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Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

Linux Kernel, Network, and Services configuration.
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blm14
Posts: 16
Joined: 2011-01-22 02:05

Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#1 Post by blm14 »

Just installed LMDE and loving it so far. Fast boot time, nice clean interface, yay!! Please don't hate on me for liking the mint UI. :)

But the machine I've installed it on is a dell inspiron N5030 which has one of those lovely little trackpads and I cannot figure out how to disable the tap-to-click function, which means I am constantly creating false-positive mouse clicks (I did three just while typing this paragraph, argh!)

Doing some searching, most of the solutions to this problem involve customizing xorg.conf which I believe is completely deprecated now. So I can't use that!

A little info:

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uname -a
Linux maybeinnovations 2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Wed Jan 12 03:40:32 UTC 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux

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xinput -list
⎡ Virtual core pointer                    	id=2	[master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer              	id=4	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ PS/2 Generic Mouse                      	id=12	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Macintosh mouse button emulation        	id=13	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                   	id=3	[master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard             	id=5	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                               	id=6	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                               	id=7	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                            	id=8	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sleep Button                            	id=9	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Laptop_Integrated_Webcam_0.3M           	id=10	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard            	id=11	[slave  keyboard (3)]
Now first of all I was a little worried that LMDE is not recognizing my mouse as a touchpad and is treating it as a generic PS/2 mouse and when I run gpointing-device-settings I see only "generic PS/2 mouse"

So, how can disable the annoying tap-to-click function without using xorg.conf? Will I need to first convice linux that i REALLY REALLY do have a touchpad and not some PS/2 mouse? If it thinks I have a generic PS/2 mouse then why is tapping working at all!?

I've seen some other people mention this problem and it appears to have a report in kernel bugzilla:

https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=23502

Is upgrading to a newer Kernel advisable or even possible? It looks like 2.26.33 and .34 have some driver updates that might help me...

TIA

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traveler
Posts: 942
Joined: 2010-06-09 22:07

Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#2 Post by traveler »

I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)

blm14
Posts: 16
Joined: 2011-01-22 02:05

Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#3 Post by blm14 »

I actually posted there first and waited a couple of days before posting here...

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traveler
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Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#4 Post by traveler »

You might get an answer here if you posted in off-topic. I'll give you a hint, though... Look into synclient.
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)

blm14
Posts: 16
Joined: 2011-01-22 02:05

Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#5 Post by blm14 »

package xsever-xorg-input-synaptics is already installed and synclient -l returns

"Couldn't find synaptics properties. No synaptics driver loaded"?

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traveler
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Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#6 Post by traveler »

I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)

blm14
Posts: 16
Joined: 2011-01-22 02:05

Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#7 Post by blm14 »

Thanks for your help so far.

That thread is describing how to enable and configure tapping in a situation where linux has already recognized your touchpad and loaded the synaptic driver. My problem is that tapping WORKS despite the fact that LMDE is recognizing the mouse as a PS/2 and I want to DISABLE tapping.

Running gpointing-device-settings yields me this:

Image

I'm sure that if I can get the system to recognize that my trackpad is, in fact, a trackpad then disabling the tapping will be easy. I just can't get it to recognize that my trackpad IS in fact a trackpad. :)

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traveler
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Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#8 Post by traveler »

Just curious. As root do:

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modprobe -l | grep synaptics
and share the output.

IIRC, when I installed pure Debian, I only had to enable the tap and scrolling functions.
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)

blm14
Posts: 16
Joined: 2011-01-22 02:05

Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#9 Post by blm14 »

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ben@maybeinnovations /etc/X11 $ sudo modprobe -l | grep synaptics
kernel/drivers/input/mouse/synaptics_i2c.ko
ben@maybeinnovations /etc/X11 $ 
Hrmph.

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traveler
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Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#10 Post by traveler »

Mine returns the same output.
What happens if you just do...

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synclient TapButton1=0
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)

blm14
Posts: 16
Joined: 2011-01-22 02:05

Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#11 Post by blm14 »

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ben@maybeinnovations ~ $ synclient TapButton1=0
Couldn't find synaptics properties. No synaptics driver loaded?
ben@maybeinnovations ~ $ 

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traveler
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Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#12 Post by traveler »

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aptitude purge xserver-xorg-input-synaptics

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aptitude install xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
then try it again.
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)

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traveler
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Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#13 Post by traveler »

Also, do you have a "Touchpad" tab on your mouse preferences?
I didn't think to even look gui before, sorry.
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)

blm14
Posts: 16
Joined: 2011-01-22 02:05

Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#14 Post by blm14 »

removal of synaptic driver:

