[Acer Aspire One 725] Touchpad not working

[Launchy]

Touchpad will not work out of the box on this netbook. This is a regression from Oneiric to Precise+.

a)WORKAROUND: Pushing Fn+F7 before login
or
b)WORKAROUND: Pushing Alt+Fn+F7 or Ctr+Fn+F7 after login makes the touchpad working. After reboot, I have to repeat a) or b) to get touchpad working again.

Upstream URL: http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.drivers.platform.x86.devel/4772/

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: linux-image-3.11.0-3-generic 3.11.0-3.7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-3.7-generic 3.11.0-rc6
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-3-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.12.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: ubuntu 2749 F.... pulseaudio
                      ubuntu 4053 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: ubuntu 2749 F.... pulseaudio
                      ubuntu 4053 F.... pulseaudio
CasperVersion: 1.336
Date: Sat Aug 24 21:01:43 2013
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Alpha amd64 (20130822)
MachineType: Acer AO725
MarkForUpload: True
ProcFB: 0 radeondrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: initrd=/casper/initrd.lz file=/cdrom/preseed/username.seed boot=casper quiet splash -- BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz.efi
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.11.0-3-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.11.0-3-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.113
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 04/18/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: Insyde Corp.
dmi.bios.version: V1.07
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: ZA10_BZ
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: Base Board Version
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacturer
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnInsydeCorp.:bvrV1.07:bd04/18/2013:svnAcer:pnAO725:pvrV1.07:rvnAcer:rnZA10_BZ:rvrBaseBoardVersion:cvnChassisManufacturer:ct10:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: AO725
dmi.product.version: V1.07
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,
yes it appeard in 12.04 LTS and 13.04, which I both tested.

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Hi Christopher,
I tested now a few ...-desktop-amd64.iso as a live system:
- Ubuntu 10.04.4 LTS: hangs during startup "(initframfs) unable to find a medium containing a live file system"
- Ubuntu 11.04: hangs during startup showing the frozen Ubuntu start up splash screen
- Ubuntu 11.10: no issue, touchpad is working out of the box :-)

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launchy, could you please confirm this issue exists with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ . If the issue remains, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Please do not test the daily folder, but the one all the way at the bottom. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested. For example:
kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.11-rc5

This can be done by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon next to the word Tags located at the bottom of the bug description. As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results. Thank you for your understanding.

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

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[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launchy, the next step is to bisect from Oneiric to Precise, in order to identify the offending commit. Could you please do this following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection ?

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,

I can confirm that the issue exists in the latest development release of saucy-desktop-amd64.iso of 27. August 2013.
I made the apport-collect stuff, pleae see the results above this comment.

I tested the the latest upstream kernel available (3.11.0-031100rc7-generic) within saucy-desktop-amd64.iso of 27. August 2013. The issue still exists.

I changed the tags as you adviced. I changed the status of the bug to confirmed.

I will start the bisect operation tomorrow. I must read and understand first what I have to do there.
Thanks for your help and and guidance.

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,

I worked now with the ubuntu-12.04-desktop-amd64.iso (25-Apr-2012 16:13) and with kernels of https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/precise/+source/linux . The kernel bisection you advised yielded some results:
- Touchpad is working with no issues until kernel 3.1.0-2.3
- The issue appears on kernel 3.2.0-1.1 and onwards: the touchpad does not work out of the box

I hope these findings help to fix the touchpad bug.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launhcy, now that we know that this regression occurred between Ubuntu kernel versions 3.1.0-2.3 and 3.2.0-1.1 the next is to commit bisect between them to identify the commit that caused this regression following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection#Commit_bisecting_Ubuntu_kernel_versions .

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,
thanks for showing up the further steps I just read now. I understand it that way, that I will test kernels which are produced while trying to identify the commit that caused the regression. Will you do this git/kernel building stuff and offer me the kernels to test?
Or am I supposed to do this git/building stuff? This git/building stuff is beyond my present knowledge, nor have I a powerful machine at the moment which seems to be necessary. It is just a netbook with an AMD C-70 CPU. Would this be powerful enough?. So, how should we proceed now?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launchy, regarding your comments https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1216422/comments/26 :
>"Will you do this git/kernel building stuff and offer me the kernels to test?"

Unfortunately, I would not be doing this.

>"...am I supposed to do this git/building stuff?"

You performing a bisect would be the quickest way to have your problem addressed.

>"...AMD C-70 CPU. Would this be powerful enough?"

This would be fine.

>"So, how should we proceed now?"

As many other Ubuntu community members have successfully commit bisected their problem, you would want to advise on what specifically you are having trouble with when you attempt to git bisect.

