Trackpad settings don't persist beyond reboot

[DukeOfNewYork]

Happens on the latest version of lubuntu, fully upgraded. Thinkpad e420.

sudo synclient PalmMinWidth=10
sudo synclient PalmMinZ=10
sudo synclient PalmDetect=1

synclient -l >> settings.txt

reboot

synclient -l >> settings2.txt

diff settings.txt settings2.txt

...
< PalmDetect = 1
< PalmMinWidth = 10
< PalmMinZ = 10
---
> PalmDetect = 0
> PalmMinWidth = 9
> PalmMinZ = 199

...

It may or may not be related, but keymappings via lxkeymap don't update, either.
If you can furnish me with a quick and dirty workaround, I'd be forever grateful.

edit: also happens using gpointing-device-settings. When gds starts the message "An X error occurred. The error was BadAtom (invalid Atom parameter)." is output.

[Magpie (thismagpie)]

You can make a file with your settings hardcoded into it and then make the file executable.

To get it to execute when you reboot, you would make an autostart file for the executable file you just made in usr/share/applications.

I have a blog "walkthrough"-ish, to help others with this sort of problem.

I really wanted to disable to tap-to-click.

http://thismagpie.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/finally-how-i-permanently-disabled-tap.html

I would like to help develop a proper fix for the touchpad settings management though, as it is quite a crude fix.

[ԜаӀtеr Ⅼарсһуnѕkі (wxl)]

The correct and less hackish way to do this is documented:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Lubuntu/Mouse
Note these settings will persist regardless of how you update your system since they are in home. You cannot ensure the same thing with changes in non-home directories.
I use this myself to disable tap to click.
Given this, I'd call this bug invalid, but I'll leave it to ya'll to confirm.

[Magpie (thismagpie)]

I disagree. If you are going to disable tap-to-click. It needs to be done properly not just for that login session. This is a bug.

[ԜаӀtеr Ⅼарсһуnѕkі (wxl)]

I don't think you understand what I explained. If you follow the instructions in the link, you can *permanently* set the settings for that user.

You can also make a change globally (i.e. for all users), but you run the risk of losing that when you update. The file there is /etc/xdg/lxsession/Lubuntu/autostart but because of this risk I would not recommend that. Instead, I would suggest making the documented change for each and every user. This is fairly trivial to script if you have a huge number of users, which you likely don't.

Either way, there is indeed a documented solution that will keep the settings permanently no matter how many times you reboot.

Now if you're trying to say that you'd prefer some more intuitive way of going about this that, say, is more Ubuntu-like, you can call this a wishlist item, but outside of this, it's not a bug, sorry.

[Magpie (thismagpie)]

"This is fairly trivial to script if you have a huge number of users, which you likely don't."

I put the script into etc/xdg/autostart fine and never had a problem. I don't really an advantage to permanently setting the touchpad for only one user when it is causing such a menace. Please clarify your motivation here, if you can.

The autostart location aside; the hack you recommend in the link, does not thoroughly explain how to make the synclient commands into a working script. They would require a user to have a certain amount of knowledge to be able to make use of them.

[ԜаӀtеr Ⅼарсһуnѕkі (wxl)]

Reason to only to do this on per-user basis: because not ever usery wants it. If this is for a computer only you use, it's irrelevant where you put it, except for the fact that putting it in a location other than a home folder means you risk it being overwritten when you upgrade.

As the link says, read the man page if you want to know all the possible settings. It's thoroughly documented. If you have a question about a specific one, I'd suggest putting something out on the lubuntu-users mailing list or #lubuntu on IRC.

I should point out if the information is readily available on how to do something and you haven't read it, that doesn't constitute as a bug. If you want it to be easy, that's a wishlist item.

[Magpie (thismagpie)]

I would hardly call the "information" readily available: The page title is "Lubuntu/Mouse" when we are talking about trackpads here and I am sorry, but I am speaking as someone who has alread found a way to solve the problem (even if not to your taste) and those instructions you linked are not complete. That said, will take on board your point regarding how to define a bug. It could be you are right there, I am not sure.

[ԜаӀtеr Ⅼарсһуnѕkі (wxl)]

What would you suggest we rename the page? Lubuntu/PointerDevice?
Lubuntu/Non-KeyboardNon-JoystickInputDevice? IMHO Lubuntu/Mouse is quite
clear and less wordy. Also if you have a problem with the wiki, no bug
report needed. Just change it!

[Magpie (thismagpie)]

Missing pointing devices settings utility has been confirmed

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lubuntu-meta/+bug/831892

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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