Inspiron 3543 TouchPad cursor jumps to left edge unexpectedly

[w2vy]

At times (mostly undetermined) when touching the glide pad to take an action the cursor will jump to the left edge of the screen.

I do not recall the system ever taking ACTION based on the click at the new location.
ex: side bar opening, etc

It may not ever take the action at the ORIGINAL location, I can't be sure since I am only alerted when things don't happen as I expect.

If I am using the keyboard to type or scroll (arrows) I have not noticed anything strange.

I am not sure if it only happens when attempting a Left click or a Right Click.

As a developer I think it is seeing my Click and reading the position incorrectly or hitting some other error condition. I do believe it is a result of my click.

Tom

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: linux-image-4.4.0-22-generic 4.4.0-22.40
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-22.40-generic 4.4.8
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-22-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: tom 2103 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: tom 2103 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Sun May 22 16:30:13 2016
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=ebc3eae4-8f8a-49c6-9d22-a59e4bdf0ec5
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-07-17 (310 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20150218.1)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Inspiron 3543
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-22-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=5b06297b-c923-468b-bc52-d2dfa945174c ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.4.0-22-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.4.0-22-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.157
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-05-03 (19 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 03/20/2015
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A04
dmi.board.name: 01Y5DY
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Not Specified
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA04:bd03/20/2015:svnDellInc.:pnInspiron3543:pvrA04:rvnDellInc.:rn01Y5DY:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrNotSpecified:
dmi.product.name: Inspiron 3543
dmi.product.version: A04
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
A07
10/16/2015

The issue may not have improved but has not gotten worse.
I did see it happen where the cursor did not go to the left edge, but it did happen to move to the left.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

w2vy, in order to allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue, at your earliest convenience, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D ? Please keep in mind the following:
1) The one to test is at the very top line at the top of the page (not the daily folder).
2) The release names are irrelevant.
3) The folder time stamps aren't indicative of when the kernel actually was released upstream.
4) Install instructions are available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds .

If testing on your main install would be inconvenient, one may:
1) Install Ubuntu to a different partition and then test this there.
2) Backup, or clone the primary install.

If the latest kernel did not allow you to test to the issue (ex. you couldn't boot into the OS) please make a comment in your report about this, and continue to test the next most recent kernel version until you can test to the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this issue is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon, next to the word Tags, located at the bottom of the report description:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Where X, and Y are the first two numbers of the kernel version, and Z is the release candidate number if it exists.

If the mainline kernel does not fix the issue, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Please note, an error to install the kernel does not fit the criteria of kernel-bug-exists-upstream.

Also, you don't need to apport-collect further unless specifically requested to do so.

Once testing of the latest upstream kernel is complete, please mark this report Status Confirmed. Please let us know your results.

Thank you for your understanding.

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

Error still occurs, noticed cursor jumping directly to the left edge as well as lower left corner

[penalvch (penalvch)]

w2vy, to clarify, did this issue not occur in a Ubuntu release prior to 16.04?

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

I am fairly sure that I have seen this for a long time. I started with 15.04, then tried 15.10 and when it still persisted in 16.04 started looking at bug reports.

Would it be a valid test for me to try various Live CDs to see if this ever worked?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

w2vy, as per your Bug Description, you started with 14.04. Was this a problem with 14.04?

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

I can not say what version it started happening, I have only had it 1 year.

Question: is testing with a live cd a valid test? Or is it so different that is is not valid?

I am asking because I am willing to try many older versions to help understand when the problem started or if it always existed

Tom

On July 24, 2016 10:11:05 AM EDT, "Christopher M. Penalver" <email address hidden> wrote:
>w2vy, as per your Bug Description, you started with 14.04. Was this a
>problem with 14.04?
>
>--
>You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the
>bug
>report.
>https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1584528
>
>Title:
> Inspiron 3543 TouchPad cursor jumps to left edge unexpectedly
>
>To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1584528/+subscriptions

--
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

w2vy, if the problem is reproducible in the same version of a live environment as your installed one, then it is a valid test.