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,
thanks for your guidance again.
So I spent now several hours digging myself through the manual at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection#This_example but now I am stuck with "Give this test a version number". I do not find debian.master/changelog. Where is it supposed to be located or how could I open and change it?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launchy, you would want to switch to bisecting the mainline kernel as noted in https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection#Why_did_the_folders_debian_and_debian.master_disappear.3F .

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,
thanks for the tip.
However, I tried to understand it with Ubuntu Debian mainline kernels etc. It is beyond my skill and possibilities. I searched in Google for examples, guidelines etc. Those I found were not leading me to the goal or they are on a skill level, that I do not have. I am sorry, I am an end user and not a developer. I don't even full understand the terminology . In my point of view, bisection from that point on where one has to use git and make builds etc leaves "user land".
So, how could we proceed? I would be happy to test kernel builds up and downwards as I did it in the past. However, someone is needed who has the skills to build the kernels, who could do that?
Besides this way, would it be possible to search in the commits for changes which affect directly the Elantech touchpad and build a kernel with and without these commits?

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,
meanwhile I have received some helpful hints on bisection and building kernels and I walk now more ore less straight through the jungle of building mainline kernels. I use exactly steps 1-5 and 7-8 of https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/GitKernelBuild to build the mainline kernel and I then install with sudo dpkg -i the linux-image, the linux-headers and linux-libc-dev .deb packages (omitting the linux-firmware-image .deb package) and reboot into the new kernel. Building one mainline kernel on my AO 725 takes around 4 hours. I wonder whether there is a way to cut down this building time. Bisect shows that I have to expect roughly 13 steps. So it will take a few days until we could expect results.

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,
the git bisect is done. After 13 iterations, it show this result in the terminal:

72e71de15fceb0fd7cdfd8bb35f4f8aa8b0e20b5 is the first bad commit
commit 72e71de15fceb0fd7cdfd8bb35f4f8aa8b0e20b5
Author: Lee, Chun-Yi <email address hidden>
Date: Thu Aug 18 18:47:32 2011 +0800

    acer-wmi: add ACER_WMID_v2 interface flag to represent new notebooks

    There have new acer notebooks' BIOS provide new WMID_GUID3 and
    ACERWMID_EVENT_GUID methods.

    Some of machines still keep the old WMID_GUID1 method but more and
    more machines were already removed old wmi methods from DSDT.

    So, this patch add a new ACER_WMID_v2 interface flag to represent
    new acer notebooks, the following is definition:

     + ACER_WMID:
            It means this machine only provides WMID_GUID1/2 methods.

     + ACER_WMID_v2:
            It means this machine provide new WMID_GUID3 and WMID_EVENT_GUID
            methods.
            Some ACER_WMID_v2 machines also provide old WMID_GUID1/2 methods,
            but we still query/set communication device's state by new
            WMID_GUID3 method.

    Tested on Acer Travelmate 8572
    Tested on Acer Aspire 4739Z

    Tested-by: AceLan Kao <email address hidden>
    Cc: Carlos Corbacho <email address hidden>
    Cc: Matthew Garrett <email address hidden>
    Cc: Dmitry Torokhov <email address hidden>
    Cc: Corentin Chary <email address hidden>
    Cc: Thomas Renninger <email address hidden>
    Signed-off-by: Lee, Chun-Yi <email address hidden>
    Signed-off-by: Matthew Garrett <email address hidden>

:040000 040000 9f5278c24381a37e6e3320652e439b1a6cb6aafe 7a29b90dacac4c074f07347e3cd35cad6fb243b4 M drivers

How to proceed now?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launchy, the issue you are reporting is an upstream one. Could you please report this problem through the appropriate channel by following the instructions _verbatim_ at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel#KernelTeam.2BAC8-KernelTeamBugPolicies.Overview_on_Reporting_Bugs_Upstream ?

Thank you for your understanding.

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

... Sorry, I forgot to publish the according git bisect log to post according to my post #32:

