More synaptics touchpad problems
 

Okay, so I've decided to try CentOS on my Dell Lattitude C840. I'm a longtime slackware user, but need to learn CentOS for various reasons. I'm having troubles with my touchpad working correctly. It is CentOS 4.4, with the 2.6.9-42.EL kernel. The touchpad mostly works, I can click, double click, drag, but none of the scrolling features work. I've had this touchpad working for years in slackware, but can't seem to figure this one out.

Here is the associated info from my Xorg logfile:
(II) LoadModule: "mouse"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/input/mouse_drv.o
(II) Module mouse: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
compiled for 6.8.2, module version = 1.0.0
Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 0.4
(II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/input/synaptics_drv.o
(II) Module synaptics: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
compiled for 4.3.99.902, module version = 1.0.0
Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 0.4
(II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 0.13.5

Touchpad no synaptics event device found (checked 3 nodes)
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
(**) Option "SHMConfig" "on"
(**) Option "LeftEdge" "120"
(**) Option "RightEdge" "830"
(**) Option "TopEdge" "120"
(**) Option "BottomEdge" "650"
(**) Option "FingerLow" "14"
(**) Option "FingerHigh" "15"
(**) Option "MaxTapTime" "200"
(**) Option "MaxTapMove" "110"
(**) Option "EmulateMidButtonTime" "25"
(**) Option "VertScrollDelta" "20"
(**) Option "EdgeMotionMinSpeed" "200"
(**) Option "EdgeMotionMaxSpeed" "200"
Query no Synaptics: 6003C8
(EE) Touchpad no synaptics touchpad detected and no repeater device
(EE) Touchpad Unable to query/initialize Synaptics hardware.
(EE) PreInit failed for input device "Touchpad"
(II) UnloadModule: "synaptics"



Here's what I've changed in my xorg.conf file:

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Touchpad" "AlwaysCore"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Touchpad"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "yes"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "LeftEdge" "120"
Option "RightEdge" "830"
Option "TopEdge" "120"
Option "BottomEdge" "650"
Option "FingerLow" "14"
Option "FingerHigh" "15"
Option "MaxTapTime" "200"
Option "MaxTapMove" "110"
Option "EmulateMidButtonTime" "25"
Option "VertScrollDelta" "20"
Option "MinSpeed" "0.4"
Option "MaxSpeed" "0.75"
Option "AccelFactor" "0.015"
Option "EdgeMotionMinSpeed" "200"
Option "EdgeMotionMaxSpeed" "200"
Option "SHMConfig" "on"
EndSection


I do have the synaptics package installed, as a rpm -qa |grep syn shows:
synaptics-0.13.5-5

But here's what worries me. Listed in my /proc/bus/input/devices:
I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=ab41
N: Name="AT Translated Set 2 keyboard"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio0/input0
H: Handlers=kbd event0
B: EV=120013
B: KEY=4 2000000 3802078 f840d001 f2ffffdf ffefffff ffffffff fffffffe
B: MSC=10
B: LED=7

I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0002 Product=0001 Version=0000
N: Name="PS/2 Generic Mouse"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio1/input0
H: Handlers=mouse0 event1
B: EV=7
B: KEY=70000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B: REL=3

So it appears that my kernel is picking up on the generic mouse, but not actually recognising that its a synaptics touch pad.

The default kernel does have these options enabled:
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV=y
# CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_PSAUX is not set
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_SCREEN_X=1024
CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_SCREEN_Y=768
CONFIG_INPUT_JOYDEV=m
# CONFIG_INPUT_TSDEV is not set
CONFIG_INPUT_EVDEV=y
# CONFIG_INPUT_EVBUG is not set

So its not an issue of the modules EVDEV or MOUSEDEV, as they are built into the kernel. I could not however find anything on PSMOUSE.
Searching has given me some info, but most people were having issues of the thigne even working at all. Mine works, just no scrolling. If I disable the items in the xorg.conf for mouse0 x will not start, because there is no default mouse.

I have also added this to my grub.conf because it was reccommended by someone somewhere:
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-42.EL ro root=LABEL=/1 rhgb quiet vga=0x305 video=vesafb:mtrr:3,ywrap psmouse.proto=imps

Anyone have any other suggestions as to what I need to do to get my scrolling back? I could live with it, or go back to slack, but I'd rather find out what the issue is, its got me ticking now ;-)

Thanks in advance!!
~Blimpie

Get the latest Synaptics driver--its at 0.14.6, I think.

Here's my synaptics section in my xorg.conf:

I guess with my findings this is a kernel issue. When I look in my dmesg output I cannot find any information about the synaptics touchpad, it's simply detected as a PS/2 Mouse. I am going to compile a new kernel and play with a few options to see what happens.

I still cannot seem to get this touch pad to work properly. Could I have someone who has this pad working (preferably on CentOS) paste the output of their /proc/bus/input/devices? I don't think my kernel is detecting the touchpad properly, and would like to verify this with someone.

Okay, so far my findings are that it is a problem with the kernel. I grabbed the 2.6.18.2 kernel source, and used the kernel config from the default 2.6.9-42 centos kernel, compiled, and booted. This time, the kernel *does* recognize the touchpad properly in /proc/bus/input/devices, but still errors out when I try to startx. It still gives me an error about not being able to find the event for the synaptics touch pad. I am still working on the config file, I still believe its something with the kernel that is messing with it.

Try /dev/input/event0 or /dev/input/event1

A few items:

Make sure evdev is compiled and is being loaded (if a module).

Download and apply the synaptics touchpad kernel patch. Reconfigure/compile your kernel and make sure to compile in the newly added touchpad options. (this helped mine a lot)

Newer xorg synaptics driver module

Okay, so it is a kernel issue. Since centos insists on using old and decrepid kernels it does not include full support for the touchpad. After kernel 2.6.11 these patches are included. I've given up on centos due to it simply not having up-to-date packages. I know centos is intended to be a 'enterprise' level os and not 'bleeding edge' but 2.6.9 kernel? c'mon guys. Anyways, if someone else is having this issue, there is a patch called 'alps.patch' in the source driver of the touchpad. You can apply this patch to the kernel, recompile, and your touchpad will *sort* of work. Double clicking still isnt fully supported. If you want to fix for once and all, get a kernel after 2.6.11.

Actually, if you look in the old talia.com driver for the synaptics/Alps tochpad, there is a file called "TROUBLESHOOTING.TXT" In it, it describes EXACTLY what you whined about. And tells you to try adding the following line to the boot process:
And viola!. The touchpad is now seen by /proc/bus/input/devices, and thus by xorg.
So it's NOT a kernel issue. It a MODULE for the ps2 mouse taking over the free world issue (Must have been released by MS...lol)

How do I know this? Because it even works in kernel 2.4.x

Reading is fundemental....

Can you tell where to add those line to boot process?
I'm a newbie to linux so please patient with me. I got the same problem with my synaptics touchpad on centos4.5

Where I can add /sbin/modprobe psmouse?

Regards,