touchpad left mouse button does random other things in jaunty

[Steve Langasek]

Some time after January 22 but before January 27, an update in jaunty has caused the left mouse button on my touch pad to stop working correctly. I can't reliably hold down the left mouse button because it generates ButtonRelease events on its own; and sometimes it double-clicks when I only single-click it.

I've verified that this isn't a hardware problem, by installing gpm and confirming that the mouse behaves normally at console.

Other mice connected to the system, including a USB mouse and the thinkpad touchpoint, behave correctly.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.04
Package: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.5.99.901-1ubuntu1
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersion: Linux version 2.6.28-5-generic (buildd@crested) (gcc version 4.3.3 20090119 (prerelease) (Ubuntu 4.3.2-2ubuntu14) ) #15-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jan 23 01:16:33 UTC 2009

SourcePackage: xorg-server
Uname: Linux 2.6.28-5-generic x86_64

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

The synaptics driver was updated during that time. If you happen to have the older package around, try it.

Does xev show any events from the button?

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

also the output of 'xinput list-props $id' might help.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

list-props output:

$ xinput list-props 9
Device 'SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad':
 Device Enabled (110): 1
 Synaptics Edges (258): 1632, 0, 5312, 0
 Synaptics Finger (259): 24, 0, 29
 Synaptics Tap Time (260): 180
 Synaptics Tap Move (261): 221
 Synaptics Tap Durations (262): 180, 0, 180
 Synaptics Tap FastTap (263): 0
 Synaptics Middle Button Timeout (264): 75
 Synaptics Two-Finger Pressure (265): 280
 Synaptics Scrolling Distance (266): 100, 0
 Synaptics Edge Scrolling (267): 1, 0, 0
 Synaptics Two-Finger Scrolling (268): 1, 0
 Synaptics Edge Motion Pressure (269): 29, 0
 Synaptics Edge Motion Speed (270): 1, 0
 Synaptics Edge Motion Always (271): 0
 Synaptics Button Scrolling (272): 1, 1
 Synaptics Button Scrolling Repeat (273): 1, 1
 Synaptics Button Scrolling Time (274): 100
 Synaptics Off (275): 0
 Synaptics Guestmouse Off (276): 0
 Synaptics Locked Drags (277): 0
 Synaptics Locked Drags Timeout (278): 5000
 Synaptics Tap Action (279): 2, 3, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3
 Synaptics Click Action (280): 1, 2, 3
 Synaptics Circular Scrolling (281): 0
 Synaptics Circular Scrolling Trigger (282): 0
 Synaptics Circular Pad (283): 0
 Synaptics Palm Detection (284): 0
 Synaptics Palm Dimensions (285): 10, 0
 Synaptics Pressure Motion (286): 29, 0
 Synaptics Grab Event Device (287): 1

Yes, xev shows events. (I thought that was obvious?) Here's output from pressing and holding down the left mouse button:

ButtonPress event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x81, subw 0x0, time 90003194, (167,140), root:(184,213),
    state 0x0, button 2, same_screen YES

ButtonPress event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x81, subw 0x0, time 90003466, (167,140), root:(184,213),
    state 0x200, button 1, same_screen YES

ButtonRelease event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x81, subw 0x0, time 90003466, (167,140), root:(184,213),
    state 0x300, button 2, same_screen YES

ButtonRelease event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x81, subw 0x0, time 90003587, (167,140), root:(184,213),
    state 0x100, button 1, same_screen YES

ButtonPress event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x81, subw 0x0, time 90003587, (167,140), root:(184,213),
    state 0x0, button 2, same_screen YES

ButtonPress event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x81, subw 0x0, time 90003706, (167,140), root:(184,213),
    state 0x200, button 1, same_screen YES

ButtonRelease event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x81, subw 0x0, time 90003706, (167,140), root:(184,213),
    state 0x300, button 2, same_screen YES

ButtonRelease event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x81, subw 0x0, time 90003839, (167,140), root:(184,213),
    state 0x100, button 1, same_screen YES

ButtonPress event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x81, subw 0x0, time 90003839, (167,140), root:(184,213),
    state 0x0, button 2, same_screen YES

ButtonRelease event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x81, subw 0x0, time 90003876, (167,140), root:(184,213),
    state 0x200, button 2, same_screen YES

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

confirmed that downgrading to xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 0.15.2-0ubuntu8 fixes the problem, so looks like it's a driver bug.

[Luka Renko (lure)]

More similar problems in bug 320639

[Alberto Milone (albertomilone)]

Steve: can you try my debdiff and see if it solves the problem?
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xfree86-driver-synaptics/+bug/320632/comments/53

[Luka Renko (lure)]

Alberto, you patch fixes the problem for me (left button does not work consistently, causing random paste...). Thanks for you work.

Still would be good to also get feedback from Steve (as original reporter).

[Daniel Holm (danielholm)]

How do I apply the patch?

[Luka Renko (lure)]

Daniel, instructions how to apply debdiff to package are here:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuPackagingGuide/BuildFromDebdiff

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

On Sun, Feb 01, 2009 at 01:51:31PM -0000, Alberto Milone wrote:
> Steve: can you try my debdiff and see if it solves the problem?
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xfree86-driver-synaptics/+bug/320632/comments/53

Yes, I can confirm that this fixes the problem, thanks. Is an upload with
this patch planned soon?

--
Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer http://www.debian.org/
<email address hidden> <email address hidden>

[Daniel Holm (danielholm)]

The Debdiff resolved my issue to. Everything is now back to normal.