Synaptics touchpad not recognised - OK on linux-image-3.13.0-74-generic 3.13.0-74.118

[John Leake]

Thinkpad T520 mousepad defaults to standard PS2 so there is no edge scroll etc. and thus no settings tab for touchpad.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-image-3.13.0-76-generic 3.13.0-76.120
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-76.120-generic 3.13.11-ckt30
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-76-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.19
Architecture: i386
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: john 2053 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: XFCE
Date: Sun Jan 24 11:06:21 2016
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=0014b9e9-0896-45dd-8005-73598192eb15
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-03-21 (308 days ago)
InstallationMedia: BackBox Linux 4.1 - Release i386
MachineType: LENOVO 4242A25
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-76-generic root=UUID=52833b54-5bbe-4c2f-97e4-73240dfc57e9 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.13.0-76-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.13.0-76-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.127.20
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 07/26/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 8AET64WW (1.44 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 4242A25
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 1S4242A25R9FKBZP
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr8AET64WW(1.44):bd07/26/2013:svnLENOVO:pn4242A25:pvrThinkPadT520:rvnLENOVO:rn4242A25:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 4242A25
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T520
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[John Leake (jleake)]

This also breaks all Virtualbox clients.

[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 v4.4 kernel[0].

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'.

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.4-wily

[John Leake (jleake)]

I failed to overcome linux-header dependencies despite uninstalling virtualbox however v4.4 did boot but the mousepad was not recognised. Hope this is of some use.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

John Leake, the latest mainline kernel (4.5-rc1) came out two days ago. Hence, could you please test this via https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds and advise to the results?

[John Leake (jleake)]

Glad to assist but this is on the edge of my experience. I had the same problems with the header dependencies when installing, however 4.5-rc1 booted and the touchpad is still not recognised. I noticed that there was a TPM (6) error on boot. Sorry I do not know how to provide you with any more info.

[John Leake (jleake)]

Thank you for the response. As I stated earlier I am on the edge of my experience and well out of my comfort zone. It took me two whole days to find and isolate the problem to the -76 release.

I looked at the first link and cannot find a bios update for linux or any help on how to do this. Your second and third links give an internal server error.

Perhaps I should just stick with 3.13.0-74.118 and lock the package from further updates?

[John Leake (jleake)]

OK so I managed to update the bios.
8AET65WW (1.45 )
05/14/2015

Still fails on 76, 4.4 and 4.5

The 76 boot is worse (no wifi and screen resolution screwed up).
The boot error TPM(6) occurs when attempting to read pcr value.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[John Leake (jleake)]

The boot error TPM(6) that occurs when attempting to read pcr value is not encountered if the security chip is disabled in the bios settings. This showed up in 4.4 and 4.5

[penalvch (penalvch)]

John Leake, the next step is to fully commit bisect from kernel 3.13.0-74 to 3.13.0-76 in order to identify the last good kernel commit, followed immediately by the first bad one. This will allow for a more expedited analysis of the root cause of your issue. Could you please do this following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection ?

Please note, finding adjacent kernel versions is not fully commit bisecting.

After the offending commit (not kernel version) has been identified, then please mark this report Status Confirmed.

Thank you for your understanding.

Helpful bug reporting tips:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs

[John Leake (jleake)]

Correction, the 76 boot was not worse, I forgot to install linux extra. The touchpad bug still exists in 76 however.

[John Leake (jleake)]

Hi Chris, I have read the bisect info link and I am sorry to say it is
well beyond my capability. For a start I have never built a kernel
before and have only ever used git clone in order to download and browse
through small source projects off-line.

Having said that it cannot be very time consuming for an experienced
developer to identify the problem when we know it is a module associated
with the touch pad and especially since the distance between the good
and bad versions is very close.

If bisected versions can be built for me and made available I will
gladly give them a spin and report my findings.

