Arch Linux

alppaca

Member

Registered: 2015-02-06

Posts: 4

Laptop Touchpad suddenly not working

I've been struggling to get synaptic to work properly since installing arch on my laptop about a year ago, and its finally broken completely. I need help figuring out why, as nothing I've done in the past few hours has fixed it.

output of xinput immediately after realizing the cursor didn't move:

⎡ Virtual core pointer                      id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer            id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                     id=3    [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard           id=5    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                          id=6    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                             id=7    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                             id=8    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                          id=9    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sleep Button                          id=10   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ HD WebCam                             id=11   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard          id=12   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Acer WMI hotkeys                      id=13   [slave  keyboard (3)]

When my cursor was working before this, there was an entry that listed a couple numbers and said UNKNOWN. I'm pretty sure that was my touchpad, and it's now missing.

contents of Xorg.0.log (The parts that I think relate to my touchpad)

[   198.965] (II) config/udev: Adding input device SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN (/dev/input/event8)
[   198.965] (**) SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: Applying InputClass "evdev touchpad catchall"
[   198.965] (**) SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: Applying InputClass "touchpad catchall"
[   198.965] (**) SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: Applying InputClass "Default clickpad buttons"
[   198.965] (II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
[   198.965] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so
[   198.977] (II) Module synaptics: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[   198.977]    compiled for 1.16.4, module version = 1.8.1
[   198.977]    Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
[   198.977]    ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 21.0
[   198.980] (II) systemd-logind: got fd for /dev/input/event8 13:72 fd 21 paused 0
[   198.980] (II) Using input driver 'synaptics' for 'SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN'
[   198.980] (**) SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: always reports core events
[   198.980] (**) Option "Protocol" "event"
[   198.980] (**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event8"
[   198.980] (--) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: x-axis range 0 - 1236 (res 12)
[   198.980] (--) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: y-axis range 0 - 898 (res 12)
[   198.980] (II) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: device does not report pressure, will use touch data.
[   198.980] (II) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: device does not report finger width.
[   198.980] (--) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: buttons: left double triple
[   198.980] (--) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: Vendor 0x6cb Product 0x2970
[   198.980] (--) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: invalid pressure range.  defaulting to 0 - 255
[   198.980] (--) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: invalid finger width range.  defaulting to 0 - 15
[   198.980] (**) Option "SHMConfig" "on"
[   198.980] (**) Option "ClickPad" "0"
[   198.980] (**) Option "VertTwoFingerScroll" "on"
[   198.980] (**) Option "TouchpadOff" "0"
[   198.980] (**) Option "PalmDetect" "on"
[   198.980] (--) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: touchpad found
[   198.980] (**) SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: always reports core events
[   198.980] (**) Option "config_info" "udev:/sys/devices/pci0000:00/INT33C3:00/i2c-0/i2c-SYN1B7F:01/0018:06CB:2970.0001/input/input8/event8"
[   198.980] (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN" (type: TOUCHPAD, id 12)
[   198.980] (**) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: (accel) MinSpeed is now constant deceleration 2.5
[   198.980] (**) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: (accel) MaxSpeed is now 1.75
[   198.980] (**) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: (accel) AccelFactor is now 0.131
[   198.981] (**) SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: (accel) keeping acceleration scheme 1
[   198.981] (**) SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: (accel) acceleration profile 1
[   198.981] (**) SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: (accel) acceleration factor: 2.000
[   198.981] (**) SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: (accel) acceleration threshold: 4
[   198.981] (--) synaptics: SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: touchpad found
[   198.981] (II) config/udev: Adding input device SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN (/dev/input/mouse0)
[   198.981] (**) SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN: Ignoring device from InputClass "touchpad ignore duplicates"

The first thing I did was disable /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-synaptics.conf and reboot.

now xinput outputs:

⎡ Virtual core pointer                      id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer            id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ SYN1B7F:01 06CB:2970 UNKNOWN          id=12   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                     id=3    [master keyboard (2)]

(I've left out the parts under Virtual core keyboard because they don't change throughout this process). So now the numbers and UNKNOWN that displayed before are here again, but the cursor still won't move.

After looking around for a bit, I found a thread that suggested I add

i8042.nopnp i8042.nomux=1 i8042.reset

To my kernal via boot loader settings. I use systemd-boot, and added these settings to /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf. After restarting, xinput was the same and the cursor still wouldn't move.

I kept searching, and found another thread that mentioned blacklisting the i2c_hid driver. I figured I would try it, so I created a conf file in /etc/modprobe.d with the contents

blacklist i2c_hid

After rebooting, xinput again had a different output:

⎡ Virtual core pointer                      id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer            id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad            id=13   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                     id=3    [master keyboard (2)]

xinput outputting something reasonable instead of UNKNOWN seemed promising, but the cursor still wouldn't move.

