Touchpad problem since kernel update

hermes · 2010-12-03 20:31:37

I've just tried Ubuntu Natty Narvhal Alpha 1 live desktop, which sports a 2.6.37 kernel, and touchpad works like a charm. So, it seems we should look at the differences between the Arch and the Ubuntu configurations.
Hope this helps too.

YottaByte · 2010-12-05 04:05:33

higgins wrote:

Hi,
I do have exactly the same probleme with my acer 1825ptz.
touchpad was ok in 2.6.32
I upgraded my squeeze debian to 2.6.36. Touchscreen works now, but touchpad is a bit crazy.
My workaround for the moment is the following:
sudo modprobe -r psmouse
sudo modprobe psmouse proto=imps
it makes your touchpad working as a mouse. No VerticalSchroll, no Tap, but at least, it works.
If you want to make this automatically at boot: just create a file called touchpad.conf in /etc/modprobe.d/
and put in the file:
options psmouse proto=imps
Rgds,
Kevin

How do you undo it?

pera · 2010-12-05 15:48:59

same problem here: acer aspire 1410

higgins · 2010-12-05 17:24:08

YottaByte wrote:

How do you undo it?

Hi YottaByte,

If you did the first solution, to undo it, just enter:
&> sudo modprobe -r psmouse
&> sudo modprobe psmouse

and you will have back your crazy touchpad.
Hope it helps,
Rgds.

neutrix · 2010-12-06 09:06:03

I've just tried Ubuntu Natty Narvhal Alpha 1 live desktop, which sports a 2.6.37 kernel, and touchpad works like a charm. So, it seems we should look at the differences between the Arch and the Ubuntu configurations.

I've just tried compiling the latest 2.6.37 kernel (rc4) to see if they had fixed it given that it works in Natty Narwhal and found that there was no change. Are you sure that the alpha version that you tried was using the synaptics driver with edge scrolling and all the other features that you get from this driver? Or was it perhaps using the "imps" driver for the mouse that we found works earlier in this thread.

If the full thing does indeed work on Natty Narwhal, then as far as I see it there are only a few options. Either the problem is in the kernel and they have patched it, the problem is related to configuration around the new kernel and they had it set up differently by default or the problem is not in the kernel at all (which I find incredibly difficult to believe).

My first few attempts at checking the changes between 2.6.35 and 2.6.36 haven't yielded anything useful yet. There doesn't appear to have been much changed in the main mouse and input source files other than adding checks for certain capabilities of touchpads. Not anything that would cause this erratic behaviour. I will keep looking when I next get a chance though.

Thanks.

YottaByte · 2010-12-07 15:41:17

higgins wrote:

YottaByte wrote:
How do you undo it?
Hi YottaByte,
If you did the first solution, to undo it, just enter:
&> sudo modprobe -r psmouse
&> sudo modprobe psmouse
and you will have back your crazy touchpad.
Hope it helps,
Rgds.

Thanks.

hermes · 2010-12-08 17:16:26

neutrix wrote:

I've just tried Ubuntu Natty Narvhal Alpha 1 live desktop, which sports a 2.6.37 kernel, and touchpad works like a charm. So, it seems we should look at the differences between the Arch and the Ubuntu configurations.
I've just tried compiling the latest 2.6.37 kernel (rc4) to see if they had fixed it given that it works in Natty Narwhal and found that there was no change. Are you sure that the alpha version that you tried was using the synaptics driver with edge scrolling and all the other features that you get from this driver? Or was it perhaps using the "imps" driver for the mouse that we found works earlier in this thread.
If the full thing does indeed work on Natty Narwhal, then as far as I see it there are only a few options. Either the problem is in the kernel and they have patched it, the problem is related to configuration around the new kernel and they had it set up differently by default or the problem is not in the kernel at all (which I find incredibly difficult to believe).

Sorry for the delay, today I could test Natty again and this is what I found out:
1) I don't know if it's relevant, but I have to pass noapic to the kernel, otherwise it won't boot.
2) Edge scrolling works, and so does one finger (but not two or more fingers) tapping. So, for example, I couldn't scroll or mid-click with two fingers as I do in arch (correspondent option is grayed out in gnome mouse configuration utility). I couldn't test with 'synclient -m 100', because shmconfig is disabled and I didn't know how to enable it at runtime. But,
3) Here's the output of

synclient  -l | awk '/=/{printf "Option \"%s\" \"%s\"\n",$1,$3}'

in arch:

