# Trackpad lacking features -  Dell Vostro 1400 [fixed]

## the_enigma

So, I've gotten a new laptop, and shoved Gentoo on it.  It runs fine for the most part, but the trackpad is just interpreted as a regular mouse, no side scrolling, multifinger taps, circle scrolling. I get the following in Xorg.0.log

```

Synaptics no synaptics event device found (checked 12 nodes)

(**) Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"

(**) Option "SHMConfig" "on"

(**) Option "LeftEdge" "1900"

(**) Option "RightEdge" "5400"

(**) Option "TopEdge" "1900"

(**) Option "BottomEdge" "4000"

(**) Option "FingerLow" "25"

(**) Option "FingerHigh" "30"

(**) Option "MaxTapTime" "180"

(**) Option "MaxTapMove" "220"

(**) Option "VertScrollDelta" "100"

Query no Synaptics: 6003C8

(EE) Synaptics no synaptics touchpad detected and no repeater device

(EE) Synaptics Unable to query/initialize Synaptics hardware.

(EE) PreInit failed for input device "Synaptics"

(II) UnloadModule: "synaptics"

```

xorg.conf (the relevant part) looks like this

```

Section "InputDevice"

        Identifier      "Synaptics"

        Driver  "synaptics"

        Option  "Protocol" "auto-dev"

        Option  "Device" "/dev/psaux"

        Option  "LeftEdge" "1900"

        Option  "RightEdge" "5400"

        Option  "TopEdge" "1900"

        Option  "BottomEdge" "4000"

        Option  "FingerLow" "25"

        Option  "FingerHigh" "30"

        Option  "MaxTapTime" "180"

        Option  "MaxTapMove" "220"

        Option  "VertScrollDelta" "100"

        Option  "MinSpeed" "0.02"

        Option  "MaxSpeed" "0.10"

        Option  "AccelFactor" "0.0010"

        Option  "SHMConfig" "on"

EndSection

```

The protocol and Device were taken from my old laptop, where the trackpad worked nicely.  Anyway, I've checked in /proc/bus/inputs/devices and I see no Synaptics of any sort, only

```

epsilon log # cat /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

S: Sysfs=/class/input/input0

H: Handlers=kbd event0 

B: EV=120013

B: KEY=4 2000000 3802078 f840d001 feffffdf 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

S: Sysfs=/class/input/input1

H: Handlers=mouse0 event1 

B: EV=7

B: KEY=70000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B: REL=3

```

So, any ideas on what I could do to find out what sort of trackpad I do have, if it is synaptics or not?Last edited by the_enigma on Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:29 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## the_enigma

Ok.  I've checked the Windows driver.  It's an "Alps" touchpad, which are supposedly supported.  Hopefully it's just a matter of adding my "device" to some list in the kernel source.  I'm just going to try enabling debugging in the kernel, and then see how I go.

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## the_enigma

Ok, slowly getting there.  I've tried seeing why kernel doesn't see my touchpad.  After some debugging, I worked out that it passed the "E6" test but fails the "E7", which basically means the driver doesn't recognise the "signature" of my touchpad.   Which, for what it's worth, is the three bytes 0x73, 0x02, 0x50.  I've tried adding that signature to the list, but I get very erratic behaviour.  Now I just need to work out what the "mask0" and "byte0" variables mean, and I might have a chance.  We'll see

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## sandcrawler

The_enigma,

I have the Vostro 1500 and I have the touchpad working great.  I'll be happy to post my Xorg and kernel configs this evening once I get home from work.  It's detecting as synaptics, though, and I'm not sure why they'd change the type of touchpad between two models with the same basic architecture.

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## the_enigma

I'm not sure why they would change them either.  The Windows drivers definitely support an Alps touchpad, but I've never booted into windows on this laptop so I'm not 100% sure on that.  Still, I might as well look into it.

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## the_enigma

Ok, getting somewhere.  I've finally worked out what mask0 and bit0 values to use.  It now gets detected as an Alps touchpad and is "usable".  However, acceleration and speed were very low.   Currently minspeed is 1, maxspeed is 5.  Which is a lot higher than my old touchpad.  Tapping now doesn't work though, but I'm feeling positive about this.

Edit:  Fixed  :Smile:   Just had to tweak the synclient settings.  Will have full writeup at  http://www.strudel-hound.com/wiki/index.php?title=Linux_on_the_Dell_Vostro_1400 shortly.

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## SwissBushIndian

Somehow that Kernelpatch doesn't work for me at all. Could that be because of the newer Kernel version?

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## the_enigma

I've gotten that patch to the mainline kernel.  Sort of.  Waiting for linus to pull the new git tree.

Anyway, tell me what kernel it doesn't work against, and I'll whip up a new patch for you.

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## SwissBushIndian

I have the same problems here. I patched my 2.6.23-suspend2 kernel with your patch, and the device seems to be recognised:

sbilap log # less dmesg | grep ALP

input: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint as /class/input/input5

But after that, no matter how I change the xorg.conf, it simply won't work. Did I overlook or miss out something, or is it because of the kernel?

€: Some more info:

from /proc/bus/input/devices:

I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0002 Product=0008 Version=7325

N: Name="AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint"

P: Phys=isa0060/serio1/input0

S: Sysfs=/class/input/input5

U: Uniq=

H: Handlers=mouse1 event5 

B: EV=f

B: KEY=420 0 670000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B: REL=3

B: ABS=1000003

----------