At this point, I reactivated /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-synaptics.conf and restarted.

Upon restart, xinput goes back to not displaying any touchpad, and the cursor is still not moving.

⎡ Virtual core pointer                      id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer            id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                     id=3    [master keyboard (2)]

I've looked at my 50-synaptics.conf thinking that it might have some sort of error in it, but after double checking I couldn't find one.

Section "InputClass"
    Identifier "touchpad catchall"
    Driver "synaptics"
    MatchIsTouchpad "on"
    MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
    Option "TouchpadOff" "0"
    Option "MaxTapTime" "0" #disables tapping
    Option "PalmDetect" "on"
    Option "EmulateTwoFingerMinZ" "40"
#   Option "EmulateTwoFingerMinW "10"
    Option "ClickPad" "0"
    Option "VertTwoFingerScroll" "on"
    Option "TapButton1" "1"
    Option "TapButton2" "2"
    Option "TapButton3" "3"
EndSection

I tried a couple different combinations of the changes I made, such as removing the i8042 options, but leaving i2c_hid blacklisted, but nothing I tried made any significant difference, and the cursor remained unmovable.

At this point, I started writing this up. If I left out any important log files or anything, let me know and I'll post them. Please help me out. This is starting to drive me crazy.

Last edited by alppaca (2015-12-03 05:07:02)

schmidtbag

Member

From: NH, USA

Registered: 2011-02-08

Posts: 347

Re: Laptop Touchpad suddenly not working

1.  Do USB mice work?
2.  What desktop environment are you using?
3.  Have you installed or removed libinput?
4.  Have you installed xf86-input-joystick?  This can sometimes cause problems
5.  Have you installed or removed xf86-input-evdev?  Doing either one of those could help.  I've found evdev is sometimes finnicky
6.  Does the problem persist after using a live CD?

Last edited by schmidtbag (2015-12-10 18:30:47)

alppaca

Member

Registered: 2015-02-06

Posts: 4

Re: Laptop Touchpad suddenly not working

1. I just tried plugging in a USB mouse and it does work, but it didn't make any difference for the touchpad.
    This was xinputs output while I had the mouse plugged in. For some reason it lists it twice.

⎡ Virtual core pointer                    	id=2	[master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer              	id=4	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Logitech Gaming Mouse G502              	id=14	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Logitech Gaming Mouse G502              	id=15	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                   	id=3	[master keyboard (2)]

2. I'm using a git fork of i3 window manager that allows you to add gaps between the tiles.
    Here is a link to the repo.

3. I just tried uninstalling libinput but it couldn't because of dependencies.
    I ended up uninstalling and reinstalling xf86-input-libinput. Didn't make a difference.

4. xf86-input-joystick was not installed.

5. xf86-input-evdev was installed. I uninstalled it and rebooted, it didn't make a difference.

6. How do you mean using a live cd? I've never had to do that besides when I install arch.
    Can my system be mounted and desktop environment loaded from the live cd? Because
    by itself it only provides a terminal emulator.

schmidtbag

Member

From: NH, USA

Registered: 2011-02-08

Posts: 347

Re: Laptop Touchpad suddenly not working

Hmm, I don't know much about i3wm.  I'm guessing it doesn't have any mouse/trackpad specific settings?  Since removing evdev didn't help, you might as well put it back.  I suggested you remove it because I've sometimes encountered problems where my input devices stopped working due to certain combinations of xorg.conf changes and the presence of evdev.  But if it was already installed while your mouse was working, keeping it installed will probably do you more good.

I also realized I made the mistake in suggesting to remove libinput (not like it matters because as you said, it was a dependency anyway), but what you should try doing is remove xf86-input-synaptics.  Libinput, as you pointed out, is required by many things, but the synaptics driver isn't.  The xorg synaptics driver, in a way, can override the functionality of libinput.  Not sure if you're aware of this, but if you were to ever transition to wayland, libinput will pretty much be your only source for using the trackpad.

Anyway for the live CD, I meant try some sort of demo from another distro with a GUI, like Ubuntu.  I'm not suggesting you install it, but rather use it as proof of whether your configuration is bad or if your hardware is bad.  Considering your xinput output doesn't even acknowledge the existence of your trackpad, I wonder if the physical connection came loose.

alppaca

Member

Registered: 2015-02-06

Posts: 4

Re: Laptop Touchpad suddenly not working

Damn, I feel like an idiot now. I tried to uninstall xf86-input-synaptics and it turned out that I didn't have the official package.
I had a random one from the AUR whose title implied it would work better for clickpads. I must have downloaded that back
when I was trying to get all the gestures to work properly, and it probably went out of date or something.

Anyways, I uninstalled the random AUR driver, got the official xf86-input-synaptics, and now the touchpad works like a charm.
I probably never would have noticed that if you hadn't suggested uninstalling synaptics, so thanks man!