git bisect start
# good: [c3b92c8787367a8bb53d57d9789b558f1295cc96] Linux 3.1
git bisect good c3b92c8787367a8bb53d57d9789b558f1295cc96
# bad: [cfcfc9eca2bcbd26a8e206baeb005b055dbf8e37] Linux 3.2-rc2
git bisect bad cfcfc9eca2bcbd26a8e206baeb005b055dbf8e37
# good: [5619a693965b291315685bdfe01a0246ebd7e41e] Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://oss.sgi.com/xfs/xfs
git bisect good 5619a693965b291315685bdfe01a0246ebd7e41e
# bad: [ac5761a650d22dd7dfad4d417463a0981d2da0a4] Merge branch 'next/timer' of git://git.linaro.org/people/arnd/arm-soc
git bisect bad ac5761a650d22dd7dfad4d417463a0981d2da0a4
# good: [07ea815b22b9f70ec8de6ddf8db63a1dd1585caf] [S390] Remove error checking from copy_oldmem_page()
git bisect good 07ea815b22b9f70ec8de6ddf8db63a1dd1585caf
# good: [1eb63378354ac37b7e27d256bbf84684751bac32] Merge branch 'v4l_for_linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/mchehab/linux-media
git bisect good 1eb63378354ac37b7e27d256bbf84684751bac32
# bad: [f470f8d4e702593ee1d0852871ad80373bce707b] Merge branch 'for-linus' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/roland/infiniband
git bisect bad f470f8d4e702593ee1d0852871ad80373bce707b
# bad: [094803e0aab3fe75bbf8202a8f4b5280eaade375] Merge branch 'akpm' (Andrew's incoming)
git bisect bad 094803e0aab3fe75bbf8202a8f4b5280eaade375
# good: [03535ab54a3f3ead011c14b98f2781a285f95025] MAINTAINERS: Linas has moved
git bisect good 03535ab54a3f3ead011c14b98f2781a285f95025
# bad: [91e67a996c60a347ad7b918a74efb0f6b3b274c3] Merge branch 'for_linus' of git://cavan.codon.org.uk/platform-drivers-x86
git bisect bad 91e67a996c60a347ad7b918a74efb0f6b3b274c3
# good: [d4afc7754a60b885b63ef23fd194984e2d53a4e6] ideapad: Check if acpi already handle backlight power to avoid a page fault
git bisect good d4afc7754a60b885b63ef23fd194984e2d53a4e6
# good: [f87d02996f05ec1789ceecce9ec839f629b7aa80] platform: samsung_laptop: add dmi information for Samsung R700 laptops
git bisect good f87d02996f05ec1789ceecce9ec839f629b7aa80
# good: [b93f82816c9ee4868c5aa1c8e06259233916d988] asus-laptop: pega_accel - Report accelerometer orientation change through udev
git bisect good b93f82816c9ee4868c5aa1c8e06259233916d988
# bad: [72e71de15fceb0fd7cdfd8bb35f4f8aa8b0e20b5] acer-wmi: add ACER_WMID_v2 interface flag to represent new notebooks
git bisect bad 72e71de15fceb0fd7cdfd8bb35f4f8aa8b0e20b5
# good: [6a0d89c2641671a5d29d262dbc7db8e403b543be] sony-laptop:irq: Remove IRQF_DISABLED
git bisect good 6a0d89c2641671a5d29d262dbc7db8e403b543be

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,
while reporting the upstream kernel bug in the KERNEL.ORG FORMAT, should I test the kernel of the daily folder or the one all the way at the bottom. of that page? Besides that, is "[5.] Output of Oops." applicable to this touchpad bug?
Thanks for the hints in advance

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launchy:
>"should I test the kernel of the daily folder or the one all the way at the bottom."

All the way at the bottom.

>"is "[5.] Output of Oops." applicable to this touchpad bug?"

If this issue was due to a kernel module crashing "oops" (ex. one would see a call trace) then one would post it. Otherwise, no.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launchy regarding your direct e-mail :
>"Dear Christopher, I sent the bug report in the attachment now to the kernel driver maintainer list. hope this is correct this way and it would help to fix the touchpad bug. Best regards, Launchy"

Please continue to post to this bug report so that others may view and comment to your posts.

Despite this, a few issues with the e-mail you sent below:
1) It would be more applicable to send this (and still CC Lee, Chun-Yi) to the following mailing list:
<email address hidden>

2) <LISTNAME>-<email address hidden> is the list owner/administrator, not the general mailing list itself where one may view the public archives.

3) Regarding your upstream summary:
Acer Aspire One 725 Elantech touchpad not working: regression from Ubuntu Oneiric to Precise+

Upstream is much more interested in what upstream kernel regression/commit this was found in, not the downstream distro code names. One would be better served by changing this to:
Acer Aspire One 725 Elantech touchpad not working due to regression commit 72e71de15fceb0fd7cdfd8bb35f4f8aa8b0e20b5

Otherwise, looks good.

Cc: "Lee, Chun-Yi" <email address hidden>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 21:41:26 +0200
From: <email address hidden>
Message-ID: <20130914214127.LLS7O.42121.root@viefep22>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Sensitivity: Normal
Subject: Acer Aspire One 725 touchpad not working: regression
To: <email address hidden>
X-Originating-IP: from 84.75.171.227 by www.upcmail.net; Sat, 14 Sep 2013 21:41:25 +0200
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)

Summary:
Acer Aspire One 725 Elantech touchpad not working: regression from Ubuntu Oneiric to Precise+

Problem Report:
Touchpad will not work out of the box on the netbook Acer Aspire One 725. This is a regression from Oneiric to Precise+.

a)WORKAROUND: Pushing Fn+F7 before login
or
b)WORKAROUND: Pushing Alt+Fn+F7 or Ctr+Fn+F7 after login makes the touchpad working. After reboot, I have to repeat a) or b) to get touchpad working again.

