Toutchpad not precise

[jbonlinea]

Hi

I'm on the way to swithc to linux for good, but still encounter some few issues.
I've installed Debian 9 on an Asus UX410UA, and so far so good.

However the toutchpad is not working super consistenly,
Sometimes it behave as if I had two fingers while I only have one
Sometimes the "toutch-click" wo'nt work anymore and ans have to "physically-click" to wake up the toutch-click (only the toutch-click as the pointer is still moving).

All togather this lead to a rather anoying experience.

The content of /proc/bus/input/devices has
I: Bus=0018 Vendor=04f3 Product=309c Version=0100
N: Name="ELAN1200:00 04F3:309C Touchpad"
P: Phys=i2c-ELAN1200:00
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:15.1/i2c_designware.1/i2c-7/i2c-ELAN1200:00/0018:04F3:309C.0001/input/input15
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse0 event15
B: PROP=5
B: EV=b
B: KEY=e520 10000 0 0 0 0
B: ABS=260800000000003

Is there a way to improve the experience ?

Also, I would like to enable mac-os like multigesture, specifically swaping two fingers from lefy to right to go to previous page in my web broswer (and the other way round)

Thank's in advance for your help

[bw123]

I don't know if it will help in your case, but you can check the reported size is correct and fix that using touchpad-edge-detector from pkg libevdev-tools and adding a file in /etc/udev/hwdb.d see /lib/udev/hwdb.d/60-evdev.hwdb
and
https://wayland.freedesktop.org/libinpu ... anges.html

I did this about a year ago on my synaptic pad and it seemed to help a little with weird touchpad behavior.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

I'm not sure if it will work with GNOME but I still prefer synaptics in stretch:

https://packages.debian.org/stretch/xse ... -synaptics

For an openbox desktop synaptics is used automatically if it is installed, I've not tried any DEs though.

[debiman]

i think synaptics still has way more configuration options than libinput?
anyhow, be it synaptics or libinput, you have to play around with these.
https://wiki.debian.org/SynapticsTouchpad

[jbonlinea]

Hi guys

Thank's for your replies

Actually I did some more research and found some good and bad things,

I've looked for the first link but have still to take the time to understand how to do it ;
About using synaptics rather than libinput, I may, but first I'm still puzzled... should I uninstall libinput and the install synaptics package ; may I do it from a termnal window or shoud I log in directly in console mode ?


Also serching for elan1200 linux, it apears that the issue with this toutchpad is known, and there may be some solutions, but I'm not sure what to do with all that, I'm still rather a beginier

if you may have a look or give me orientations

It is said to work better on mint 18.3 https://askubuntu.com/questions/981183/ ... hly/981974

Also on the ‘upstream kernel’ of Ubuntu 17, it work's flawlessly https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1726934

Ant there are two drivers but I have no clue how to use it
mishurov/linux_elan1200_touchpad here https://github.com/mishurov/linux_elan1200_touchpad
linxon/sys-kernel/linux-elan1200-touchpad/ here https://github.com/gentoo-mirror/linxon ... 0-touchpad


I would really appreciate if you may help.

Regards

[Head_on_a_Stick]

About using synaptics rather than libinput, I may, but first I'm still puzzled... should I uninstall libinput and the install synaptics package

No need to uninstall anything — for the simple openbox+tint2 desktop I tried simply having xserver-xorg-input-synaptics installed caused it to be used as the default touchpad driver, no further configuration was required.

[debiman]

if it works better on newer kernels, you should look into using a newer, backported kernel on debian, too.
https://backports.debian.org/
if that doesn't help, it's up to you whether you use that driver you linked or just try tweaking some settings.
in any case, roll-up-sleeves-get-dirty time.

all in all, debian stable might not be the best choice for a very new device.

[jbonlinea]

Hi guys !

Ok I've been doing some testing, have some feedback and more questions, obviously.

