Two-finger scrolling scrolls horizontally and vertically simultaneously

[Matthew Paul Thomas]

Ubuntu 11.04, Ubuntu 11.10

When "Two-finger scrolling" and "Enable horizontal scrolling" are checked in the Touchpad settings, pushing two fingers up and down scrolls vertically, and pushing two fingers left and right scrolls horizontally. This is a good thing.

What is not a good thing is scrolling horizontally while I'm in the middle of scrolling vertically, or scrolling vertically while I'm in the middle of scrolling vertically. That is invariably a mistake, and causes annoying wobbling. https://launchpadlibrarian.net/82846315/out.ogv

This could easily be fixed by ignoring any horizontal movement during a two-finger swipe if started out vertical, and ignoring any vertical movement during a two-finger swipe if it started out horizontal.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 1.4.1-1ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: i386
Date: Mon Oct 17 13:14:10 2011
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-09-20 11:13:24.477175
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBook4,1
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=136588bc-9f5d-4ea2-abe3-91e4b5a4f747 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-09-20 (27 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 02/09/08
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MB41.88Z.00C1.B00.0802091535
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Mac-F22788A9
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.board.version: PVT
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset Tag#
dmi.chassis.type: 2
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F22788A9
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMB41.88Z.00C1.B00.0802091535:bd02/09/08:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBook4,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-F22788A9:rvrPVT:cvnAppleInc.:ct2:cvrMac-F22788A9:
dmi.product.name: MacBook4,1
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu5
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.26-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1

[Yann Dìnendal (yannbreliere)]

I think it would be nice allowing scrolling down and then right without raising the fingers, and only preventing when scrolling diagonally or when the sideway move is much shorter than the original scroll (aka, a wobble).
But if it is too hard to implement, simply disallowing a scroll in another direction like you suggest would be a good start.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Ahmed Shams (ashams)]

On behalf of Matthew Paul Thomas:
Ubuntu 11.04, Ubuntu 11.10

When "Two-finger scrolling" and "Enable horizontal scrolling" are checked in the Touchpad settings, pushing two fingers up and down scrolls vertically, and pushing two fingers left and right scrolls horizontally. This is a good thing.

What is not a good thing is scrolling horizontally while I'm in the middle of scrolling vertically, or scrolling vertically while I'm in the middle of scrolling vertically. That is invariably a mistake, and causes annoying wobbling. https://launchpadlibrarian.net/82846315/out.ogv

This could easily be fixed by ignoring any horizontal movement during a two-finger swipe if started out vertical, and ignoring any vertical movement during a two-finger swipe if it started out horizontal.

[Ahmed Shams (ashams)]

Thank you for reporting this bug. I've just filled it upstream, hope they'll fix it soon.

Thanks.

[Peter Hutterer (peter-hutterer)]

evdev actually has that feature, could probably port it over or at least take guidance from there.

[Alex Rogachevsky (a-rogachevsky)]

People rarely move their fingers perfectly vretical or horizontal, not to mention the hand is already aligned diagonally touching the lower edge of the notebook. Both Microsoft and Apple already thought of that.

Accidental diagonal two-finger scrolling should be restricted the same way it is in Windows and OSX. It detects the main direction of your movement: e.g. 70% vertical and 30% horizontal and ignores that 30%. The system should not completely disable diagonal scrolling, but allow the user setting that threshold: 30% or something else.

Mac also ignores two finger movement (in one direction) if the fingers are too apart - should be configured as well.
And (very annoying Linux "feature") both OSX and Windows ignore the second finger (e.g. in the corner of the trackpad) if it is not moving. It is very natural to rest your left index finger there ready to press/tap while moving the right one to position the cursor.