Ubuntu: Finding correct device file for touchpad

kenneho · 11-01-2008, 06:18 AM

Hello.

How do I go about finding the correct device file for my touchpad?

I've tried issuing "sudo cat /dev/input/mouse0" (and similar for the other device files under the /dev/input folder) hoping to see some response when using my touchpad, but without success. The way I interpret this is that none of these device files are related to my touchpad.

Regards,
kenneho

David the H. · 11-01-2008, 06:53 AM

Try "cat /proc/bus/input/devices" and locate the section for your device. Then look at the handlers line. Usually there will be an "event(n)" entry, which will correspond to your /dev/input/event(n) device.

kenneho · 11-05-2008, 12:32 PM

Thanks for your reply.

My /proc/bus/input/devices shows this:

Code:

I: Bus=0017 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=0100
N: Name="Macintosh mouse button emulation"
P: Phys=
S: Sysfs=/devices/virtual/input/input0
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse0 event0 
B: EV=7
B: KEY=70000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B: REL=3

I believe this is my touchpad, so I added modified my xorg.conf file accordingly:

Code:

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Synaptics Touchpad"
        Driver          "synaptics"
        Option          "SendCoreEvents"        "true"
        Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/event0"
        Option          "Protocol"              "auto-dev"
        Option          "HorizEdgeScroll"       "0"
        Option          "SHMConfig"             "on"

Still my touchpad doesn't work. May it be the wrong device file I'm using?

David the H. · 11-06-2008, 05:59 AM

I don't think that's a touchpad. One of my desktops has that entry also, and it certainly doesn't have any kind of touchpad connected to it. I have no idea what "Macintosh mouse button emulation" is (in fact, I've been meaning to ask about it), but I'm pretty sure it's not the device you want.

kenneho · 11-06-2008, 12:57 PM

Ah I see. Hmmm... Then it doens't seem like the kernel recognize my touchpad. But that's a different topic, so I'll start another thread.

Thanks for the help.

EDIT: I'll continue this thread instead..

kenneho · 11-07-2008, 01:22 AM

Consider the output from running "cat /proc/bus/input/devices":

Code:

I: Bus=0017 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=0100
N: Name="Macintosh mouse button emulation"
P: Phys=
S: Sysfs=/devices/virtual/input/input0
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse0 event0 
B: EV=7
B: KEY=70000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B: REL=3

I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=ab54
N: Name="AT Translated Set 2 keyboard"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio0/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/platform/i8042/serio0/input/input1
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event1 
B: EV=120013
B: KEY=16007 2800000 3802078 f040d001 feffffdf ffefffff ffffffff ffffffff
B: MSC=10
B: LED=7

I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0002 Version=0000
N: Name="Power Button (FF)"
P: Phys=LNXPWRBN/button/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/virtual/input/input2
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event2 
B: EV=3
B: KEY=100000 0 0 0

I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0001 Version=0000
N: Name="Power Button (CM)"
P: Phys=PNP0C0C/button/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/virtual/input/input3
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event3 
B: EV=3
B: KEY=100000 0 0 0

I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0005 Version=0000
N: Name="Lid Switch"
P: Phys=PNP0C0D/button/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/virtual/input/input4
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event4 
B: EV=21
B: SW=1

I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0003 Version=0000
N: Name="Sleep Button (CM)"
P: Phys=PNP0C0E/button/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/virtual/input/input5
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event5 
B: EV=3
B: KEY=4000 0 0 0 0

I: Bus=0010 Vendor=001f Product=0001 Version=0100
N: Name="PC Speaker"
P: Phys=isa0061/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/platform/pcspkr/input/input6
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event6 
B: EV=40001
B: SND=6

I: Bus=0003 Vendor=046d Product=c00c Version=0110
N: Name="Logitech USB Mouse"
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1d.1-1/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.1/usb2/2-1/2-1:1.0/input/input7
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse1 event7 
B: EV=17
B: KEY=70000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B: REL=103
B: MSC=10

As far as I can see, none of these entries match my touchpad. I have a logitech external mouse connected to the system just to be able to use a mouse, which matches that last entry. But shouldn't my touchpad be listed in this file?

(PS. This post was orginially in another thread, but I moved it here)