First I started over from a fresh install of stretch and upgraded the kernel using the latest version available on the backports repository ; it improved the situation a lot, but it's not perfect yet. in fact the problem persist, but happends much less often.

Then I tryed ubuntu 18.04 on a live usb, the overall experience was also improved compared to stretch stable, and seems slightly better than stretch with upgraded kernel. However, my test might not have been long enough to settle the difference.

Then, I also tried to use synaptics, as it happends the I'm logged in to gnome-shell using x11 (don't ask me why it use X11 and not wayland). The result was also positive, but not perfect neither ; note that I tried synaptics with the latest kernel from backports.


Finally, I tried to use touchpad-edge-detector. that's where my question lies now
first I went back on libinput.
then I listed my devices and I get this about my toutchpad
Device: ELAN1200:00 04F3:309C Touchpad
Kernel: /dev/input/event10
Group: 7
Seat: seat0, default
Size: 103.23x70.90mm
Capabilities: pointer
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
Accel profiles: none
Rotation: n/a

The fact is that it's size it said to be 103x70.9mm while it's actually 105x75.
Finally I did ran touchpad-edge-detector 105x75 /dev/input/event10
the kernel detected the right edges, but I anyhow created an 60-evdev.hwdb file with the suggested udev value.

On reboot, my devices is still listed as being 103.23x70.90mm instead of it's right size.
Is that normal ?
how can I be sure my uded settings are tacken into account ?


Thank's for your help

[Head_on_a_Stick]

how can I be sure my uded settings are tacken into account ?

Code: Select all

pager /var/log/Xorg.0.log

Or perhaps

Code: Select all

pager ~/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log

[bw123]

...
The fact is that it's size it said to be 103x70.9mm while it's actually 105x75.
...

That is what I thought you might find. I think this is a problem, because the range is calculated based on this size, unless you replace the range. You can't replace the size, only the coordinate ranges.

go here again https://wayland.freedesktop.org/libinpu ... anges.html
and look near the bottom of page, it explains how to verify the changes.

Once a match and override rule has been found, follow the instructions at the top of the 60-evdev.hwdb file to save it locally and trigger the udev hwdb reload. Rebooting is always a good idea. If the match string is correct, the new properties will show up in the output of
udevadm info /sys/class/input/event4
Adjust the command for the event node of your touchpad.

I know this seems like a PITA, and it is. i think it has helped my touchpad quite a bit though. Since I adjusted it correctly, I don't have the issue having to tap several times or the confusion between two and three-finger taps.

[jbonlinea]

Hi guys,

I did some more tries, we are not yet there but...

The fact is that it's size it said to be 103x70.9mm while it's actually 105x75.

That is what I thought you might find. I think this is a problem, because the range is calculated based on this size, unless you replace the range. You can't replace the size, only the coordinate ranges.

Well I updated the kernel to the backports one, namely 4.15.0-0, and then to 4.16 from the experimental repo, and the situation improved a LOT with both case offering similar results.

About the size of the pad, the situation is more complex than what I expedted.
with the two latest kernels, the trackpad appears as sizing 107x76mm according to libinput list-devices, but 106x75 according to touchpad-edge-detector (when it relate kernel listed size)

This is arguably closer to the 103x70.9 previously annonces by libinput list-devices, but yet not quite right (and it's surprising to see that such an easy information may be mistacked for so long, I'm not the first rising issues about the ELAN 1200)

Also, I did some mesurement with a caliper and I have 105.25x73.3mm

One first question may be, why the hell do I have two doferent size depending of the software I get it from ?
A second one could be what size should I use when I calibrates edges ?

go here again https://wayland.freedesktop.org/libinpu ... anges.html and look near the bottom of page, it explains how to verify the changes.

I know this seems like a PITA, and it is. i think it has helped my touchpad quite a bit though. Since I adjusted it correctly, I don't have the issue having to tap several times or the confusion between two and three-finger taps.

Yop I wasn't sure the change was tacken into account as I was hopping for a solution, but no, it was tacken into account, and it's still buggy.