One may test old releases via http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/releases/ .

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

In my testing a used a Java program to test on the various releases.
I was surprised to discover that the 14.04 Live CD did not easily support Java.

So I switched my testing to a simpler method

Open System settings and move from one setting to another looking for errors.

I am currently verifying Trusty Tahr and plan on exhaustively test it.
I will then move to Wily.

Tom

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

Using my simpler testing I found that the problem first started occurring in 15.10

I also noticed this is also when the "Disable while typing" option was removed.

I hope this helps, I will be able to test any new upstream releases pretty quickly
(Now that I have done it once :) )

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

I updated the bios to A08 and re-tested on xenial and the issue still exists

[penalvch (penalvch)]

w2vy, please provide the output of the following terminal command:
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

tom@tom:~$ sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
A08
05/13/2016
tom@tom:~$

[penalvch (penalvch)]

w3vy, to confirm, if you test a kernel from vivid (3.19.x) or trusty (3.13.x) is this still reproducible?

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

As per my comment (#13 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1584528/comments/13 ) the problem was NOT reproducible with vivid or trusty

The first release the issue shows up is wiley, I can get the the kernel release, but I am just using the downloadable live cd

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

ok to be complete the kernel version where it first fails is wiley 4.2.0-16

it is also the release that the mousepad option "Disable while typing" was removed

[penalvch (penalvch)]

w3vy, unfortunately, your answer, and posting URLs I've already seen, didn't answer my question.

I'm asking specifically if you tested those kernels in xenial (not tested it in another release).

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

I just re-tested with vivid 15.04 with kernel 3.19.0 and my statement is confirmed.

15.10 fails and 15.04 with kernel 3.19.0 works fine

Tom aka w2vy

[penalvch (penalvch)]

w3vy, I'm not sure you understand what I've asked. I'm not asking you to test a prior release. I'm asking that in your current Xenial install (not Vivid, Wily, etc.) you test a prior kernel version. Instructions are available via https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds .

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

I was answering your question in comment #17

My system boots from kernel 4.4.0-31

but in the kernels directory http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D

the xenial versions are 4.4.9 through 4.4.9.13

I do have other 4.4.0-x images in my grub menu, will those do as earlier versions?

I did try the latest mainline linux-image-4.7.0-040700-generic_4.7.0-040700.201607241632_amd64.deb
and the problem still exists

tom aka w2vy

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

I just tried 4.4.0-21 from the grub menu and the issue still occurs.

If these tests are not what you mean, can you be more specific as to what release I should test?

Tom aka w2vy

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

I decided to go to progressively older kernels to see exactly where it stops failing.

I have reached kernel 4.0.1 and will keep going when I have time. Maybe tomorrow.

On July 31, 2016 12:07:23 PM EDT, "Christopher M. Penalver" <email address hidden> wrote:
>** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
> Status: Incomplete => Confirmed
>
>--
>You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the
>bug
>report.
>https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1584528
>
>Title:
> Inspiron 3543 TouchPad cursor jumps to left edge unexpectedly
>
>To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1584528/+subscriptions

--
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

[w2vy (tom-moulton)]

I tested with each of the following kernel versions taken from

3.16.36-trusty
3.17.1-utopic
3.17.8-vivid
3.18.1-vivid
3.18.38
3.19.1-vivid
3.19.8-vivid
4.0.1-wily
4.0.9-wily
4.1.11-wily
4.1.27-wily
4.2.4-wily
4.2.8-wily
4.3.1-wily
4.3.6-wily
4.4.1-wily
4.4.9

I installed them with dpkg and ran them from my current up to date 16.04 install which
by default is running 4.4.9-0.15-generic

What I find strange is that I also stated that with Live CD 15.04 and kernel 3.19.0 it works find.
Maybe it is not a Driver problem?

I am open to any other testing I can do to help isolate this issue

tom aka w2vy