After a recent update, the Synaptics touchpad performs erratically

[Michael Marley]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg

After updating to xorg-driver-input-synaptics .99.3, the touchpad on my Dell Vostro 1500 works improperly in two ways. First, the sensitivity and acceleration have been increased drastically. Second, many times the left-click button (button 1) is interpreted as button 2, the (non-existent) middle-click button.

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

There's a new update, .99.3-1ubuntu2. Does it work better?

[Michael Marley (mamarley)]

Slightly better, but the mouse button problem still occurs.

[Michael Marley (mamarley)]

I just did a little bit more testing with xev. Setting the EmulateMidButtonTime value to 0 does not work-around the problem. Also, if I hold down the left-click button, it produces several Button 2 press/release events. (No, the button is not defective).

[Alberto Milone (albertomilone)]

Michael, can you attach the following files, please?

1) the output of this command:
xinput list

2) your /var/log/Xorg.0.log

[Michael Marley (mamarley)]

Here they are.

[Daniel Queirolo (danf-1979)]

Same here with a Dell Inspiron 9400, xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (0.99.3-1ubuntu2). It seems that problems are related to "dragging":

1) When you click and drag a window to move it around, it will maximize. Go to preferences->mouse and pretend you're dragging around something inside the bulb icon area. It will behave erraticaly. Its buggy.
2) Selecting text for copy-paste is impossible. It can't be done anymore. It results in PASTING whatever is on the clipboard. Yes, selecting text results in pasting, odd but true.

[Daniel Queirolo (danf-1979)]

Xorg.0.log

[Connor Imes (ckimes)]

I can "me too" this bug on my Dell 600m using xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (0.99.3-1ubuntu2). Dragging can be very erratic (tends to snap to the right side of the screen), and my vertical scrolling is no longer functioning.

[Michael Marley (mamarley)]

The new update, 0.99.3-2ubuntu1, doesn't help.

[Michael Marley (mamarley)]

I should probably mention that, besides the mis-interpreted Button 1 clicking, I think this new version is a significant improvement over the old one. Now, two-finger scrolling works much better, and it interacts almost perfectly with multi-finger tapping. (Before, trying to do a two-finger tap would result in wild scrolling motions.)

I have discovered, by the way, that clicking the left button works properly (produces only Button 1 events) if I hold a finger on the touchpad while clicking.