Option "LeftEdge" "1776"
Option "RightEdge" "5518"
Option "TopEdge" "1643"
Option "BottomEdge" "4531"
Option "FingerLow" "24"
Option "FingerHigh" "29"
Option "FingerPress" "255"
Option "MaxTapTime" "180"
Option "MaxTapMove" "241"
Option "MaxDoubleTapTime" "180"
Option "SingleTapTimeout" "180"
Option "ClickTime" "100"
Option "FastTaps" "0"
Option "EmulateMidButtonTime" "75"
Option "EmulateTwoFingerMinZ" "0"
Option "EmulateTwoFingerMinW" "7"
Option "VertScrollDelta" "109"
Option "HorizScrollDelta" "109"
Option "VertEdgeScroll" "1"
Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "1"
Option "CornerCoasting" "0"
Option "VertTwoFingerScroll" "1"
Option "HorizTwoFingerScroll" "1"
Option "MinSpeed" "1"
Option "MaxSpeed" "1.75"
Option "AccelFactor" "0.0363967"
Option "TrackstickSpeed" "40"
Option "EdgeMotionMinZ" "29"
Option "EdgeMotionMaxZ" "159"
Option "EdgeMotionMinSpeed" "1"
Option "EdgeMotionMaxSpeed" "439"
Option "EdgeMotionUseAlways" "0"
Option "TouchpadOff" "0"
Option "LockedDrags" "0"
Option "LockedDragTimeout" "5000"
Option "RTCornerButton" "0"
Option "RBCornerButton" "0"
Option "LTCornerButton" "0"
Option "LBCornerButton" "0"
Option "TapButton1" "1"
Option "TapButton2" "2"
Option "TapButton3" "3"
Option "ClickFinger1" "1"
Option "ClickFinger2" "1"
Option "ClickFinger3" "1"
Option "CircularScrolling" "1"
Option "CircScrollDelta" "0.1"
Option "CircScrollTrigger" "2"
Option "CircularPad" "0"
Option "PalmDetect" "0"
Option "PalmMinWidth" "10"
Option "PalmMinZ" "199"
Option "CoastingSpeed" "20"
Option "CoastingFriction" "50"
Option "PressureMotionMinZ" "29"
Option "PressureMotionMaxZ" "159"
Option "PressureMotionMinFactor" "1"
Option "PressureMotionMaxFactor" "1"
Option "GrabEventDevice" "1"
Option "TapAndDragGesture" "1"
Option "AreaLeftEdge" "0"
Option "AreaRightEdge" "0"
Option "AreaTopEdge" "0"
Option "AreaBottomEdge" "0"

and in ubuntu natty:

Option "LeftEdge" "1776"
Option "RightEdge" "5518"
Option "TopEdge" "1643"
Option "BottomEdge" "4531"
Option "FingerLow" "24"
Option "FingerHigh" "29"
Option "FingerPress" "255"
Option "MaxTapTime" "180"
Option "MaxTapMove" "241"
Option "MaxDoubleTapTime" "180"
Option "SingleTapTimeout" "180"
Option "ClickTime" "100"
Option "FastTaps" "0"
Option "EmulateMidButtonTime" "75"
Option "EmulateTwoFingerMinZ" "280"
Option "EmulateTwoFingerMinW" "6"
Option "VertScrollDelta" "109"
Option "HorizScrollDelta" "109"
Option "VertEdgeScroll" "1"
Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "0"
Option "CornerCoasting" "0"
Option "VertTwoFingerScroll" "0"
Option "HorizTwoFingerScroll" "0"
Option "MinSpeed" "0.4"
Option "MaxSpeed" "0.7"
Option "AccelFactor" "0.00909918"
Option "TrackstickSpeed" "40"
Option "EdgeMotionMinZ" "29"
Option "EdgeMotionMaxZ" "159"
Option "EdgeMotionMinSpeed" "1"
Option "EdgeMotionMaxSpeed" "439"
Option "EdgeMotionUseAlways" "0"
Option "UpDownScrolling" "1"
Option "LeftRightScrolling" "1"
Option "UpDownScrollRepeat" "1"
Option "LeftRightScrollRepeat" "1"
Option "ScrollButtonRepeat" "100"
Option "TouchpadOff" "0"
Option "GuestMouseOff" "0"
Option "LockedDrags" "0"
Option "LockedDragTimeout" "5000"
Option "RTCornerButton" "2"
Option "RBCornerButton" "3"
Option "LTCornerButton" "0"
Option "LBCornerButton" "0"
Option "TapButton1" "1"
Option "TapButton2" "3"
Option "TapButton3" "2"
Option "ClickFinger1" "1"
Option "ClickFinger2" "1"
Option "ClickFinger3" "2"
Option "CircularScrolling" "0"
Option "CircScrollDelta" "0.1"
Option "CircScrollTrigger" "0"
Option "CircularPad" "0"
Option "PalmDetect" "0"
Option "PalmMinWidth" "9"
Option "PalmMinZ" "199"
Option "CoastingSpeed" "0"
Option "PressureMotionMinZ" "29"
Option "PressureMotionMaxZ" "159"
Option "PressureMotionMinFactor" "1"
Option "PressureMotionMaxFactor" "1"
Option "GrabEventDevice" "1"
Option "TapAndDragGesture" "1"
Option "AreaLeftEdge" "0"
Option "AreaRightEdge" "0"
Option "AreaTopEdge" "0"
Option "AreaBottomEdge" "0"
Option "JumpyCursorThreshold" "0"

