Support for semi-multitouch devices in the Open Input Framework

[Mark Nighswonger]

Semi-multitouch devices are not supported by the X server and the Open Input Framework stack. It is possible to support them in theory, but the plumbing is not there yet.

The original bug report below details the fact that the Open Input Framework doesn't work for ALPS trackpads, which are all semi-multitouch.

Original bug report
===================

During multitouch testing, If you do not see your multitouch device, or if you see it but do not receive any gesture events, please open a bug by running: $ ubuntu-bug utouch
Ubuntu 11.10 64-bit Final Release

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: utouch 1.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Oct 23 19:48:01 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
MachineType: Acer AO532h
MtDevices: No capable devices found...
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=e23243f8-36cb-4a0a-a3f4-9e45017929de ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: utouch
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-16 (6 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 04/28/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Acer
dmi.bios.version: V1.26
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: AO532h
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: V1.26
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.version: V1.26
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAcer:bvrV1.26:bd04/28/2011:svnAcer:pnAO532h:pvrV1.26:rvnAcer:rnAO532h:rvrV1.26:cvnAcer:ct10:cvrV1.26:
dmi.product.name: AO532h
dmi.product.version: V1.26
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[Chase Douglas (chasedouglas)]

Linux does not currently have any support for multitouch on ALPS devices. There is some work going on to enable it, but it is not ready yet.

[Mark Nighswonger (marknigh)]

Thank you Chase! If there is anyway that I can help please let me know!

[Mark Nighswonger (marknigh)]

Great news! My ALPS PS/2 Glidepoint Touchpad has vertical and horizontal scroll right out of the box on Precise ALPHA.
16.637] (II) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: failed to open grail, no gesture support This is still not available but baby steps are good.
Thanks to whomever got me this far. I am posting the applicable xorg.0.log portion in case it helps someone.

16.593] (II) Using input driver 'synaptics' for 'AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint'
[ 16.593] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so
[ 16.594] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: always reports core events
[ 16.594] (**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event10"
[ 16.616] (--) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: x-axis range 0 - 2000
[ 16.616] (--) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: y-axis range 0 - 1400
[ 16.616] (--) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: pressure range 0 - 127
[ 16.616] (--) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: buttons: left right middle
[ 16.616] (--) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: invalid finger width range. defaulting to 0 - 16
[ 16.628] (--) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: touchpad found
[ 16.628] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: always reports core events
[ 16.636] (**) Option "config_info" "udev:/sys/devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input10/event10"
[ 16.636] (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint" (type: TOUCHPAD)
[ 16.636] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) MinSpeed is now constant deceleration 2.5
[ 16.636] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: MaxSpeed is now 1.75
[ 16.636] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: AccelFactor is now 0.082
[ 16.637] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) keeping acceleration scheme 1
[ 16.637] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) acceleration profile 1
[ 16.637] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) acceleration factor: 2.000
[ 16.637] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) acceleration threshold: 4
[ 16.637] (II) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: failed to open grail, no gesture support
[ 16.637] (--) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: touchpad found
[ 16.638] (II) config/udev: Adding input device AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint (/dev/input/mouse1)
[ 16.638] (II) No input driver/identifier specified (ignoring)
[ 16.639] (II) config/udev: Adding input device PS/2 Mouse (/dev/input/event9)
[ 16.639] (**) PS/2 Mouse: Applying InputClass "evdev pointer catchall"
[ 16.639] (II) Using input driver 'evdev' for 'PS/2 Mouse'
[ 16.639] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/evdev_drv.so
[ 16.639] (**) PS/2 Mouse: always reports core events
[ 16.639] (**) PS/2 Mouse: Device: "/dev/input/event9"
[ 16.639] (--) PS/2 Mouse: Found 3 mouse buttons
[ 16.639] (--) PS/2 Mouse: Found relative axes
[ 16.639] (--) PS/2 Mouse: Found x and y relative axes
[ 16.640] (II) PS/2 Mouse: Configuring as mouse
[ 16.640] (**) PS/2 Mouse: YAxisMapping: buttons 4 and 5
[ 16.640] (**) PS/2 Mouse: EmulateWheelButton: 4, EmulateWheelInertia: 10, EmulateWheelTimeout: 200
[ 16.640] (**) Option "config_info" "udev:/sys/devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input9/event9"
[ 16.640] (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "PS/2 Mouse" (type: MOUSE)
[ 16.640] (II) PS/2 Mouse: initialized for relative axes.
[ ...

[Chase Douglas (chasedouglas)]

ALPS multitouch support is only semi-multitouch at this point. The uTouch stack will does not work with semi-multitouch devices.

I am going to rewrite this bug to be about semi-multitouch support in uTouch. I can't promise that we will add support, but at least it will be documented and left open for someone to implement.