Touchpad stops working after using system for a few minutes

[Chris Wayne]

Lenovo T420s
CPU: Sandy Bridge
GPU: Integrated
Ubuntu: 11.10
Uname -r: 3.0.0-12-generic

After using the system for a couple minutes, the touchpad no longer works. The trackpoint does work, and the system is not frozen. If you rmmod then modprobe psmouse, it works again.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: linux-image-3.0.0-12-generic 3.0.0-12.20
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: CONEXANT Analog [CONEXANT Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: cwayne 1987 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xd1620000 irq 48'
   Mixer name : 'Intel CougarPoint HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:14f1506e,17aa21d2,00100000 HDA:80862805,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 20
   Simple ctrls : 8
Card29.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:29 'ThinkPadEC'/'ThinkPad Console Audio Control at EC reg 0x30, fw unknown'
   Mixer name : 'ThinkPad EC (unknown)'
   Components : ''
   Controls : 1
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card29.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Console',0
   Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Mono: Playback [off]
Date: Thu Oct 20 11:02:43 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
IwConfig: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
MachineType: LENOVO 4170CTO
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=def3b183-0488-4084-bddb-1f1a0351818e ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-12-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-12-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60
RfKill: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: mei
UdevDb: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-09-06 (44 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 03/24/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 8CET32WW (1.09 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 4170CTO
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr8CET32WW(1.09):bd03/24/2011:svnLENOVO:pn4170CTO:pvrThinkPadT420s:rvnLENOVO:rn4170CTO:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 4170CTO
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T420s
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the release candidate kernel versus the daily build. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag(Only that one tag, please leave the others). This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text.

If this bug is fixed by the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream-KERNEL-VERSION'. For example, if kernel version 3.1-rc9 fixed and issue, the tag would be: 'kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.1-rc9'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

Thanks in advance.

[Siim Põder (siim-p6drad-teel)]

this is likely not kernel bug, see here:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-input-synaptics/+question/176273

my guess is the touchpad gets disabled by syndaemon and for some reason fails to get re-enabled. synclient/xinput being able to re-enable the mouse speaks for this, also for me the touchpad continued to work on console with gmp.