Debian 12 Install - HP Pavillion Dv7 - Touchpad Disappears after Update

[Volpone]

Hello,

First time trying Debian in a while - but recently used on an old 32-bit Samsung 2gb Notebook - and I'm now working on an old HP Pavillion DV7. (dv6b00ee - US Keyboard, 16gb, i7, AMD & Intel GPU)

Strangely this was one of the few distros to get past it's odd bios/hardware configs. I've always found this with HP kit, but not Dell (My daily driver is Dell E7450)

During the Debian 12 64 bit Graphical Installation the touchpad worked 100% - if even worked on first few logins. - What setting.driver is the installer using please? Can I replicate this in ANY desktop at all?

xserver-xorg-input-synaptics

- Was installed and it allowed me to select the touchpad under Xfce - but it subsequently just disappeared?

I added

xserver-xorg-input-libinput

xserver-xorg-mouse

xserver-xorg-input-evdev

to try and fix it - no joy.

And removing them it still isn't showing. Can't even seen it in lspci or dmesg any more. Cinammon or Plasma show a touchpad config - but no touchpad. And it isn't the Fn+Enable/Disable Key - I tried.

Yet if I reboot just into the Graphical installer its working there still? I don't know how to check config from within the installer but if that works - then logically it can be made to work - even if it means manual config files.

Could it be related to auto-updates at all? I need to do this as device is for my 75 year old father, who surfs/emails/spreadsheets/documents - I do not expect him to do anything else.

I can post any outputs on request?

I've found one article about HID-generic/blackmail lists, but I wiped an restarted and can't find the walkthrough? And something about forcing synaptics within xorg?

Thanks in advance. Or please redirect this post. I'd rather not reinstall just to end back here without some advice. My Google-Fu has failed me.

The Camera is also completely - but I think that's a H/W fault. It hadn't worked under Win7 apparently.

[ruwolf]

At first, you can check if Fn+Enable/Disable Key is working (sending correct command/signal like XF86TouchpadToggle) by xev utility.
By my limited knowledge, synaptics, evdev & libinput have different priorities for X.org, so adding them together does not work in anticipated way. Try them alone (but add kbd, if you will use synaptics only).
You could see input devices e.g. by command:

Code: Select all

cat /proc/bus/input/devices

[Volpone]

Thanks for confirmation.

I'll have a go at that once a new internal power button to power cable arrives. I opened it up to assess the camera - and that particular cable ribbon is shredded on one end and missing is user plastic push in pad.

I did test Fn+Enable Disable in Wayland - I never found it under Xfce. I need to google find the article about forcing synaptics ps/2 as it did show as that until it disappeared.

[ruwolf]

I do not understand.
Can you see it in /proc/bus/input/devices ?

[Volpone]

I can't do anything right now - it wasn't the damaged power button ribbon, but a blown capacitor from the power adaptor port. I appreciate you checking in - safe travels sir!