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ben@maybeinnovations ~ $ sudo aptitude purge xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
[sudo] password for ben: 
The following packages will be REMOVED:  
  xserver-xorg-input-synaptics{p} 
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 311 kB will be freed.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  xserver-xorg-input-all: Depends: xserver-xorg-input-synaptics but it is not going to be installed.
The following actions will resolve these dependencies:

     Remove the following packages:
1)     xserver-xorg-input-all      



Accept this solution? [Y/n/q/?] y
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  xserver-xorg-input-all{a} xserver-xorg-input-synaptics{p} 
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 373 kB will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] y
(Reading database ... 134603 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing xserver-xorg-input-all ...
(Reading database ... 134600 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing xserver-xorg-input-synaptics ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Re-installation:

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ben@maybeinnovations ~ $ sudo aptitude install xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 
0 packages upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 146 kB of archives. After unpacking 311 kB will be used.
Get:1 http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ testing/main xserver-xorg-input-synaptics amd64 1.2.2-2 [146 kB]
Fetched 146 kB in 7s (18.5 kB/s)                                                
Selecting previously deselected package xserver-xorg-input-synaptics.
(Reading database ... 134581 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (from .../xserver-xorg-input-synaptics_1.2.2-2_amd64.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (1.2.2-2) ...
And re-run:

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ben@maybeinnovations ~ $ synclient -l
Couldn't find synaptics properties. No synaptics driver loaded?
ben@maybeinnovations ~ $ 
Nada! :(

blm14
Posts: 16
Joined: 2011-01-22 02:05

Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#15 Post by blm14 »

traveler wrote:Also, do you have a "Touchpad" tab on your mouse preferences?
I didn't think to even look gui before, sorry.
Nope!

I really want to solve this! I am looking at the kernel changelogs and it looks like there are some upstream driver updates to touchpad stuff which might help. Is updating to 2.6.37 an option?

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traveler
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Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#16 Post by traveler »

You could try another kernel if you want.

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uname -r
2.6.32-5-686
And mine is working. I'm not sure where your problem is coming from at this point.

Maybe we should rule out that a Mint "enhancement" is causing your issue.

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apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
My output:

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xserver-xorg-input-synaptics:
  Installed: 1.2.2-2
  Candidate: 1.2.2-2
  Version table:
 *** 1.2.2-2 0
        500 http://debian.mirrors.tds.net/debian/ testing/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
So I know my version is coming from main.

Also, did you reboot? I don't think it's necessary, but couldn't hurt.
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)

blm14
Posts: 16
Joined: 2011-01-22 02:05

Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#17 Post by blm14 »

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$ apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics:
  Installed: 1.2.2-2
  Candidate: 1.2.2-2
  Version table:
 *** 1.2.2-2 0
        500 http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ testing/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
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:

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$ uname -a
Linux maybeinnovations 2.6.37-0.dmz.4-liquorix-amd64 #1 ZEN SMP PREEMPT Tue Jan 18 00:15:22 CST 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux
gpointing-device-settings still shows my trackpad as a PS2 mouse and

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$ synclient -l
Couldn't find synaptics properties. No synaptics driver loaded?
fail

So it appears that this problem is not corrected even in 2.6.37. How do I go about determining if this problem is KERNEL related or DRIVER related?

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traveler
Posts: 942
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Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#18 Post by traveler »

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.

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dmesg | grep syn*
or substitute syn* with anything else that looks related and share the output here.

Edit:
Maybe check these logs, too.

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cat /var/log/syslog

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cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)

blm14
Posts: 16
Joined: 2011-01-22 02:05

Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#19 Post by blm14 »

I see this"

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pnp 00:02: Plug and Play ACPI device, IDs DLL0451 SYN0600 SYN0002 PNP0f13 SYN0602 (active)
pnp 00:03: [io  0x0060]
pnp 00:03: [io  0x0064]
pnp 00:03: [io  0x0062]
pnp 00:03: [io  0x0066]
pnp 00:03: [irq 1]
and a little later down

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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
and yet a bit later

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input: PS/2 Generic Mouse as /devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input10
I've put a pastebin of the whole thing: http://pastebin.com/0Bqu6Nrh

You've been a ton of help so far, thanks again!

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traveler
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Re: Dell Inspiron N5030 Trackpad problems

#20 Post by traveler »

Ok, stupid question time. Is hal installed?

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lshal
If not...

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aptitude install hal
and reboot.
I wish for a conjugal visit and world peace. (Don't want to seem selfish.)

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