laptop touchpad vertical scrolling doesn't work in abiword

[Tim]

Xubuntu 12.04

Abiword 2.9.2 (default build in Xubuntu 12.04)

Acer Aspire 7736Z-4088 laptop with ALPS touchpad

integrated scrollbar on the laptop works normally in other aspects of Xubuntu, such as Thunar, other apps such as Thunderbird, Firefox, LibreOffice Writer, etc. Only in Abiword does the scrollbar not work. If I open a document in Abiword that is scrollable, the integrated scrollbar on the right edge of the touchpad does not work in Abiword. I can scroll by holding down the down arrow key or by clicking and holding the scrollbar within the Abiword GUI. Opening the same document in LibreOffice Writer lets me scroll normally with the touchpad scrollbar. Behavior appears to be limited only to Abiword.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: abiword 2.9.2+svn20120213-1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Apr 29 14:26:28 2012
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: abiword
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
---
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
Package: xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 1.5.99.902-0ubuntu5.1
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.38-generic 3.2.16
Tags: precise
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo

[Tim (tzakharov)]

I wanted to add that I tried Xubuntu 12.04 on a desktop with a regular mouse and scroll wheel and the same behavior occurs there...scroll wheel on mouse does not work in Abiword, but works eveywhere else.

Finally, I tried Abiword in Linux Mint 12 and scrolling worked normally there.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Markus V. (marvogt)]

Hey there,

my father & I have the same problem, both using the 64Bit-Version of Xubuntu 12.04: Scrolling via mousewheel doesn't work in Abiword, but in any other application tested. I tried this function in Xubuntu 11.04 (32-Bit) on my Laptop & everything's fine.

Have a nice evening,
Markus

[Markus V. (marvogt)]

Heyho,

the problem that causes this issue was identified in another forum:
http://forum.ubuntuusers.de/topic/abiword-scrollmaus-wird-nicht-erkannt/

For those of you, which don't understand german: :o)
The version of Abiword, that was packed to the Ubuntu-Sources (Abiword 2.9.2) of Ubuntu 12.04 is a development version and not the latest stable one.

I think the quick & dirty solution for me & my father ist to switch to Libre Office. ;o)

Cheers,
Markus

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Tim, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. Please execute the following command, as it will automatically gather debugging information, in a terminal:
apport-collect 991399

As well, could you please provide the information following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingTouchpadDetection ?

[Tim (tzakharov)]

apport information

[Tim (tzakharov)]

Christopher,

I provided debugging info, but don't think there is any issue with the Touchpad, so have not yet provided info on your second request (debugging touchpad detection). I have since come across other bug reports on this same problem that indicate the problem is with an unstable version of Abiword being used in 12.04. The problem is specific to Abiword, and moreso, specific to the version of Abiword that is in the 12.04 repositories. Scrolling (whether by touchpad or mouse wheel) does not work at all in this version of Abiword. Thank you for getting back to me.

[msevior (msevior-gmail)]

Hi everyone,

AbiWord-2.9.2 is very much a development release and should never have
been included in Ubuntu 12.04. Please revert to abiword-2.8.6

Best regards,

Martin Sevior

On Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 5:41 AM, Tim <email address hidden> wrote:
> Public bug reported:
>
> Xubuntu 12.04
>
> Abiword 2.9.2 (default build in Xubuntu 12.04)
>
> Acer Aspire 7736Z-4088 laptop with ALPS touchpad
>
> integrated scrollbar on the laptop works normally in other aspects of
> Xubuntu, such as Thunar, other apps such as Thunderbird, Firefox,
> LibreOffice Writer, etc.  Only in Abiword does the scrollbar not work.
> If I open a document in Abiword that is scrollable, the integrated
> scrollbar on the right edge of the touchpad does not work in Abiword.  I
> can scroll by holding down the down arrow key or by clicking and holding
> the scrollbar within the Abiword GUI.  Opening the same document in
> LibreOffice Writer lets me scroll normally with the touchpad scrollbar.
> Behavior appears to be limited only to Abiword.
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
> Package: abiword 2.9.2+svn20120213-1
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
> Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
> ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
> Architecture: amd64
> Date: Sun Apr 29 14:26:28 2012
> InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
> ProcEnviron:
>  LANGUAGE=en_US:en
>  PATH=(custom, no user)
>  LANG=en_US.UTF-8
>  SHELL=/bin/bash
> SourcePackage: abiword
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> ** Affects: abiword (Ubuntu)
>     Importance: Undecided
>         Status: New
>
>
> ** Tags: amd64 apport-bug precise
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of AbiWord
> Stable Builds, which is subscribed to abiword in Ubuntu.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/991399
>
> Title:
>  laptop touchpad vertical scrolling doesn't work in abiword
>
> Status in “abiword” package in Ubuntu:
>  New
>
> Bug description:
>  Xubuntu 12.04
>
>  Abiword 2.9.2 (default build in Xubuntu 12.04)
>
>  Acer Aspire 7736Z-4088 laptop with ALPS touchpad
>
>  integrated scrollbar on the laptop works normally in other aspects of
>  Xubuntu, such as Thunar, other apps such as Thunderbird, Firefox,
>  LibreOffice Writer, etc.  Only in Abiword does the scrollbar not work.
>  If I open a document in Abiword that is scrollable, the integrated
>  scrollbar on the right edge of the touchpad does not work in Abiword.
>  I can scroll by holding down the down arrow key or by clicking and
>  holding the scrollbar within the Abiword GUI.  Opening the same
>  document in LibreOffice Writer lets me scroll normally with the
>  touchpad scrollbar.  Behavior appears to be limited only to Abiword.
>
>  ProblemType: Bug
>  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
>  Package: abiword 2.9.2+svn20120213-1
>  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
>  Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64
>  ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
>  Architecture: amd64
>  Date: Sun Apr 29 14:26:28 2012
>  InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120425)
>  ProcEnviron:
>   LANGUAGE=en_US:en
>   PATH=(cus...

[dav2dev (dav2dev)]

It's no more a xorg problem, only abiword's

[penalvch (penalvch)]

dav2dev, it is well understood this problem only occurs with AbiWord. However, it being a bug in AbiWord is to be determined by a developer due to this problem manifesting with use of a touchpad. If you are a developer, please explain the technical details and code piece(s) as to why this is one versus another. Otherwise, please do not toggle this report.

[Tim (tzakharov)]

How is such a bug resolved? Can Ubuntu drop back the version of Abiword in their Precise repositories? If so, how would such an "upgrade" take place through Update Manager? It seems it could not, as I understand it, versioning can only move forward, not backward?

[dav2dev (dav2dev)]

Sorry if I did something I wasn't allowed to do.
I'm not a developer, I just thought it was not a touchpad specific problem because:
1) the problem occurs not only with the touchpad but also with the mouse scrollwheel, as noted here and in bug #960089 (which I marked as a duplicate of this bug).
2) indeed, you can scroll the page, either with the touchpad or with the mouse, but only if you go with the pointer to the right edge of the page (causing the overlay-scrollbar to appear) and keep the pointer close enough to that edge (by close enough I mean within the horizontal space virtually occupied by the overlay-scrollbar). Then, you can even go up and down with the pointer and still scroll the page, the only two conditions are: the overlay scrollbar is visible (activated); the pointer does not cross the vertical line virtually drawn by the left edge of the overlay-scrollbar.

I think this is enough to tell that it's not a driver problem. But, again, I'm not a developer, and this is the best i can do to help fix the bug.
Cheers