On 26/01/16 22:55, Christopher M. Penalver wrote:
> John Leake, the next step is to fully commit bisect from kernel
> 3.13.0-74 to 3.13.0-76 in order to identify the last good kernel commit,
> followed immediately by the first bad one. This will allow for a more
> expedited analysis of the root cause of your issue. Could you please do
> this following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection ?
>
> Please note, finding adjacent kernel versions is not fully commit
> bisecting.
>
> After the offending commit (not kernel version) has been identified,
> then please mark this report Status Confirmed.
>
> Thank you for your understanding.
>
> Helpful bug reporting tips:
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs
>
> ** Tags removed: bios-outdated-1.45
> ** Tags added: latest-bios-1.45
>
> ** Tags added: kernel-bug-exists-upstream kernel-bug-exists-
> upstream-4.5-rc1 needs-bisect
>
> ** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
> Status: Confirmed => Incomplete
>

[John Leake (jleake)]

Hi Chris (or any one else),

I have a question about the Ubuntu bug fixing process.

Since what is being asked of me is beyond my capabilities, then I am
unable to mark the bug an New. Does this mean that the status will just
stay as Incomplete until it expires like lots of similar confirmed bugs ?

Best regards,

John Leake

[penalvch (penalvch)]

John Leake, could you please advise to where precisely you are stuck? As the article is written for people who have no computer knowledge whatsoever, the disconnect is not understood.

[John Leake (jleake)]

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I am 61 years old and
not as sharp as I used to be. By the time I had waded through all the
content and followed each link for further information I found myself
lost at sea (ie I had completely lost my bearings) and had to start all
over again more than once. I am a computer user now, not an insensitive
upstart like I used to be.

[John Leake (jleake)]

Further context and not to be interpreted as a rant: It has taken me
years to get away from M$ and find an alternative that I can live with
(unity excluded). I filed the report not as a criticism of its quality
but to help/assist in the progress towards a better experience for all
users. I can happily see my days out using the 74 image. FYI I lost
sleep over feeling as though I was bullied into updating my bios. I have
experienced in the past the inability to boot as a result of taking such
action and it took me a whole week to recover and reinstall all my tools
and apps. Test your guides on impaired short term memory and have some
respect. Last bit possibly a rant but it had to be said.

[John Leake (jleake)]

After a normal apt-get update today the touchpad in kernel 3.13.0-74, -73, -72 ,-71 and -70 are broken as well, so this bug appears not to be in the kernel but elsewhere.

Just to recap. After an update today (15/2/2016) under kernel 3.13.0-74 (which was working) the synaptics touchpad is not recognised and instead defaults to PS2 which does not have any scrolling support amongst other things.

Does anyone know how I can rollback my last update or get a list of packages that were in my last update ?

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

John Leake, 4.5-rc4 came out recently. Could you please test this and advise to the results?

[John Leake (jleake)]

Touchpad not recognised under 4.5-rc4

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[John Leake (jleake)]

Hi All,
I do not want to suggest that more competent people than myself could be wrong but...

This bug (Synaptics touchpad not recognised) originally appeared when I upgraded from 3.13.0-74.118 to -76.120 however my recent comment about -74.118 suddenly suffering from the same problem (following an apt-get update) suggests that the problem is not within the kernel at all and that the tag kernel-bug-exists-upstream-4.5-rc4 is potentially misleading. Also I rolled back the kernel through -73, -72, -71 and -70 (these used to work) and they also do not result in loading the SynPS/2 Synaptics Touchpad driver.

Can I force/coerce the loading of the correct driver ?

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[John Leake (jleake)]

Sorry previous comment should read:-

Also I rolled back the kernel through -73, -72, -71 and -70 and tested each to see if they still worked like they used to but they all now fail to recognise the SynPS/2 Synaptics Touchpad driver.

[John Leake (jleake)]

Hi all,
Bug #1305522 is identical to this bug and it was fixed but now it is back what can/should I do?

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.