[Dell Inspiron N5110] 'ALPS Touchpad' incorrectly detected as PS/2 mouse

[Justin Chang]

Mousepad is detected as PS/2 Generic Mouse. No touchpad setting, no vertical/horizontal scrolling, and jumpy cursor when typing.

Ubuntu 3.0.0-17.30-generic 3.0.22

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: linux-image-3.0.0-17-generic 3.0.0-17.30
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-17.30-generic 3.0.22
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-17-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: justin 1593 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7f00000 irq 54'
   Mixer name : 'Intel CougarPoint HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:111d76d1,102804b0,00100205 HDA:80862805,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 18
   Simple ctrls : 10
Date: Mon Apr 9 03:40:24 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111012)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Inspiron N5110
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-17-generic root=UUID=2A0C5D9B0C5D62BD loop=/hostname/disks/root.disk ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-17-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-17-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: mei
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2012-04-02 (6 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 09/30/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A09
dmi.board.name: 034W60
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A09
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Not Specified
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA09:bd09/30/2011:svnDellInc.:pnInspironN5110:pvrNotSpecified:rvnDellInc.:rn034W60:rvrA09:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrNotSpecified:
dmi.product.name: Inspiron N5110
dmi.product.version: Not Specified
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.4kernel[1] (Not a kernel in the daily directory). Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag(Only that one tag, please leave the other tags). This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text.

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'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4-rc2-precise/

[Justin Chang (jychang48)]

Yup still doesn't work with the new upstream 3.4 kernel. Touchpad still detected as PS/2 Generic Mouse

[Seth Forshee (sforshee)]

ALPS refuses to release the protocol information for their touchpads that is required to support them under Linux. There is an ALPS driver that supports several generations of the touchpad protocol as the result of reverse engineering efforts, but there are still some touchpads (such as yours) which are not supported. What it will take to add support is for someone with the right hardware and sufficient technical knowledge to reverse engineer the protocol and add support to the driver.

As a result, I'm marking this as a wishlist item.

[Gregor (gregor-g)]

how can this be a wishlist item if this is CERTIFIED hardware?
http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/catalog/component/input:10236-TOUCH/

either this is a critical bug or the hardware should not be certified for Ubuntu 12.04 and 11.10!

[Gary Ferrao (garyf)]

Dave Turvene seems to have solved this problem (in part)
he got the touchpad recognised, edge scrolling working and dual scrolling working.

http://www.dahetral.com/public-download

i tested it myself on my lappy and gives no bugs with default ubuntu 12.04 settings

all that's left is to get that LED above the touchpad toggle between on/off and multi finger zoom in/out