These are the relevant Xorg.0.log parts in ubuntu:

[    20.770] (II) config/udev: Adding input device SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad (/dev/input/event8)
[    20.771] (**) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: Applying InputClass "evdev touchpad catchall"
[    20.771] (**) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: Applying InputClass "touchpad catchall"
[    20.771] (II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
[    20.771] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so
[    20.780] (II) Module synaptics: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[    20.780]     compiled for 1.9.0.902, module version = 1.2.2
[    20.780]     Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
[    20.780]     ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 11.0
[    20.780] (II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 1.2.2
[    20.780] (**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event8"
[    20.920] (II) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: x-axis range 1472 - 5822
[    20.920] (II) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: y-axis range 1408 - 4766
[    20.920] (II) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: pressure range 0 - 255
[    20.920] (II) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: finger width range 0 - 15
[    20.920] (II) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: buttons: left right
[    21.030] (--) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: touchpad found
[    21.030] (**) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: always reports core events
[    21.070] (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" (type: TOUCHPAD)
[    21.070] (**) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: (accel) keeping acceleration scheme 1
[    21.070] (**) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: (accel) acceleration profile 0
[    21.070] (**) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: (accel) acceleration factor: 2.000
[    21.070] (**) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: (accel) acceleration threshold: 4
[    21.140] (--) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: touchpad found
[    21.140] (II) config/udev: Adding input device SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad (/dev/input/mouse0)
[    21.140] (II) No input driver/identifier specified (ignoring)

In the next days I'll try to replicate the configuration I got from ubuntu and see if it works here, since it seems a far more acceptable compromise than using imps protocol.

Last edited by hermes (2010-12-08 17:20:04)

InsektO · 2010-12-09 16:51:02

I'm having the same problems with touchpad since last kernel update (thought it also worked wrong before, but last update made it even worse) in my Acer D260 running stock kernel.

Nielssonnich · 2010-12-10 19:07:44

Hi I hadn't rebooted for 28 days on my laptop (using suspend to ram) until it randomly shut down earlier today.. But then it started using the new kernel which was installed during an update a couple of days ago (2.6.36) .. And now I'm experiencing this damned annoying touchpad issue.
I've never had any problems with synaptics and/or my touchpad before.

Acer Aspire 1410

Last edited by Nielssonnich (2010-12-10 21:22:03)

tavianator · 2010-12-11 00:59:56

Anyone feel like bisecting this, since 2.6.35 is known to be good?

Nielssonnich · 2010-12-11 15:54:39

Well.. My solution was to wget the source for 2.6.34.7 from kernel.org and compile it and use that instead of the Arch one.. and that fixes the problem.
I can live with an older kernel .. i can't live with a crappy touchpad.

nordmoen · 2010-12-11 16:41:05

Todays kernel upgrade didn't help me

higgins · 2010-12-11 18:43:59

Hi,
I tested on my debian Squeeze with last experimental kernel paquet: 2.6.37-rc5-amd64
I have no difference. Still don't work. I would say it is worst. Xorg don't recognise the touchpad automatically anymore. I had to declare it in xorg.conf.
Need to figure out what the difference is with Ubuntu Natty.
Meanwhile, I may try to rebuild a 2.6.35 kernel (no more available in the experimental repository)

neutrix · 2010-12-12 00:05:05

tavianator wrote:

Anyone feel like bisecting this, since 2.6.35 is known to be good?

I have had a go at comparing the source. At first glance the changes seem to be very cosmetic, with various operations being wrapped in a slightly different way of coding the same thing. The more in depth changes are very difficult to compare, because then involve changing fundamental input structures, and so regressing some sections of code back to the 2.6.35 version results in code that doesn't compile unless you regress much of the other parts as well. This basically means that I can't simply check which bit is causing the problem and I don't have the time to do a huge in depth comparison. As for the code itself, I can't see much that is different. I'm not even sure which part of the input system is to blame, whether it is detection, the generic input system, the driver itself, or some configuration problem.

