UUID=38e8e7aa-6de1-4421-9800-b6fa20afd6c7 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-01-26 (5 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 06/11/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 2103
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: 901
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: x.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 0x00000000
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTek Computer INC.
dmi.chassis.version: x.x
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr2103:bd06/11/2009:svnASUSTeKComputerINC.:pn901:pvrx.x:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rn901:rvrx.xx:cvnASUSTekComputerINC.:ct10:cvrx.x:
dmi.product.name: 901
dmi.product.version: x.x
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu8
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.30-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu4
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.3-0ubuntu9
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.99.901-1ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

pep, did you notice this behavior only recently (e.g. after upgrading to 12.04) or has it always been like this?
If you can help us pin down when the issue first started happening it'll help us identify where to look.

[pep (atreyv)]

bryce, it is recent.

When I upgraded from 11.10 to 12.04 alpha1 this was OK.

Some bugs still persisted from the 11.10 to the 12.04 as the dragging (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-input-synaptics/+bug/859474) and the three finger (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-input-synaptics/+bug/873482).

Then some upgrade (I think for the package xserver-xorg-input-synaptics) solved those bugs but presented this new one.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Thanks pep,

So, it sounds to me like this regression occurred with the update to the new X stack. There have been several other input issues identified with it. (It's a pretty major update of the input stack, so not surprising.)

[Loris Zinsou (nepenthes)]

I encountered this bug for the first time with a X update from xorg-edgers ppa for oneiric, last december iirc.
It seems to be present in the xorg-edgers X stack, and in the default 12.04 X stack too.

There are other input bugs that may be linked to this one, like "never revealing Unity launcher" on "autohide", even with the highest sensitivity, and pointer bugs in wine that are not triggered with the same wine+game versions on oneiric (with the default X stack).

Same output :

   PressureMotionMinZ = format mismatch (32)
   PressureMotionMaxZ = format mismatch (32)

[Anthony Hook (anthonyhook)]

I am no longer having this issue on my EEE 1000.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Thanks, yes this was probably the same as bug #921082, fixed in xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (1.5.99~git20120220-0ubuntu2)

[Jane Atkinson (irihapeti)]

I'm no longer having this issue on EeePC 900.

[pep (atreyv)]

I can also confirm that this specific bug is fixed since the two last updates to xserver-xorg-input-synaptic.

Cheers