touchpad scrolling not working - Page 2

bbfuller · #16 30th August 2011, 09:50 AM

Hello Brainstorm

Just for comparison purposes, here's the output from "xinput list" on a laptop where the touchpad is recognised. It's another slightly odd touchpad where only some of functions you might expect are present. But at least it is recognised!

Quote:

[root@msiwhite ~]# xinput list
⎡ Virtual core pointer id=2 [master pointer (3)]
⎜ ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer id=4 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ FSPPS/2 Sentelic FingerSensingPad id=12 [slave pointer (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard id=3 [master keyboard (2)]
↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard id=5 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Power Button id=6 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Video Bus id=7 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Sleep Button id=8 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Power Button id=9 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ USB2.0 UVC PC Camera id=10 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard id=11 [slave keyboard (3)]

As to compiling your own kernel, I'm not sure if I advanced that as a serious option or not.

At least you need to go into it with eyes wide open as to the implications. Personally, I only did it once about 10 years ago just for the experience. Luckily I've never needed to do it since.

In some distributions, it would be a once in a release job, they tend to have a release kernel and update it rarely.

In Fedora, the kernel gets updated quite frequently, I haven't been keeping a check, but I would hazard a guess at 4 or 5 times since release in May. Say more than once a month.

Now, if you compile your own, you've either got to stick with that kernel and bar your installation from installing future kernel updates....and modules consequent on that. Or you will have to recompile your kernel so that it matches all the new module updates that may be happening.

Whichever way you approach it, you'll need to have a good plan mapped out.

David Batson · #17 30th August 2011, 11:10 PM

I suspect it is a kernel issue, as your touchpad is not being properly driven. I ran into something similar once when I tried the laptop kernel in Mandriva (go figure).

http://forum.mandriva.com/en/viewtopic.php?t=77658

Why don't you post a bug report against the kernel?
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/enter_bug.cgi?format=guided

Brainstorm · #18 31st August 2011, 04:06 AM

Done. https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=734637
anything wrong with it? cause my english is very bad, i learned it online, and besides, i'm new to linux

David Batson · #19 31st August 2011, 04:19 AM

Should be fine for now. The bug squad will ask you for additional information when they get time to work on it.

bbfuller · #20 31st August 2011, 09:29 AM

Hello Brainstorm

If you know the correct designation of your touchpad from your usage on Mint etc. It would probably be best to include it in your bug report.

Brainstorm · #21 31st August 2011, 03:25 PM

what do you mean bbfuller?

bbfuller · #22 31st August 2011, 09:44 PM

Hello Brainstorm

If the touchpad worked in Mint, then:

Code:

xinput list

would identify just what type of touchpad it is.

That would be valuable information for the developers. I suspect that saying "I have a ******** model touchpad that doesn't work" would be much more likely to get attention rather that just "I have al touchpad that doesn't work".A manufacturer may well have more than one type of touchpad in a particular model of laptop.

If you didn't have reason to note what it was then, even running one of the Mint live CD's now would enable you to find out.

cayspekko · #23 1st September 2011, 07:42 AM

I am having the same issue here, two finger scrolling works, but edge scrolling, zooming doesn't work. However, it works in Gnome. (I use KDE).

xinput list:

Code:

⎡ Virtual core pointer                          id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer                id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad                id=11   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                         id=3    [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard               id=5    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sony Vaio Keys                            id=6    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                                 id=7    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                              id=8    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ USB 2.0 Camera                            id=9    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard              id=10   [slave  keyboard (3)]

bbfuller · #24 1st September 2011, 08:50 AM

Hello cayspekko

Until a few days ago, I would have said, create a file:

Code:

10-synaptics.conf

in:

Code:

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d

with this content:

Code:

Section "InputClass"
      Identifier "touchpad"
      Driver "synaptics"
      MatchIsTouchpad "on"
      Option "VertEdgeScroll" "off"
      Option "VertTwoFingerScroll" "on"
EndSection

and just change the "off" and "on" to taste. However, it has become apparent that KDE's own touchpad configuration file over rides this.

There is a hidden file in your users home directory called:

Code:

.kde/share/config/kcmtouchpadrc

That controls all of the functions in KDE and the syntax is slightly different. I think if you add:

Code:

VertEdgeScroll=1
VertTwoFingerScroll=0

to that file - or edit existing entries if they are already there - that will give the outcome you wish.

Zooming I haven't tried, but if this works do a search for "Linux synaptics commands" or some such variant and you should be able to find huge lists of them - not all of which are supported by all synaptics touchpads. Even less of them by Alps touchpads which use the same driver.

cayspekko · #25 2nd September 2011, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbfuller

Hello cayspekko

There is a hidden file in your users home directory called:

Code:

.kde/share/config/kcmtouchpadrc

That controls all of the functions in KDE and the syntax is slightly different. I think if you add:

Code:

VertEdgeScroll=1
VertTwoFingerScroll=0

to that file - or edit existing entries if they are already there - that will give the outcome you wish.

I didn't have a file called .kde/share/config/kmctouchpadrc

but modifying the file in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d worked,

I also discovered tons of other settings from reading this post here:
http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Synaptics_Touchpad

I haven't been able to get the two finger zoom working yet. Ah well.

bbfuller · #26 2nd September 2011, 09:09 PM

Hello cayspekko

Fedora has an odd relationship with its implementation of KDE. It doesn't always get the care that Gnome does for example.

If you went into the "KDE Control Centre" and "Input Devices - Touchpad".

In there, there is an option to turn scrolling off. If you turn it off and save, and then for safetys sake turn it back on again and save, you'll probably find that you have a "kcmtouchpadrc" but that most of its settings aren't able to be changed in the Control Centre. Tapping will be off in there and you could edit the file to turn it on again.

The reason for bringing that up is that if you do explore in Control Centre, and your kcmtouchpadrc gets created, you may find that any duplication of options between that and your modifed file in "xorg.conf.d" result in kcmtouchpadrc being accepted as default.

Brainstorm · #27 3rd September 2011, 01:19 AM

modifying /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-synaptics.conf to:

Code:

##
Section "InputClass"
Identifier "touchpad catchall"
MatchIsTouchpad "on"
MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
Driver "synaptics"

Option "TapButton1" "1"
Option "TapButton2" "2"
Option "TapButton3" "3"
Option "VertEdgeScroll" "on"
Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "on"
Option "RBCornerButton" "3"
EndSection

doesn't change anything...

bbfuller · #28 3rd September 2011, 09:02 AM

Hello Brainstorm

No, I'm afraid those configuration options won't make any difference on your machine because your touchpad isn't being recognised as such by the kernel and isn't using the synaptics driver.