If anyone has discovered any more information or narrowed it down further I'd love to hear from you.

tavianator · 2010-12-12 04:22:27

No I mean using git-bisect. There's a tutorial here (or just google 'git bisect kernel'). It'll find the offending kernel patch. I'd do it but I'm not seeing the problem.

Last edited by tavianator (2010-12-12 04:28:28)

InsektO · 2010-12-12 07:43:56

I tried with kernel26-lts and the issues with touchpad persist.

neutrix · 2010-12-12 10:07:47

tavianator wrote:

No I mean using git-bisect. There's a tutorial here (or just google 'git bisect kernel'). It'll find the offending kernel patch. I'd do it but I'm not seeing the problem.

Thanks tavianator, that tutorial looks great and really easy to try. I'll leave my laptop compiling kernels today and see if I can pinpoint the patch that causes the problem.

neutrix · 2010-12-12 19:31:17

Just a quick update. Still narrowing down the search, it is taking a while because I have to recompile the kernel 13 times to get to the exact patch that caused the problem. Only 500ish patches left to search through. If I can find the patch that causes the problem then I think that I can fix it.

hermes · 2010-12-13 14:27:13

neutrix wrote:

Just a quick update. Still narrowing down the search, it is taking a while because I have to recompile the kernel 13 times to get to the exact patch that caused the problem. Only 500ish patches left to search through. If I can find the patch that causes the problem then I think that I can fix it.

That'll be great! Thank you

neutrix · 2010-12-14 22:15:06

OK, so after a few messed up tries I have finally managed to pinpoint the line of code which introduces the bug, so thought that I'd share my findings.

My temporary workaround is to revert the line back to its previous version while I try to understand why the changed code is failing for our hardware. It appears to have worked with no side effects as I am currently typing this while booted into a custom 2.6.37-rc4 with my patch and a working touchpad.

The culprit is the linked patch: https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/112613/

To fix the bug simply undo this patch, ie replace "input_set_abs_params(dev, ABS_TOOL_WIDTH, 0, 15, 0, 0);" with "__set_bit(ABS_TOOL_WIDTH, dev->absbit);" in "drivers/input/mouse/synaptics.c".

I'm not sure if the arch devs will update their kernel with this patch, but I'll pass this information upstream and see what they make of it.

Hope this helps everyone who has been struggling with this.

dptkby · 2010-12-15 17:50:03

Please try this:

xinput --set-prop "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" "Synaptics Two-Finger Pressure" 280

I tried looking at the differences between a working system and a non-working one, setting the two-finger pressure property as above seems to have made my touchpad usable again! More at https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=22772#c12

Last edited by dptkby (2010-12-15 17:50:22)

neutrix · 2010-12-16 10:53:04

xinput --set-prop "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" "Synaptics Two-Finger Pressure" 280

This fixes the problem for me also, even with the patch disabled. Problem must be related to finger width settings and pressure settings not being detected properly in the new kernel.

nordmoen · 2010-12-17 11:44:08

The fix works here to, thanks

higgins · 2010-12-17 12:55:46

Works also for me on ACER 1825ptz and kernel 2.6.36 / 2.6.37.
Thanks

Last edited by higgins (2010-12-17 12:56:39)

hermes · 2010-12-18 17:24:57

It works here too, but 2 fingers taps and scrolling don't work anymore.

Update: tried to set to lower values, and it seems that 55 is a good value, for 2 finger actions to work and to not have the major flaw that renders the touchpad unusable.

Last edited by hermes (2010-12-18 18:27:29)

Arch Linux

#26 2010-12-03 20:31:37

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#27 2010-12-05 04:05:33

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#28 2010-12-05 15:48:59

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#29 2010-12-05 17:24:08

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#30 2010-12-06 09:06:03

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#31 2010-12-07 15:41:17

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#32 2010-12-08 17:16:26

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#33 2010-12-09 16:51:02

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#34 2010-12-10 19:07:44

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#35 2010-12-11 00:59:56

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#36 2010-12-11 15:54:39

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#37 2010-12-11 16:41:05

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#38 2010-12-11 18:43:59

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#39 2010-12-12 00:05:05

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#40 2010-12-12 04:22:27

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#41 2010-12-12 07:43:56

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#42 2010-12-12 10:07:47

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#43 2010-12-12 19:31:17

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#44 2010-12-13 14:27:13

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#45 2010-12-14 22:15:06

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#46 2010-12-15 17:50:03

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#47 2010-12-16 10:53:04

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#48 2010-12-17 11:44:08

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#49 2010-12-17 12:55:46

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

#50 2010-12-18 17:24:57

Re: Touchpad problem since kernel update

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