pointer gets crazy when tapping with two fingers on synaptics multitouch touchpad

[Matteo Rossi]

Binary package hint: xorg

On a Sony VAIO CW2C5E the pointer gets crazy (moves randomly on the screen) if the touchpad is pressed with two fingers. The touchpad is multitouch (working on windows), but it isn't recognized by Ubuntu (two finger scrolling option appears grayed out in the Mouse settings dialog).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: xorg 1:7.5+5ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.33-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Architecture: amd64
CheckboxSubmission: dbe178239e6c9299a0d6bd75ec4d0d78
CheckboxSystem: b633b4f40868d491c2ae5b50030ce6f3
Date: Thu May 6 20:01:57 2010
DkmsStatus: nvidia-current, 195.36.24, 2.6.32-22-generic, x86_64: installed
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
MachineType: Sony Corporation VPCCW2C5E
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic root=UUID=fe1a051b-27ef-43bd-88c8-fbfd8f3d4e7f ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=it_IT.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: xorg
dmi.bios.date: 11/30/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: R0110Y7
dmi.board.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.board.name: VAIO
dmi.board.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.board.version: N/A
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrR0110Y7:bd11/30/2009:svnSonyCorporation:pnVPCCW2C5E:pvrC603N5FU:rvnSonyCorporation:rnVAIO:rvrN/A:cvnSonyCorporation:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: VPCCW2C5E
dmi.product.version: C603N5FU
dmi.sys.vendor: Sony Corporation
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 codename: lucid
 architecture: x86_64
 kernel: 2.6.32-22-generic

[Omer Mano (mermerico-gmail)]

I don't think this happened to me in 10.04, but it's happening in Maverick... Maybe that's a different bug?

[Gursimran singh (simar)]

Matteo .. First of all thanks for filing a bug and help to make ubuntu better, we encourage such moves ..

[Gursimran singh (simar)]

Matteo Please include the outputs of following commands

1. xev >~/xev.txt showing jumply cursor in the windows but be sure to let it happen for little time or noise will be created in the file ...
2. cat /proc/bus/input/devices >~/devices.txt

in your home directory....

cheers

[T. Dalbo (tdalbo)]

I have also encountered this problem, and it is quite annoying. I enjoy two finger scroll, right click, etc... My multi touch gestures also work fine in Windows, with the driver being able to truly differentiate between one, two, and three fingers. This proves that my trackpad supports true multi touch.

Using some synclient modifications, I can enable two finger emulation. Two finger scroll and right click were working perfectly fine for two weeks, and then all of a sudden I started encountering the same problem as described in the above bug. This has happened not only on Ubuntu, but also on Fedora and Arch, leading me to believe that the bug lies solely in the Synaptics Xorg driver. This driver needs work anyway, as my solution was not a true solution, just two finger pressure emulation. It still lacks true multi touch support for my trackpad, and is unstable at best.

I have noticed when I put one finger flat on the trackpad, it emulates those two finger functions. I can also make it work by placing two fingers, but right next to each other. It's when I spread the two fingers apart that the cursor becomes "crazy" and jumps all over the screen.

[Gursimran singh (simar)]

The bug is a duplicate of bug #365943. So please consider doing all discussions in bug #365943.