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Aloha

Member

Registered: 2018-05-31

Posts: 8

Touchpad stops working randomly on IdeaPad 5 14ACL05

Hello,

I'm using a Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ACL05 laptop and I'm having a problem with the touchpad: it stops working randomly, i.e. the cursor gets stuck and no longer reacts. It can work for several hours without any problem and then suddenly stop working.

It seems to me that the problem wasn't present when I bought the machine at the end of 2021 and only started in September 2022, but I'm not sure about it. Since then, I've been solving the problem by restarting the computer, but it's getting tiresome over time, hence my request now.

I'm using the Cinnamon desktop environment and here's some more information about my installation:

uname -a
Linux laptop 6.6.6-arch1-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Mon, 11 Dec 2023 11:48:23 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux

sudo pacman -Q | grep -i input
libinput 1.24.0-1
xf86-input-libinput 1.4.0-1
xorg-xinput 1.6.4-1

I've also discovered a command for debugging libinput events (libinput debug-events), but I haven't been able to test it yet as I'm just starting my research.

I'm open to any suggestions to try and make things clearer, so don't hesitate if you need any further information.

Many thanks for your help.

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 7,763

Website

Re: Touchpad stops working randomly on IdeaPad 5 14ACL05

An intermittent problem would suggest hardware failure. Do you experience this in the live environment? Bit tricky to confirm given the timescale though.

Perhaps try switching to a TTY and see if https://archlinux.org/packages/core/x86_64/gpm/ also suffers this problem.

---

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F5FV

Member

Registered: 2018-03-14

Posts: 2

Re: Touchpad stops working randomly on IdeaPad 5 14ACL05

Hello,

It can be a hardware problem not a software one.
I have a Lenovo Ideapad 5 14ITL05 3 years old.
During the first 18 months no problem at all.
Then touchpad begins to have i2c bus errors and got stuck.

oct. 14 21:39:11 Ideapad kernel: i2c_designware i2c_designware.0: controller timed out
oct. 30 13:55:42 Ideapad kernel: i2c_hid_acpi i2c-MSFT0004:00: i2c_hid_get_input: incomplete report (64/65424)
nov. 01 08:45:06 Ideapad kernel: i2c_designware i2c_designware.0: i2c_dw_handle_tx_abort: lost arbitration

I tested different kernels, distros without success.
I update BIOS very often and that led to a bricked system board.
System board has been replaced by Lenovo on site.
Not any problem during 2 or 3 months.

Then i2c bus errors again from time to time.
Until no one day without a problem !

So i decided to give a look on the hardware side.
I think it is a bad contact between flexible cable coming from the touchpad and connector on system board.
Those connectors are very tiny and flimsy.  So i disconnect and reconnect routing the cable another way.

That was 2 weeks ago and since no more problems...I keep my fingers crossed...

Have a look to iFixit.com.

But if you don't have any experience on the hardware side don't do it !

Aloha

Member

Registered: 2018-05-31

Posts: 8

Re: Touchpad stops working randomly on IdeaPad 5 14ACL05

Thank you for your answers.

You both mention a hardware problem, and I'm sorry that I'm only looking into it now, as the warranty expired a few months ago.

Do you experience this in the live environment? Bit tricky to confirm given the timescale though.

As you say, it's difficult to confirm because the problem doesn't necessarily happen every day, and sometimes after several long hours. I'll still try this solution if the problem becomes more recurrent.

Perhaps try switching to a TTY and see if https://archlinux.org/packages/core/x86_64/gpm/ also suffers this problem.

As for gpm, after reading the wiki page on the subject, I don't really understand the purpose of this utility. Is it supposed to activate the mouse in a TTY?

I started by identifying the device corresponding to the touchpad:

$ sudo libinput list-devices
.......
Device:           MSFT0002:00 04F3:31B8 Touchpad
Kernel:           /dev/input/event5
Group:            5
Seat:             seat0, default
Size:             100x59mm
Capabilities:     pointer gesture
Tap-to-click:     disabled
Tap-and-drag:     enabled
Tap drag lock:    disabled
Left-handed:      disabled
Nat.scrolling:    disabled
Middle emulation: disabled
Calibration:      n/a
Scroll methods:   *two-finger edge
Click methods:    *button-areas clickfinger
Disable-w-typing: enabled
Disable-w-trackpointing: enabled
Accel profiles:   flat *adaptive custom
Rotation:         n/a
.......

Then I ran these two commands in a TTY (I assumed that syn and synps2 were the best parameters to provide):

$ sudo gpm -m /dev/input/event5 -t syn
$ sudo gpm -m /dev/input/event5 -t synps2

And nothing happens.

Then touchpad begins to have i2c bus errors and got stuck.

oct. 14 21:39:11 Ideapad kernel: i2c_designware i2c_designware.0: controller timed out
oct. 30 13:55:42 Ideapad kernel: i2c_hid_acpi i2c-MSFT0004:00: i2c_hid_get_input: incomplete report (64/65424)
nov. 01 08:45:06 Ideapad kernel: i2c_designware i2c_designware.0: i2c_dw_handle_tx_abort: lost arbitration

Where did you see these various error messages? With journalctl?

So i decided to give a look on the hardware side.
I think it is a bad contact between flexible cable coming from the touchpad and connector on system board.
Those connectors are very tiny and flimsy.  So i disconnect and reconnect routing the cable another way.

That was 2 weeks ago and since no more problems...I keep my fingers crossed...

Have a look to iFixit.com.

But if you don't have any experience on the hardware side don't do it !

I have a bit of experience with hardware, so I don't mind opening the laptop to have a look. I'll do it occasionally, if I'm really losing patience about it. In any case, I hope the problem doesn't come back for you! It's a pity because these are good machines, I haven't encountered any problems apart from this one.

Last edited by Aloha (2023-12-15 05:30:09)

F5FV

Member

Registered: 2018-03-14

Posts: 2

Re: Touchpad stops working randomly on IdeaPad 5 14ACL05

Yes you can see the errors with journalctl.

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 7,763

Website

Re: Touchpad stops working randomly on IdeaPad 5 14ACL05

As for gpm, after reading the wiki page on the subject, I don't really understand the purpose of this utility. Is it supposed to activate the mouse in a TTY?

Yes, that's right.

To test with it use this command from a TTY screen:

# systemctl start gpm

---

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