Wheel emulation for ThinkPad USB keyboard stopped working

Markus00000 · 2015-04-30 15:41:38

Thread summary

See this issue: https://github.com/lentinj/tp-compact-k … /issues/23
Do not use wheel emulation for the Lenovo ThinkPad Compact USB Keyboard with TrackPoint
Linux 4.0 and higher create unwanted middle click events when scrolling (e.g. causing accidental pastes)
For now use either Linux 3.19.3 or Linux LTS without wheel emulation

Original post

I can no longer scroll with the trackpoint while holding the middle button.

Trying to scroll a hundred times will sometimes scroll a bit. In rare cases I am able to scroll normally until I release the middle button.

Testing with xev reveals that almost all the time the "buttons" 4 and 5 are not detected. If they are detected, then usually just for one press. In the rare case mentioned above, xev registers button 4/5 continuously.

Keyboard info and settings (these settings are definitely in effect):

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-synaptics.conf
Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "Lenovo ThinkPad Compact USB Keyboard with TrackPoint"
        MatchProduct "Lenovo ThinkPad Compact USB Keyboard with TrackPoint"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "AccelerationProfile" "2"
        Option "EmulateWheel" "true"
        Option "EmulateWheelButton" "2"
        Option "EmulateWheelTimeout" "150"
        Option "EmulateWheelInertia" "5"
        Option "XAxisMapping" "6 7"
        Option "YAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Downgrading all suspicious packages from the last two days did not help. Not sure if I missed one, but two days ago it definitely was working and I haven't touched any related settings.

Interestingly, the wheel emulation does work with these settings:

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-synaptics.conf
Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "Lenovo ThinkPad Compact USB Keyboard with TrackPoint"
        MatchProduct "Lenovo ThinkPad Compact USB Keyboard with TrackPoint"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "AccelerationProfile" "2"
        Option "EmulateWheel" "true"
EndSection

The downside with these settings is that button 2 is triggered when scrolling. It causes side effects like auto-scrolling in Firefox. Using xinput to set the EmulateWheelButton to 2 will break the scrolling immediately like described above.

Under Windows scrolling with the middle button still works. I'm out of ideas.

Last edited by Markus00000 (2015-06-09 07:24:47)

argher · 2015-05-16 23:13:44

I seem to have the same problem (probably caused by a recent upgrade). Interestingly, setting the emulation button to 1 or 3 works, except those are not the buttons I want to use for scrolling, of course.

I'll just add that enabling/disabling middle button emulation has no effect, and the middle button works properly. In fact, scrolling worked just fine until I rebooted.

Last edited by argher (2015-05-16 23:18:08)

WorMzy · 2015-05-16 23:25:17

This doesn't sound like a Application or Desktop Environment issue, so I'm going to move this to Kernel and Hardware.

Markus00000 · 2015-05-17 20:02:29

I diffed the output of xinput list-props between an Ubuntu 15.04 installation where scrolling works and Arch where scrolling does not work. Conclusion: The settings are not the cause.

argher, do you know which update or at least which package is at fault?

argher · 2015-05-17 21:32:33

I have now narrowed it down to a pair of packages. The following upgrade goes from working to not working:
core/linux 3.19.3-3 --> 4.0.1-1
extra/nvidia-340xx 340.76-7 --> 340.76-8
You may have to unplug/replug the keyboard after reboot for it to work. I haven't tried without nvidia so I'm not 100% sure if it's the kernel or not.

Markus00000 · 2015-05-18 07:41:24

I do not have an nvidia card, so I guess it is linux. The kernel was among the first things I tried to downgrade without success but I might not have unplugged the keyboard. I even tried linux-lts.

After installing 3.19.3-3, scrolling does work. What a painful time without. Thank you!

Now we should report this bug if it has not already been. I cannot find a matching bug report on https://bugzilla.kernel.org/.

Last edited by Markus00000 (2015-05-18 07:51:40)

Markus00000 · 2015-05-20 07:03:27

argher, can you scroll horizontally? What keyboard are you using?

argher · 2015-05-21 10:20:22

I also have Lenovo ThinkPad Compact USB Keyboard with TrackPoint. I had never tried horizontal scrolling and no, it doesn't seem to work. It's as if the wheel emulation axes property is completely ignored.

Markus00000 · 2015-05-21 10:32:38

Thanks for checking. I always wondered if I had it configured incorrectly. I cannot even remember if it does work under Windows.

Here is a bug report for the horizontal scrolling issue: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour … ug/1439948

You can add yourself to the “affects me too” list and get notified about changes if you register.

