Arch Linux

qz

Member

Registered: 2023-05-02

Posts: 9

ThinkPad trackpoint acting weird

Hi, I'm using arch for about a year now and 2 days ago my trackpoint started behaving weirdly. At first the cursor stuck to the left side of the screen when touching the left border of the screen. Now I can move the cursor only in a vertical line and when I try to push the cursor to the right side of the screen it locks to the left side again. All of this only occurs with the trackpoint, no problems with mouse or touchpad.

I have xf86-input-libinput and libinput installed.

I already read some similar posts here but none of them really fit my case.
1. https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=268140 uses dual screen setup. I don't.
2. https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=221219 fixed it by installing proprietary nvidia drivers. I have them already installed.

Number 1 mentions that switching to linux-lts kernel solved the problem, but I'd like to avoid switching.

Output of libinput debug-events

-event2   DEVICE_ADDED            Power Button                      seat0 default group1  cap:k
-event7   DEVICE_ADDED            Video Bus                         seat0 default group2  cap:k
-event1   DEVICE_ADDED            Lid Switch                        seat0 default group3  cap:S
-event0   DEVICE_ADDED            Sleep Button                      seat0 default group4  cap:k
-event15  DEVICE_ADDED            Logitech Gaming Mouse G502        seat0 default group5  cap:p left scroll-nat scroll-button
-event16  DEVICE_ADDED            Logitech Gaming Mouse G502 Keyboard seat0 default group5  cap:kp scroll-nat
-event17  DEVICE_ADDED            Keychron Keychron K2              seat0 default group6  cap:k
-event18  DEVICE_ADDED            Keychron Keychron K2              seat0 default group6  cap:kp left scroll-nat scroll-button
-event4   DEVICE_ADDED            Intel HID events                  seat0 default group7  cap:k
-event3   DEVICE_ADDED            AT Translated Set 2 keyboard      seat0 default group8  cap:k
-event8   DEVICE_ADDED            SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad        seat0 default group9  cap:pg  size 70x50mm tap(dl off) left scroll-nat scroll-2fg-edge click-buttonareas-clickfinger dwt-on dwtp-on
-event9   DEVICE_ADDED            TPPS/2 Elan TrackPoint            seat0 default group10 cap:p left scroll-nat scroll-button
-event6   DEVICE_ADDED            ThinkPad Extra Buttons            seat0 default group11 cap:k
-event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.000s         0.00/ -0.30 ( +0.00/ -1.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.033s         0.00/ -0.49 ( +0.00/ -1.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.057s         0.00/ -1.74 ( +0.00/ -2.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.082s         0.00/ -1.70 ( +0.00/ -2.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.107s         0.00/-35.83 ( +0.00/-11.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.132s         0.00/-20.26 ( +0.00/ -8.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.156s         0.00/-41.89 ( +0.00/-12.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.182s       653.94/-122.61 (+80.00/-15.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.205s       1142.55/-314.88 (+127.00/-35.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.230s       1131.73/-231.69 (+127.00/-26.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.256s       1128.63/-337.70 (+127.00/-38.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.279s         0.00/  3.65 ( +0.00/ +3.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.302s         0.00/  0.58 ( +0.00/ +1.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.750s         0.00/  0.31 ( +0.00/ +1.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.795s         0.00/  0.43 ( +0.00/ +1.00)
 event9   POINTER_MOTION          +0.824s         0.00/  0.52 ( +0.00/ +1.00)

Output of xrandr -q:

