Many Dell laptop users, including me, are having problems with their touchpad clicks. You must click repeatedly.

This has to be dealt with every time you upgrade.

Sometimes you click, and viola. But other times you must wait or keep clicking until the machine accepts the click.

My idea: it's not the touchpad that's the problem, but some process running that is causing the machine to ignore the touchpad clicks.

How can I test this? (Dang. It's doing it right now.) There must surely be a method for testing and finding which process is blocking/ignoring the touchpad clicks.

Thanks.

The touchpad on my Dell Inspiron 8100 works great, I've never had an issue with it in Linux.

So since you claim you and a bunch of other people are having this issue. I would have to ask what Model laptop you and all these other people are running ? Is the issue related to a specific model or Line of laptop from dell ? Is this limited to Ubuntu users only ?

Did you check the Linux Laptop sites for information regarding your issue ?

linlap
tuxmobile
linux-on-laptops

http://linux.dell.com/wiki/index.php...sepad_settings

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=469639

Dell Inspiron 1300. The touchpad has needed tweaking every time I upgraded. I've only used Ubuntu, so don't know about other brands.

It's set to max sensitivity. I would like to know which process is causing it to ignore the taps (clicks). I simply asked if there was a test.

I've used Ubuntu - Dapper, Edgy, Feisty, and now Intrepid. Intrepid is the worst of them. Feisty was wonderful, but support ended. It's not the touchpad itself; it's something in the software and specifically something about Intrepid.

You want me to conduct a poll of how many users have touchpad problems with Intrepid? Go fly a kite. I have no interest in bashing Intrepid. I only ask if there is a test to determine which process is causing it to ignore the touchpad clicks.

Thanks

PS: There is no xorg.conf - it is now HAL.

More... It's not the touchpad settings. It's some process causing the taps to be ignored.

It took 65 seconds for the cursor to appear in this text box after I tapped in it.

The problem is not the touchpad, it is some software.

There is surely a way to know what's causing this.

Never asked you to take a poll, you stated "Many Dell Laptop users" Your words not mine, so I figured you already had the info.

no need to get touchy.

I didn't want to post links to their Ubuntu Help threads - trying to be considerate of their anonymity.

Okay. I apologize for being grouchy. Intrepid is HORRIBLE. Feisty is no longer supported, and I was TOLD by an Ubuntu Help Person to switch to Intrepid. But Intrepid is more problems than Dapper, Edgy, or Feisty - combined. Feisty was great.

I am starting with the touchpad problem. It is not working correctly at all. I believe it is not the touchpad, but something slowing down the system.

Can you suggest a way of testing this? I have done all that's suggested in HAL, etc. to remedy the touchpad, but it's still a problem. Something is very wrong.

And... I have a sick feeling in my stomach that even if I do identify the problem, Ubuntu will do nothing about it - except maybe offer a cluge-patch-work-around. I did get some help from a Launchpad person, and he sent me a terminal command to download a different driver. Ha!! That driver had a bug in it, it crashed the whole mess, and I had to rebuild from the ISO disk.

So... I'm grouchy because I feel betrayed by Ubuntu, and I am ONLY trying to get my little laptop working.

Hello,
I have a Dell Inspiron 8600 that I put Mandriva 2009 on and my mouse was extra sensitive(Not really your trouble) but I found out It was not a synaptics touchpad as I previously thought..
I did a I found out it was a PS/2 Glidepoint not synaptics..I went into the configuration and sure enough the glidepoint could be configured..Fixed!!

I'm not sure that is your problem, but it's worth a check to find out exactly which mouse pad you have on the computer..
Goodluck,
jolphil

You mentioned clicking in a box and waiting for the cursor to appear.. when you where selecting the box where you tapping the mousepad, or clicking the button.. or do both respond the same way (or not respond as the case may be)

I just want to make sure your not having a problem with a defective button next to the trackpad and that it is indeed a driver issue of some sort. Those buttons do go bad, and get wrse over time.

I have a new palmrest in the other room for my sisters Dell 8600 right now, because the button next to the trackpad is defective and in need of replacement. That's going to be my weekend project.

If you are getting the same results with tappng the mousepad and trying to use the button then the problem would appear to be driver/software related.

Did you check to see what driver module is loaded for the trackpad ?

Does your laptop have a trackpoint as well as a touchpad ? (trackpoint is the eraser looking cursor control in the middle of hte keyboard common on IBM laptops, and some Dells.)

http://tuxmobil.org/touchpad_driver.html
http://w1.894.telia.com/~u89404340/touchpad/index.html
http://www.simons.fi/touchpad.html

Thank you both, very much.

It is a "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad"

I am describing the problem as far as tapping the touchpad. Both buttons work fine. As an example: I just now wanted to try making adjustments again in System -> Preferences -> Mouse. I had to tap "System" 7 times before it responded. And I am absolutely positive I tapped dead center of the word/link.

This laptop does not have a trackpoint. So I don't know that the fix contained in the link would apply. As for the driver in the other link, my laptop is not listed.

When I first installed Dapper a couple of years ago, I had to jump through several hoops to get the touchpad to work correctly. I think I can accurately say that everyone with my type of touchpad/laptop had to do the same thing. But it did work perfectly after the fix.

When I switched from Dapper to Edgy, I had to do something to get it to work again. When I switched from Edgy to Feisty, I had to do some tricks to get it to work. With Feisty, the adjustments were made with System -> Preferences -> Touchpad.

In some of these fixes, edits were made to xorg.conf. But that is empty now that hal is used.

I kept Feisty as long as I could. But the repositories are gone, because it's no longer supported. And I heard positive opinions about Intrepid.

I switched to Intrepid. To get the touchpad to work, I added recommended HTML text to hal. And the touchpad 'almost' works. The adjustments are made with "Mouse" instead of "Touchpad". Don't know how much difference that makes.

It's frustrating for me because I have to tweak things to get the touchpad to work every time I upgrade, BUT it's never the same tweaking procedure. Aaarrgghh...

Here is link to the hal instructions.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config/Input

More info:

It still appears to be busy. Something is ignoring the touchpad taps.

1. I read an email, then click "Inbox" to read the next.
2. I click the next email, but nothing happens, because the processing light is lit on the laptop, it is too busy to recognize the click.
3. I wait until it is able to accept the click (touchpad tap).

It is a problem with a driver, or software or something like that. I don't know. That's why I'm asking for help and advice here. And like I said when I initially posted about this, there is a problem I can't figure out. I need help with it.

Hi,
Take a look at and see if something is either eating CPU cycles or Memory or both..
jolphil

Solved! Finally!

SHMConfig was finally satisfied. About that, I'm guessing. I just kept hammering on it, and finally gsynaptics worked.

It's just a different GUI tool, but the difference between the synaptics (mouse) tool and the gsynaptics (touchpad) tool is like night and day.

The touchpad works great again!

Dell Inspiron laptop: synaptics (-) gsynaptics (+)

http://gsynaptics.sourceforge.jp/

There are links for other GUI config tools at the bottom of the Synaptics touchpad driver page as well.

Glad you found one that resolved your issue.