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So check this out. I added the apt sources for the liquorix kernel. Installed 2.6.37 which to my knowledge is the most recent stable release. grub-update, reboot and:
You could run the dmesg command and start rooting through the output. My money's on a driver issue.
Maybe grep it a bit like this after reviewing the initial output.
PNP: PS/2 Controller [PNP0303:KBC,PNP0f13:PS2M] at 0x60,0x64 irq 1,12
serio: i8042 KBD port at 0x60,0x64 irq 1
serio: i8042 AUX port at 0x60,0x64 irq 12
mice: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice
cpuidle: using governor ladder
cpuidle: using governor menu
TCP vegas registered
TCP yeah registered
blm14 wrote:according to debian, I have neither alps nor synaptic nor elantech!
Should I go ahead and try and create an xorg.conf or is that jumping the gun...
I wouldn't. See if you can find the service manual for your laptop on Dell's site to confirm what kind of touchpad it is. Dell almost always uses Synaptics as far as I know. Strange.
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)
A quick google search tells me it is an alps. Surprise surprise...
Looking into it...
Edit: It's not clear (to me anyway) if Alps would use the same driver as Synaptics. Maybe someone with an Alps touchpad could chime in on this for clarification. If it does, then following the wiki would be fine.
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)
traveler wrote:A quick google search tells me it is an alps. Surprise surprise...
Looking into it...
Edit: It's not clear (to me anyway) if Alps would use the same driver as Synaptics. Maybe someone with an Alps touchpad could chime in on this for clarification. If it does, then following the wiki would be fine.
Anyone with an ALPS touchpad? Thanks again traveler for all your help with this problem!
You could give the Liquorix 2.6.37 kernel a try to see if that can clear up the issue--or rule out a newer kernel. If not, then it seems likely that getting down and dirty with udev and/or hal rules files or xorg.conf is going to have to be the solution.
You may also try booting a livecd/liveUSB of another Debian-based distro to see if they have the same issue, or stealing the xorg.conf from that distro if everything works.
stevepusser wrote:You could give the Liquorix 2.6.37 kernel a try to see if that can clear up the issue--or rule out a newer kernel. If not, then it seems likely that getting down and dirty with udev and/or hal rules files or xorg.conf is going to have to be the solution.
You may also try booting a livecd/liveUSB of another Debian-based distro to see if they have the same issue, or stealing the xorg.conf from that distro if everything works.
hal and udev seems to be the secret here. The Debian Wiki recommends creating an xorg.conf, but the instructions there are not clear on how to handle an Alps trackpad. I've never had to mess with hal or udev at a low level, so I'll defer to a member with experience there (or better google-fu). The OP has tried the liquorix kernel to no avail.
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)
Evidently there is a patch that someone made in ubuntu for the 2.26.37 kernel which will be included in the next release for liquorix, so it appears I _may_ have a solution by the time liquorix releases a 2.26.38 kernel. But I'd still kind of like some solution in the meantime...
I've never done any udev hacking, and I've already tried several xorg.conf things to instruct X to recognize my touchpad as an ALPS/GlidePoint, to no avail... Although I am more than open to this solution, if someone can help me make it work!
I suspect you won't need to wait for 2.6.38, just his next point release for 2.6.37
The current version is 2.6.37-0.dmz.5, so 2.6.37-0.dmz.6 (or higher) should have the patch.
ben@maybeinnovations:/$ uname -a
Linux maybeinnovations 2.6.37-3.dmz.1-liquorix-amd64 #1 ZEN SMP PREEMPT Tue Mar 8 21:06:27 CST 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux
gpointing-device-settings now shows "imPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint" but there are no gui settings in there or in mouse preferences for touchpad or tap to click
As far as my newbie mind understands, it is a kernel bug.
I have a Dell Inspiron M5030 and the same problem. I tested many distros: Debian, Puppy, Mandriva, openSUSE, Ubuntu, LMDE, and my touchpad is always recognized as a PS/2 mouse.
I'm now using LMDE with 2.6.38-2-686 kernel and it doesn't work. Pastebin with my $ dmesg | grep -i mouse, # tpconfig, and # cat /proc/bus/input/devices in http://pastebin.com/NynTdmmk
I found many places where people solve it recompiling psmouse.ko with a patch, but they are all for other models and kernels and anyways I don't know how the heck do it.