Crazy jumping mouse cursor after fresh install--did I choose the wrong mouse type?
 

Hi,

I just installed Slackware 13.37 yesterday (never used it before), and I have to say I'm oddly happy about it. :) I've been having lots of fun reading the guides and configuring things, but I have a couple of problems I don't know how to solve. The first is that my mouse cursor jumps around like crazy whenever I try to drag or scroll using the touchpad. The computer is an HP Pavilion dv6 laptop.

So I'm guessing I chose the wrong mouse type during installation, but I don't know which one would be correct. So far I've tried PS/2 port mouse (first option), and the Microsoft PS/2 Intellimouse, because I read that those worked for most laptops, but I don't really have any idea which type I have or how to find out.

I would appreciate some help doing this properly.

Edit: Oh, and in case it is relevant, I always have a similar problem when using live cds on this machine. Except when I do that, the cursor doesn't jump when dragging with the touchpad--it just does nothing at all. No dragging, no moving, nothing.

Thanks!

Apparently the clickpad device in your HP Pavilion dv6 laptop has caused problems. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...cs/+bug/822144
The patches to fix the problems were committed in March 2012. http://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/dri...48db7b4c9be40b
You could consider upgrading to Slackware-current where the xf86-input-synaptics-1.6.2 package should include the patches.

Thank you for your reply. Given that the bug description at this link is not really the same as my problem (my trackpad buttons are not getting confused, per se; they simply both produce the crazy jumping when I push one of them and try to drag), I would wonder if it is the same issue. In your opinion, is it likely that it is? Is there nothing else that could be causing the problem that I ought to rule out first?

I ask because I honestly have no idea, but the possibility of upgrading to the less-documented and likely more confusing Slackware-current as a brand new user seems less than ideal to me. :eek:

What is the model of your dv6? If the release date postdates that of Slackware 13.37 (25 April 2011), then an upgrade to -current is very likely to help. New users are well advised to avoid -current, but sometimes hardware requirements make an update unavoidable.

I think it is the 3000 model. I bought it in May of 2010. If there are no better options, I guess I will look into -current. I just never thought my first experience with Slackware would be with the development tree.

Thanks for the help.

Oh, I misread your post. You said "postdates." I was thinking "predates," but then I went back and reread it because that wouldn't make sense.

So my laptop has actually been around a year or so longer than 13.37. I assume that changes things?

Thanks!

I could be way off base but I wonder if your cursor issue might be similar to something I experienced with the touchpad on my laptop (compaq presario cq62). I was dealing with a cursor that would jump around whenever I tried to drag or scroll using the touchpad. I also would have an issue when browsing the net in firefox where the whole page would scroll all of the sudden. Turns out the pebkac (problem exists between keyboard and chair). It was how I was handling the touchpad (there are no visible edges to my touchpad). It has a two-finger scroll feature. Once I turned that feature off I no longer had issues with the cursor jumping around. HTH (hope this helps).

Sorry, doesn't apply here. I've had this computer for 2 years now and I am pretty expert at handling the touchpad. :) In fact, this computer is dual-booting Windows 7 still and having no issues in that OS.

It is most definitely software related.

Also, to be more clear, this is not just a simple maneuverability issue like I think your suggestion might assume. When I try to drag, the mouse "bolts" around the screen in a circle--or even a square--very, very fast, and will not stop until I cease the *dragging* motion. I could not reproduce this effect on a functional system if I tried!

Thanks for the thought though.

I'm wondering if just grabbing the SlackBuild, the tarball (and other related materials like the slack-desc) and building it on your computer will successfully create the newer version of the xf86-input-synaptics you're looking for which supports clickpads.

I thought allend's previous post implied that since my computer is 2 years old and thus substantially precedes Slackware 13.37, its hardware should already be supported.

This makes sense to me, but then again, I'm brand new to this. Is it not the case?

I'm sure the kernel picked up your hardware just fine, you can after all move the touchpad (even if it's flickering like crazy everywhere). However, xf86-input-synaptics is the driver for synaptics touchpads specifically. However, clickpad support doesn't come until (as previously stated) a higher version than the one Slackware 13.37 has. You don't want to mix packages from different versions of Slackware, which is why I was recommending the upgrade manually.

Thank you, that is helpful. I will need to figure out how to do that then. I'm fairly sure at this stage it is above my level. I see the information at the SlackBuilds.org site here:

http://slackbuilds.org/repository/12.1/system/xf86-input-synaptics/

which has a "how to" page as well as some additional instructions, so I am hoping it will tell me what I need to know. But if anyone has any other resources or tips that might help, they would certainly be welcome.

Haven't really gotten started on it yet due to a bout of flu, but I hope to tackle it tomorrow. :)

Thanks to all.

If you still have your installation Disk, you may be able to change the mouse driver loaded at boot time.

Rerun the system configuration utility and go back through the settings and find the "GPM Mouse Configuration" screen. Scroll down through the mice available and look for the HP/Compaq Synaptics Pad driver and select it.

Unfortunately there is no such option.