Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

analbeard · 2025-09-07 20:49:59

Recently (I can't say when it started maybe 2-4 weeks ago), my laptop's touchpad will seem to get stuck in scroll mode. I'll be using as normal to move around the screen and then suddenly the pointer will stop moving - I'm not scrolling at the time though. Then I can use the touchpad to scroll but the mouse won't move. The only way I can seem to resolve the issue is to physically click the touchpad.

This isn't likely to be due to failing hardware as it happens both on my personal laptop (9305) and on my work laptop (2024 9530).

I'm using libinput on X with the following touchpad config:

Section "InputClass"
    Identifier          "touchpad"
    Driver              "libinput"
    MatchDevicePath     "/dev/input/event*"
    MatchIsTouchpad     "on"
    Option              "Tapping"               "on"
    Option              "ClickMethod"           "clickfinger"
    Option              "ScrollMethod"          "twofinger"
    Option              "DisableWhileTyping"    "on"
    Option              "TappingButtonMap"      "lrm"
    Option              "AccelSpeed"            "0.5"
EndSection

I did some searching before posting but I can't seem to find anything particularly useful aside from age-old bugs which have now been fixed.

Last edited by analbeard (2025-09-07 20:50:28)

seth · 2025-09-08 07:59:21

I'll be using as normal to move around the screen and then suddenly the pointer will stop moving
…
The only way I can seem to resolve the issue is to physically click the touchpad.

Sounds like what's happening is that the event processing stops, the driver misses that you're lifting your finger and now when you start to move it again will assume that this is a second finger, hitting

Option              "ScrollMethod"          "twofinger"

So the main problem would be

I'll be using as normal to move around the screen and then suddenly the pointer will stop moving

Is this reflected in the Xorg log (eg. complaining that your system is too slow to process events etc)?

Do you get the same w/ xf86-input-evdev ?
What kind of desktop session do you run? Do your CPUs max out while "using as normal to move around the screen"?

What a quarter-century throwback

mrwizardno2 · 2025-09-08 12:33:15

I ran into this same issue with my XPS 15 9530.

I couldn't figure out how to change the scroll lock mode or get gestures working and it was making me want to pull my hair out. Allegedly there's some hot-corner voodoo or some special tap pattern to trigger it? Mine wouldn't respond to it. I ended up trying the xf86-input-synaptics package on a whim. It resolved the issues, but I don't think the touch-pad in our devices is even Synaptics based? Mine claims the driver isn't even loaded, but it seems to 'fix' the weird scrolling behavior. I read in the wiki that the Synaptics package is "defunct" at this point, but it's the first thing that resolved the annoyances and kept the last few hairs on my head.

If Seth has suggestions, though, I'd follow his advice. I'm just another noob chiming in with what worked for me! Will definitely follow along in case there's a better way!

seth · 2025-09-08 14:32:40

but I don't think the touch-pad in our devices is even Synaptics based? Mine claims the driver isn't even loaded

Please post your Xorg log, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xorg#General

Can you reproduce the problem w/o the synaptics package (and then also post the server log for that)?

vjoel · 2025-09-10 01:02:08

I have exactly the same problem with a Dell XPS 9310. The trackpad had worked well under ubuntu (starting in 2021) and archlinux (starting in 2023).

The problem started after an update about 5-6 weeks ago. Sometimes it gets stuck in scroll mode, but I can unstick it by a two-finger tap on the pad.

baron-digit · 2025-09-10 04:55:11

Same issue here with XPS 13 9310, Kernel: 6.16.5-arch1-1, a few weeks ago after updates.

Anything that was resolved somewhere else?

Best,
D

seth · 2025-09-10 08:04:28

Anyone here using xf86-input-evdev or some wayland compositor?
Is the LTS kernel affected? 6.15.9 ?

baron-digit · 2025-09-10 08:59:03

Not from what I see.
pacman -Q xf86-input-evdev
error: package 'xf86-input-evdev' was not found

But I have follwing xf86-input installed if this helps:

pacman -Qs xf86-input
local/xf86-input-libinput 1.5.0-1 (xorg-drivers)
Generic input driver for the X.Org server based on libinput
local/xf86-input-wacom 1.2.3-1
X.Org Wacom tablet driver

seth · 2025-09-10 09:08:08

None of https://archlinux.org/packages/?sort=&q=xf86-input got recently updated anyway, libinput updated to 1.29 on Aug 14, 2025 - otherwise it'd be the kernel.

baron-digit · 2025-09-10 09:18:02

Do I need to call Linus?

seth · 2025-09-10 09:32:31

For the moment it'll suffice to test whether this is a kernel regression at all (ie. whether the the LTS and 6.15.9 kernels are affected, 6.15.9 because the regression might have been backported into the LTS kernel)

baron-digit · 2025-09-10 09:36:29

Ok, how can I support this?

Edit:

I've just updated the firmware. fwupdmgr

Even though the experience seems to be different, I haven't seen any glitch yet.

Maybe worth checking?

EDIT2:
Still happening, feels less often, but maybe also driven by the reboot. Not sure atm.

Last edited by baron-digit (2025-09-10 11:45:33)

mrwizardno2 · 2025-09-10 13:09:21

Happy to support! I'm on KWin Wayland. I can drop the xf86-input-synaptics package and see if my system goes back to exhibiting the issue. Also, I'm on a "custom" kernel (not really, it's the stock kernel, just compiled with my own keys) that's still back at 6.15!