The issue is still there in kernel 3.11.0-031100-generic, which is the newest mainline kernel I could test.

The issue is a regression. I made a mainline kernel bisect which yielded:
72e71de15fceb0fd7cdfd8bb35f4f8aa8b0e20b5 is the first bad commit
commit 72e71de15fceb0fd7cdfd8bb35f4f8aa8b0e20b5
Author: Lee, Chun-Yi <email address hidden>
Date: Thu Aug 18 18:47:32 2011 +0800

    acer-wmi: add ACER_WMID_v2 interface flag to represent new notebooks

    There have new acer notebooks' BIOS provide new WMID_GUID3 and
    ACERWMID_EVENT_GUID methods.

    Some of machines still keep the old WMID_GUID1 method but more and
    more machines were already removed old wmi methods from DSDT.

    So, this patch add a new ACER_WMID_v2 interface flag to represent
    new acer notebooks, the following is definition:

     + ACER_WMID:
            It means this machine only provides WMID_GUID1/2 methods.

     + ACER_WMID_v2:
            It means this machine provide new WMID_GUID3 and WMID_EVENT_GUID
            methods.
            Some ACER_WMID_v2 machines also provide old WMID_GUID1/2 methods,
            but we still query/set communicati...

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Given the number of bugs that the Kernel Team receives during any development cycle it is impossible for us to review them all. Therefore, we occasionally resort to using automated bots to request further testing. This is such a request.

We are approaching release and would like to confirm if this bug is still present. Please test again with the latest development kernel and indicate in the bug if this issue still exists or not.

You can update to the latest development kernel by simply running the following commands in a terminal window:

    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

If the bug still exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Confirmed. If the bug no longer exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Fix Released.

Thank you for your help, we really do appreciate it.

[Norbert Moldován (moldovannorbert)]

This bug still exists with the latest kernel.

[Norbert Moldován (moldovannorbert)]

My touchpad started working after an update on 10.24.2013.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Norbert Moldován, as Launchy is the original reporter, we would want to ensure it is fixed for Launchy as well.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launchy, regarding your upstream post https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1216422/comments/37 could you please post a URL?

As well, could you please test the latest mainline kernel via http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.12-rc7-saucy/ ?

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,

The upstream post was sent to the platform-driver-x86 list: http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.drivers.platform.x86.devel/4772/
The maintainer of the regression commit answered he will look into the issue a few weeks ago. Since then, I have not read anything. Perhaps I did something wrong? Please advice.
I tested the two most recent mainline kernels: 3.12.0-031200rc7-generic and 3.12.0-031200-generic. Both with negative results, the touchpad issue remains. How should we proceed now? Please advice.

Thanks in advance,
Launchy

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launchy, I didn't see the regression commit maintainer's response on the mailing list archive. Would you like to post this here so we can see the comments?

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Hi Christopher,

yes thats right. The commit maintainer answered me twice on the "private" mail. It did not appear in the mailing list. Therefore I will summarize the two mails:

1)
Please send your acpi dump result to me:
 # acpidump > acpidump.dat
It can help me check does this patch.

I sent him the output of the acpidump at the same day and I received the following response also on that day.

2)
I am away, will not response quickly. I will look at it.

This is now more than 4 weeks ago. Since then, I asked twice via private mail for news on the issue without any answer.
Christopher, please advice how to proceed.

[Paul Campion (pawl)]

Just thought I would mention I still have this bug!

Why is it now only "Medium" importance - used to be "high" - it is as annoying as it ever was and has been going on a very long time....

[Paul Campion (pawl)]

Christopher Penalver, I have only just seen your reply (I only check this thread occasionally). Anyway, thanks for your help: I will update BIOS and then report as requested. Your other comments are noted.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Dear Christopher,
thanks for the hint.
I updated successfully the BIOS from version 1.07 --> 1.08. Unfortunately, the touchpad issue remains the same as it was with BIOS 1.07.
The command "sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date" issued:
V1.08
07/30/2013

How to proceed now with the bug?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Launchy, could you please test the latest mainline kernel via http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.15-rc5-utopic/ and advise to the results?

[Launchy (launchy-0)]

Christopher,
I tested the lastest mainline kernel:
uname -r --> 3.15.0-031500rc5-generic
Unfortunately, the issue remains the same as before.
How to proceed now with the bug?

[Po-Hsu Lin (cypressyew)]

Hello
Since this kernel is no long supported, I am going to close this bug.

Please feel free to open a new one if you're still seeing this issue.
Thanks.