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 344mm x 194mm
   1920x1080     60.05*+  59.93  
   1680x1050     59.95    59.88  
   1400x1050     59.98  
   1600x900      59.95    59.82  
   1280x1024     60.02  
   1400x900      59.96    59.88  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1368x768      59.88    59.85  
   1280x800      59.97    59.81    59.91  
   1280x720      59.99    59.86    59.74  
   1024x768      60.04    60.00  
   960x720       60.00  
   928x696       60.05  
   896x672       60.01  
   1024x576      59.95    59.96    59.90    59.82  
   960x600       59.93    60.00  
   960x540       59.96    59.99    59.63    59.82  
   800x600       60.00    60.32    56.25  
   840x525       60.01    59.88  
   864x486       59.92    59.57  
   700x525       59.98  
   800x450       59.95    59.82  
   640x512       60.02  
   700x450       59.96    59.88  
   640x480       60.00    59.94  
   720x405       59.51    58.99  
   684x384       59.88    59.85  
   640x400       59.88    59.98  
   640x360       59.86    59.83    59.84    59.32  
   512x384       60.00  
   512x288       60.00    59.92  
   480x270       59.63    59.82  
   400x300       60.32    56.34  
   432x243       59.92    59.57  
   320x240       60.05  
   360x202       59.51    59.13  
   320x180       59.84    59.32  
HDMI-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-4 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Contents of /var/log/Xorg.0.log: https://0x0.st/Hyh9.txt

Thanks in advance for any helpful input :)

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,623

Re: ThinkPad trackpoint acting weird

Moved, by request

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seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,422

Re: ThinkPad trackpoint acting weird

Output of libinput debug-events

So you've some normal vertical motion, then some vertical jumps, then MASSIVE horizonzal (and vertical ) jumps, then some normal vertical motion.

Number 1 mentions that switching to linux-lts kernel solved the problem, but I'd like to avoid switching.

1. why?
2. installing the LTS kernel and testing the behavior will certainly be helpful to narrow down the issue (kernel-/userspace or hardware)

If you get the same behavior w/ the LTS kernel, please boot some live distro like grml or knoppix and try the behavior there to rule out a hardware problem.

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qz

Member

Registered: 2023-05-02

Posts: 9

Re: ThinkPad trackpoint acting weird

1. why?

I was afraid to fuck something up as as I read somewhere that the LTS kernel requires different nvidia drivers. But that didn't happen.

If you get the same behavior w/ the LTS kernel, please boot some live distro like grml or knoppix and try the behavior there to rule out a hardware problem.

On LTS kernel it seems to be a bit better. The cursor behaves normally when moving it slowly. On faster movement it gets stuck on the left side of the screen again.
On the grml live distro I was only able to move the cursor in a vertical line in the middle of the screen.

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,422

Re: ThinkPad trackpoint acting weird

So for now there's actually no system where it works properly - did you make sure the LTS behavior wasn't just a fluke?

Hi, I'm using arch for about a year now and 2 days ago my trackpoint started behaving weirdly.

Check the pacman log for suspicious prior updates. If there're none (kernel, libinput) and  the trackpoint broke out of the blue, it's more likely a hardware problem (horizontal axis is broken)

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qz

Member

Registered: 2023-05-02

Posts: 9

Re: ThinkPad trackpoint acting weird

Only relevant lines i found in the pacman log are these two but this was a over a month ago.

[2023-09-20T23:33:01+0200] [ALPM] upgraded libinput (1.23.0-1 -> 1.24.0-1)
[2023-09-20T23:33:01+0200] [ALPM] upgraded xf86-input-libinput (1.3.0-1 -> 1.4.0-1)

I ran Lenovo's diagnosis tool from bios and this also displays that the trackpoint is pulling left without even touching it.

There could be another reason for this. I'm not 100% sure but I think this problem occured just after I installed additional ram into my system.
I'm pretty sure I didn't damage something while doing this as I followed the specific manual for my Laptop closely and this wasn't the first Laptop I opened up.

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,422

Re: ThinkPad trackpoint acting weird

Does changing the RAM require you to remove and return the keyboard?
I'm pretty sure you either broke or jammed something there.

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qz

Member

Registered: 2023-05-02

Posts: 9

Re: ThinkPad trackpoint acting weird

No I only had to remove the backplate and unplug the battery.

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,422

Re: ThinkPad trackpoint acting weird

The best thing I can tell you is to tamper with the knob a bit and see whether you can "unjam" it - since it's happening from the vendors dignostic tool, it's not a software issue, so unless you ran an UEFI update in the cirital period, it's the HW for pretty much sure.

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qz

Member

Registered: 2023-05-02

Posts: 9

Re: ThinkPad trackpoint acting weird

Alright, looks like I'm getting a replacement.
Thanks for your help though