I'll remove the package and if the issue happens provide whatever logs you like.

seth · 2025-09-10 13:32:31

I'm on KWin Wayland. I can drop the xf86-input-synaptics package

xf86-anything is gonna be irrelevant on wayland, wrt you previous post, do you actually still encounter this?

@baron-digit, have you tried
a) to downgrade libinput to the last 1.28 build?
b) the lts or 6.15.9 kernel?

mrwizardno2 · 2025-09-10 14:41:04

seth wrote:

xf86-anything is gonna be irrelevant on wayland, wrt you previous post, do you actually still encounter this?

Not since installing that package - which, now reading what you wrote, doesn't make sense if it's not actually used on Wayland.

0x150 · 2025-09-11 20:30:18

Same here, dell xps 13 9305. Started happening a few days ago, at least that's when i noticed it. I normally use my laptop with an attached mouse and keyboard.

I do updates often, so it probably comes from that. What exactly caused it I don't know.

When it happens, I'm scrolling, remove my second finger from the mouse pad to move my cursor, and it'll keep scrolling. Even after removing both fingers, "moving" the mouse still scrolls. To fix it, I need to redo the two finger scroll motion and remove the second finger again for it to realize I'm no longer scrolling.

Last edited by 0x150 (2025-09-11 20:31:44)

seth · 2025-09-11 20:37:39

seth wrote:

have you tried
a) to downgrade libinput to the last 1.28 build?
b) the lts or 6.15.9 kernel?

Frezeeer · 2025-09-12 19:13:09

seth wrote:

have you tried
a) to downgrade libinput to the last 1.28 build?
b) the lts or 6.15.9 kernel?

Seth, downgrading to "libinput 1.28.1-1" seems to solve the problem. (XPS13)

Thanks!

seth · 2025-09-12 19:48:39

Does it still happen w/ https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/libinput-git ?

If yes: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/libinput … /-/issues/

iamneo · 2025-09-13 11:10:58

I have the same issue that has plagued me since I bought my laptop. It's not a Dell XPS it's a Xiaomi book pro 16 2022 and I have this same exact problem that keeps haunting be no matter which DE I use, whether I use Xorg or Wayland, Libinput or Synaptics. This is not an issue on Windows but no matter what it's an issue on Linux.

Currently I am on Arch, Hyprland. Same issue persists over the years. I don't know what I am missing at this point.

seth · 2025-09-13 11:49:04

Same issue persists over the years.

means it's rather not the same issue which seems a regression in libinput 1.29

I don't know what I am missing at this point.

A thread that details and illustrates the problem, notably what HW is involved, whether it's a synaptics device at all, whether xf86-input-evdev is affected (to sidestep libinput, X11 only) etc et pp.

baron-digit · 2025-09-18 03:38:18

seth wrote:

I'm on KWin Wayland. I can drop the xf86-input-synaptics package
xf86-anything is gonna be irrelevant on wayland, wrt you previous post, do you actually still encounter this?
@baron-digit, have you tried
a) to downgrade libinput to the last 1.28 build?
b) the lts or 6.15.9 kernel?

Sorry, was busy with some stuff this week. a) I've downgraded to 1.28, and will give a heads-up if the problem will show up again. I'll keep you posted here.

EDIT:
2025-09-18: 04:19 UTC
So far haven't realised any glitch on my end!

Last edited by baron-digit (2025-09-18 04:19:53)

farad · 2025-09-21 14:28:33

Might have the same issue: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=308400
Upgrading to libinput-1.29.1 breaks the detection of all my mouse devices (synaptics touchpad, IBM Trackpoint) on my Thinkpad X250. They don't appear anymore in

$ libinput list-devices

Installing libinput-git from AUR fixed the issue with version 1.29 for me. Thus, we probably just need to be a bit patient still to get this fixed in the next release.

Cheers!

manray · 2025-10-11 21:37:54

This has been driving me crazy for months. I am not sure when it started.

I am on XPS15 9510. I tried downgrading libinput. I tried libinput-git from the AUR. I tried the LTS kernel. No success. Any suggestions? I am about to chuck this thing and buy a Thinkpad or something.

seth · 2025-10-12 15:30:37

Although Mr. Oizo hasn't responded, if downgrading to 1.28 doesn't fix it you're likely hitting some different problem?
Does this happen w/ a completely different SW stack (live distro like grml or with windows)?

Arch Linux

#1 2025-09-07 20:49:59

Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#2 2025-09-08 07:59:21

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#3 2025-09-08 12:33:15

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#4 2025-09-08 14:32:40

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#5 2025-09-10 01:02:08

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#6 2025-09-10 04:55:11

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#7 2025-09-10 08:04:28

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#8 2025-09-10 08:59:03

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#9 2025-09-10 09:08:08

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#10 2025-09-10 09:18:02

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#11 2025-09-10 09:32:31

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#12 2025-09-10 09:36:29

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#13 2025-09-10 13:09:21

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#14 2025-09-10 13:32:31

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#15 2025-09-10 14:41:04

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#16 2025-09-11 20:30:18

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#17 2025-09-11 20:37:39

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#18 2025-09-12 19:13:09

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#19 2025-09-12 19:48:39

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#20 2025-09-13 11:10:58

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#21 2025-09-13 11:49:04

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#22 2025-09-18 03:38:18

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#23 2025-09-21 14:28:33

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#24 2025-10-11 21:37:54

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

#25 2025-10-12 15:30:37

Re: Dell XPS touchpad gets stuck in scroll mode

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