Last edited by Markus00000 (2015-05-21 10:32:58)

Efka · 2015-05-21 20:04:59

TrackPoint emulation have issues on Windows and Linux ... but i downloaded lxterminal, and done copy - paste and now it works fine.
P.s bigest issue with trackpoint is within windos 8.1 even with updates and synaptics updates still does not work or works randomly.
It seems to me that trackpoint have a mind on its own...very temperamental.

50-synaptics.conf

Section "InputClass"
	Identifier "touchpad"
	MatchProduct "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad"
	# MatchTag "lenovo_x230_all"
	Driver "synaptics"
	# fix touchpad resolution
	Option "VertResolution" "100"
	Option "HorizResolution" "80"
	# Tap button
	Option "TapButton1" "1"
	Option "TapButton2" "2"
	Option "TapButton3" "3" 
	# horizontal and vertical scrolling
	Option "VertEdgeScroll" "on"
	Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "on"
	# finger sensitivity when taping
	Option "FingerLow" "35"
	Option "FingerHigh" "40"
EndSection

20-thinkpad.conf

 Section "InputClass"
	Identifier	"Trackpoint Wheel Emulation"
	MatchProduct	"TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint|DualPoint Stick|Synaptics Inc. Composite TouchPad / TrackPoint|ThinkPad USB Keyboard with TrackPoint|USB Trackpoint pointing device|Composite TouchPad / TrackPoint"
	MatchDevicePath	"/dev/input/event*"
	Option		"EmulateWheel"		"true"
	Option		"EmulateWheelButton"	"2"
	Option		"Emulate3Buttons"	"false"
	Option		"XAxisMapping"		"6 7"
	Option		"YAxisMapping"		"4 5"
EndSection

Its located in xorg.conf.d
This is my code for X230
Try to use it
Personal experience within T61 and X230.

Last edited by Efka (2015-05-21 20:12:19)

Markus00000 · 2015-05-22 10:22:31

I can’t see any significant difference to the settings in my first post. It’s also a different keyboard that might not be affected.

Efka · 2015-05-22 10:45:28

This same configs works on my T61
Try to add your config files to /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d
And create one for trackpoint only and name it 20-thinkpad.conf by the way, good source about trackpoint ... and not into one 50-sinaptics.conf because it lacks of info/config code .
P.s If im not mistaken ... all thinkpad keyboards are together with 3 mouse buttons for trackpoint and touchpad is separate and connected to different connections.

Last edited by Efka (2015-05-22 10:50:31)

Markus00000 · 2015-05-22 11:19:10

Why move settings to /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d if they are in effect when put in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-synaptics.conf? The wiki also advices to put the files in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/.

Why split touchpad and trackpoint? What is the difference when the settings are in effect when put in the same file?

What is "info/config code"?

Efka · 2015-05-22 13:04:10

As you can see in Pic.1. and Pic.2. ... touchpad with buttons is separated from keyboard whith buttons and these two parts are not connected together, i mean they have individual connectors.
info/config i ment by pointing to your and thinkwiki (and mine) configuration:
from your given config

 MatchProduct "Lenovo ThinkPad Compact USB Keyboard with TrackPoint"

thinkwiki :

 MatchProduct	"TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint|DualPoint Stick|Synaptics Inc. Composite TouchPad / TrackPoint|ThinkPad USB Keyboard with TrackPoint|USB Trackpoint pointing device|Composite TouchPad / TrackPoint"

Maybe im wrong...

Last edited by Efka (2015-05-22 13:06:00)

Markus00000 · 2015-05-22 13:57:36

The settings are correct. It is an issue with kernel versions above 3.19.3.

If your trackpoint can scroll with wheel emulation and a kernel greater than 3.19.3, then I assume your keyboard is simply not affected.

Thanks for your help anyway!

Markus00000 · 2015-06-08 05:54:52

As it has not been mentioned before: linux-lts (at least 3.14.43) works, too.

If you change your kernel, make sure to power off your computer afterwards. Just restarting seems to be insufficient once a bad kernel caused the problem.

In other words, if you run into this issue with an affected kernel and then downgrade to linux-lts 3.14.43 or linux 3.19.3, the problem will be present after rebooting even though these older kernels are not affected. Once you powered off, wheel emulation should work with them.

See this issue: https://github.com/lentinj/tp-compact-k … /issues/23

Last edited by Markus00000 (2015-06-09 07:02:04)

argher · 2016-01-06 10:53:04

FYI, everything seems to work fine with kernel 4.3.3-2.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-04-30 15:41:38