touchpad stopped working after the update

[Anil Timalsina]

After the automatic software update the touchpad stopped working in my laptop.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: linux-image-4.15.0-72-generic 4.15.0-72.81
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-72.81-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-72-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.9
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: anil 1722 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: anil 1722 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Tue Dec 12 21:44:48 2019
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-12-21 (346 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180725)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Inspiron 3542
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-72-generic root=UUID=a85be26b-aca7-48bd-b03b-6a99e1587772 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=1
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.15.0-72-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.15.0-72-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.173.12
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/23/2018
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A14
dmi.board.name: 09V1VC
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A14
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Not Specified
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA14:bd05/23/2018:svnDellInc.:pnInspiron3542:pvrNotSpecified:rvnDellInc.:rn09V1VC:rvrA14:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrNotSpecified:
dmi.product.name: Inspiron 3542
dmi.product.version: Not Specified
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Can you please find out the last working kernel version?

[Lorenzo Perez (lorenzoperez)]

I upadate from kernel 4.15.0-70-generic wiht same problem. Workaround was boot from old kernel on dell notebook 3458
Virtual core pointer id=2 [master pointer (3)]
⎜ ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer id=4 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Synaptics TM3096-001 id=11 [slave pointer (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard id=3 [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard id=5 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button id=6 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus id=7 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button id=8 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sleep Button id=9 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Integrated_Webcam_HD: Integrate id=10 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Dell WMI hotkeys id=12 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard id=13 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ DELL Wireless hotkeys id=14 [slave keyboard (3)]

[Histesh Shah (chimak111)]

The last working version was the previous kernel: (4.15.0-70).

ii linux-image-4.15.0-70-generic 4.15.0-70.79 amd64
ii linux-image-4.15.0-72-generic 4.15.0-72.81 amd64
ii linux-image-generic 4.15.0.72.74 amd64

Information below is with the working kernel (4.15.0-70):
uname -a output:
Linux kububb 4.15.0-70-generic #79-Ubuntu SMP Tue Nov 12 10:36:11 UTC 2019 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ inxi -Fxxxz
System:
  Host: kububb Kernel: 4.15.0-70-generic x86_64 bits: 64
  compiler: gcc v: 7.4.0 Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.12.9 tk: Qt 5.9.5
  wm: kwin_x11 dm: SDDM Distro: Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS (Bionic Beaver)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 15-3567 v: N/A
  serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 9 serial: <filter>
  Mobo: Dell model: 0FGN4M v: A00 serial: <filter> UEFI: Dell
  v: 01.07.00 date: 04/07/2017
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 29.9 Wh condition: 29.9/41.4 Wh (72%)
  volts: 16.9/14.8 model: SMP DELL VN3N047 type: Li-ion
  serial: <filter> status: Full
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i3-6006U bits: 64 type: MCP
  arch: Skylake rev: 3 L2 cache: 3072 KiB
  flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  bogomips: 7968
  Speed: 500 MHz min/max: 400/2000 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 500
  2: 500
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Skylake GT2 [HD Graphics 520] vendor: Dell
  driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:1916
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.6 driver: intel
  compositor: kwin_x11 resolution: 1366x768~60Hz
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 520 (Skylake GT2)
  v: 4.5 Mesa 19.0.8 compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes

$ xinput list
⎡ Virtual core pointer id=2 [master pointer (3)]
⎜ ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer id=4 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ YSPRINGTECH USB OPTICAL MOUSE id=10 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Synaptics TM3096-006 id=12 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad id=16 [slave pointer (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard id=3 [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard id=5 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button id=6 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus id=7 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button id=8 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sleep Button id=9 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Integrated_Webcam_HD: Integrate id=11 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Intel HID events id=13 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Dell WMI hotkeys id=14 [slave keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard id=15 [slave keyboard (3)]
$

Relevant to touchpad:
$ cat /proc/bus/input/devices

I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0002 Product=0007 Version=01a1
N: Name="SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio1/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input7
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse1 event7
B: PROP=5
B: EV=b
B: KEY=e520 10000 0 0 0 0
B: ABS=660800011000003

[Nicolas Bernaerts (nicolas-bernaerts)]

I have exactly the same issue.

Touchapd Synaptics TM2869-008 working perfectly fine with kernel 4.15.0-70 under Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.
As soon as I updated kernel to 4.15.0-72, touchpad stopped working.

Booting back to previous kernel, touchpad is working perfectly fine.

[Pim Bax (pimbax)]

I had the exact same problem, and downgrading back to version 4.15.0-70 worked fine for me, but upgrading to 5.4.2-050402 worked for me as well.

[Leigh Dodds (ldodds)]

I have this same issue on Ubuntu 16.04. Booting into an older kernel fixes the issue for me. This is on a Dell XPS 13.

[keerthi (153armstrong)]

Had the same issue on a Dell Inspiron 15. Downgrading kernel to 4.15.0-70 solved it.

[Coffen (christoffer-riska)]

Same problem on Dell XPS-12 with kernel 4.15.0-72.
Problem does not exist in older kernel, i.e. 4.15.0.-70.

[Sandy Koczko (slk-b)]

Touchpad 'Synaptics TM2956-002' on Lenovo 710-11isk completely unresponsive after kernel update to 4-15.0-072. Reverting to kernel 4.15.0-66 fixed it for me.

[BenS (ben-so)]

I had the same problem with linux-image-4.15.0-72 on a Dell XPS-12 (9Q33 model).
The temporary fix I applied (to ensure a working kernel wasn't deleted automaticall) was

  sudo apt-mark hold linux-image-4.15.0-72-generic

and I uninstalled linux-image-generic.

linux-image-4.15.0-74-generic has been released and the touchpad WORKS fine for me now.

  sudo apt-mark unhold linux-image-4.15.0-72-generic
  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install linux-image-generic

ensured the 4.15.0-74 kernel, linux-modules and linux-modules-extra were installed for 4.15.0-74. You may or may not want to continue holding the previous known working kernel version.

Note: When testing linux-image-4.15.0-74-generic I just installed it and linux-modules, but my WiFi also requires linux-modules-extra.