xrandr should support rotating mouse with screen

[Shai Berger]

Binary package hint: x11-xserver-utils

This request is strongly related to http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/20789/ -- "Allow touchpad to match rotated screen on netbook"; the same issues apply to IBM ThinkPad laptops which use the built in mouse (pick your term for it from
http://xkcd.com/243/ ). My specific use-case, BTW, is bed-side reading: the laptop is upright, but I wish to lie down beside it.

I'm not sure about the "bug etiquette" here -- the issue, essentially, has been raised as an idea, but
- The idea specifically denies handling the mouse, claiming axes can be swapped;
- At least in Kubuntu, there is no GUI for swapping the mouse (that I could find)
- hence, I think the current behavior (where a rotated screen makes the mouse unusable) is a bug.

I apologize in advance if I am in the wrong here.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Feb 21 22:43:58 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
MachineType: IBM 1834S8G
Package: x11-xserver-utils 7.4+2ubuntu3
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=cda106c5-6578-4556-9785-829cc4fd9c32 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-19.56-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu10
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.6.0-1ubuntu4
 libdrm2 2.4.14-1ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.0-1ubuntu2.1
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.12.99+git20090929.7968e1fb-0ubuntu1
SourcePackage: x11-xserver-utils
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-19-generic i686
XsessionErrors:
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:2080): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
 (firefox:2047): GLib-WARNING **: g_set_prgname() called multiple times
dmi.bios.date: 02/21/2005
dmi.bios.vendor: IBM
dmi.bios.version: 1WET82WW (2.02 )
dmi.board.name: 1834S8G
dmi.board.vendor: IBM
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: IBM
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnIBM:bvr1WET82WW(2.02):bd02/21/2005:svnIBM:pn1834S8G:pvrThinkPadR50e:rvnIBM:rn1834S8G:rvrNotAvailable:cvnIBM:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 1834S8G
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad R50e
dmi.sys.vendor: IBM
fglrx: Not loaded
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 architecture: i686kernel: 2.6.31-19-generic

[bugbot (bugbot)]

This bug report was filed against an old version of Ubuntu.
Can you confirm whether this is still an issue in natty?

If you don't mind, it would be very helpful if you could update the bug
report in launchpad to 'Fix Released' if it is no longer an issue for
you, or if it is still occurring under natty, please tag the bug 'natty'
so it's easier for us to track.

[Shai Berger (shai-platonix)]

I'm on an upgrade path... Just tested on Maverick, it is still there. Will check Natty within the coming few days.

[bugbot (bugbot)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.

[Shai Berger (shai-platonix)]

I had responded on this bug less than 3 weeks ago. Should I file a bug against bugbot?

[Manuel (manuel-schoelling)]

I can reproduce this bug in natty.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Romano Giannetti (romano-giannetti)]

I can reproduce in natty too, with an eee-pc.

The good news is that the patch in the ppa: https://launchpad.net/~aapo-rantalainen/+archive/ppa-aaporantalainen works very well. So this problem has, at least for the user of a synapctics touchpad, a solution. See also the page at http://cc.oulu.fi/~rantalai/synaptics/

[Aapo Rantalainen (aapo-rantalainen)]

I'm the author of synaptics+xrandr -patch. I have got many mails from users who think my patch adds value for their touchpad.

I know this patch is not correct (TM) solution for problem. E.g It affects touchpad but not Trackpoint. So the issue should not be fixed on level of touchpad, but lower level. But e.g. there are settings for Wacoom (Interactive Pen Displays and Tablets) to turn it sideway, so with wacom somebody have made same hackish workaround and, seems to me, it is widely accepted.

Patch is discussed on upstream mailinglist: http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.comp.freedesktop.xorg.devel/20034
As I write there, I do not have enough skill (knowledge of Xorg) to write it correctly.

[Paul Wolneykien (wolneykien)]

Hi!

I've written a small utility that dynamically rotates the coordinate system of an XInput device monitoring the screen (output) orientation:

http://github.com/wolneykien/xrandr-align

May be you'll find it interesting in the context of this discussion.

[Ryan Lovett (ryan-spacecoaster)]

Paul, xrandr-align (#10) works for me on my Lenovo Twist on 12.10. Thanks a lot!