Arch Linux

raevnos

Member

Registered: 2007-11-19

Posts: 2

Detecting a synaptics touchpad

I'm attempting to use the synaptics drivers with X on my Dell 1420n, but the touchpad seems to be getting detected as a ps/2 mouse instead.

From /proc/bus/input/devices:

I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0002 Product=0001 Version=0000
N: Name="PS/2 Generic Mouse"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio1/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input5
...

After some googling, I found a mention of this problem at http://web.telia.com/~u89404340/touchpa … ooting.txt

It suggests that initializing the usb system before the mouse might fix this problem (It's currently doing the mouse first), but I can't figure out how to control the order with arch.

I'm also seeing this in dmesg:

input: Macintosh mouse button emulation as /devices/virtual/input/input0

which seems odd because it's not a Mac...

Any suggestions?

bmmdvm

Member

From: Tennessee

Registered: 2007-10-27

Posts: 5

Re: Detecting a synaptics touchpad

I am using a synaptics touchpad. I also a have a similar message in the dmesg referring to Macintosh mouse emulation. My synaptics touchpad works fine so I wouldn't be too concerned about it. Later on in the dmesg there are messages when the synaptics pad is loaded.

You can also look at the /var/Xorg.0.log file for any errors or messages related to the synaptics touchpad.

Make sure you are loading the synaptics module in the modules section of your xorg.conf file. Also make sure you have set up the synaptics touchpad device section of your xorg.conf.

Damnshock

Member

From: Barcelona

Registered: 2006-09-13

Posts: 414

Re: Detecting a synaptics touchpad

Same here: Macintosh mouse button emulation...

But my touchpad works perfectly

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peart

Member

From: Kanuckistan

Registered: 2003-07-28

Posts: 510

Re: Detecting a synaptics touchpad

The kernel driver for regular PS/2 mice also takes care of the synaptics touchpad.  That's why they are seen as PS/2 mice.  Perfectly normal.

edit:
Ummm nevermind what I wrote before.  My touchpad is detected as  a SYNPS/2 mouse:

I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0002 Product=0007 Version=23b3
N: Name="SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio1/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input0
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse0 event0 
B: EV=b
B: KEY=6420 70000 0 0 0 0
B: ABS=11000003

I'm positive the same module takes care of both PS/2 and synaptics mice, but I don't know why they get different names.

Last edited by peart (2007-11-19 23:16:11)

raevnos

Member

Registered: 2007-11-19

Posts: 2

Re: Detecting a synaptics touchpad

You can also look at the /var/Xorg.0.log file for any errors or messages related to the synaptics touchpad.

Make sure you are loading the synaptics module in the modules section of your xorg.conf file. Also make sure you have set up the synaptics touchpad device section of your xorg.conf.

I've done all that. The problem is that it's not getting detected by the kernel as a synaptics touchpad, just as a generic mouse, and thus X.org isn't detecting it either and thus isn't able to load the synaptics driver when it tries, instead falling back to the generic mouse one.