Hi Guys:
I have had this persistent problem while using slack 12 (I do not have the option to upgrade now because I live in a country in Africa with very spotty internet connection, at least in the region where I reside). Anyway, while typing in Open Office, Abiword or writing an email using Firefox the cursor will jump to the mouse cursor. So, if I am typing and I previously left the mouse on another part of the screen the cursor will jump to where the mouse is. This is not a case of inadvertently touching the synaptics mouse pad while typing. This phenomenon never occurs while I am typing in Windows. Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

Cheers,

sounds like a bad /etc/X11/xorg.conf file

can you post it pls

2) what is your mouse ..lspci or lsusb for it pls...if its a ps/2 are you using a converter?
that is can you descibe what kind of mouse it is...how it connects...and manufacturer model etc

here is my xorg.conf:
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "X.org Configured"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Synaptics Mouse" "AlwaysCore"
# InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/share/X11/rgb"
ModulePath "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/TTF"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/OTF"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "synaptics"
Load "glx"
Load "GLcore"
Load "record"
Load "extmod"
Load "dri"
Load "dbe"
Load "xtrap"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbModel" "acer_tm_800"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Mouse"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "LeftEdge" "1700"
Option "RightEdge" "5300"
Option "TopEdge" "1700"
Option "BottomEdge" "4200"
Option "FingerLow" "25"
Option "FingerHigh" "30"
Option "MaxTapTime" "180"
Option "MaxTapMove" "220"
Option "VertScrollDelta" "100"
Option "MinSpeed" "0.09"
Option "MaxSpeed" "0.18"
Option "AccelFactor" "0.0015"
Option "SHMConfig" "on"
# Option "Repeater" "/dev/ps2mouse"
# Identifier "Mouse0"
# Driver "mouse"
# Option "Protocol" "auto"
# Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
# Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
#DisplaySize 330 210 # mm
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "SEC"
ModelName "3845"
EndSection

Section "Device"
### Available Driver options are:-
### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"
### [arg]: arg optional
#Option "NoAccel" # [<bool>]
#Option "SWcursor" # [<bool>]
#Option "ColorKey" # <i>
#Option "CacheLines" # <i>
#Option "Dac6Bit" # [<bool>]
#Option "DRI" # [<bool>]
#Option "NoDDC" # [<bool>]
#Option "ShowCache" # [<bool>]
#Option "XvMCSurfaces" # <i>
#Option "PageFlip" # [<bool>]
Identifier "Card0"
Driver "intel"
VendorName "Intel Corporation"
BoardName "Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 1
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 4
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 8
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 15
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 16
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

In terms of the mouse, i am just using the touchpad that comes with the laptop, nothing external. But, here are the results of lspci:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS, 943/940GML and 945GT Express Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 02)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 02)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 02)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 02)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 02)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev e2)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801GBM/GHM (ICH7 Family) SATA IDE Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 02)
05:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection (rev 02)
06:01.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX (rev 02)
06:04.0 CardBus bridge: ENE Technology Inc CB-712/4 Cardbus Controller (rev 10)
06:04.1 FLASH memory: ENE Technology Inc ENE PCI Memory Stick Card Reader Controller (rev 01)
06:04.2 Generic system peripheral [0805]: ENE Technology Inc ENE PCI Secure Digital Card Reader Controller (rev 01)
06:04.3 FLASH memory: ENE Technology Inc FLASH memory: ENE Technology Inc: (rev 01)
06:04.4 FLASH memory: ENE Technology Inc SD/MMC Card Reader Controller (rev 01)
root@safaricom:~# lsusb
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001
Bus 003 Device 009: ID 12d1:1003
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002

what are you doing to get to non-mouse app? alt-tab or something else?

when you click into the app eg openoffice...do you agree cursor can not jump as its already there?

Yes, when I click on any program like Open Office and begin to type the cursor is already there. However, during the course of typing eventually the cursor will "jump" (it actually doe not jump but the focus abruptly switches to whatever the mouse pointer is on) to wherever the mouse pointer is. I have tried a number of things with kbd but nothing works. eventually, while typing this always happens. It happens under xfce, enlightnement, kde, firefox, openoffice, etc.

Also, i forgot to mention that when this crazy phenomenon occurs, the error message, through kbd, states that i have pressed an unknown key.

thanks for that answer...its much clearer.

this has nothing to do with xorg...sorry to have mislead you.

I suspect it is a "mouse focus" configuration setting. I am not sure if you are using slackware with KDE or what...but I shall pretend you are and see what happens.

1) to eliminate another thing called gestures I first do this
kde control centre -> Regional -> Input

In -> Gesture settings -> check box to disable gestures
AND
in access -> activation gestures ....uncheck box to use gestures

2) in -> desktop -> window behavior...tab advanced
you probably have focus stealing ability set to low or none
....change this to high initially and see if that solves your cursor jump

3) but there is more!

back in regional -> keyboard shortcuts...scroll thru the lists and verify that whatever keys you were pressing just prior to jump are NOT defined by a shortcut please


good luck

thanks aus9:
I tried your suggestions. they have helped a lot. The problem still occurs but not nearly as much.