# Synaptics touchpad - "heavy" cursor and vertical scroll?

## kukibl

The current problem was occuring randomly from time to time, but since I don't use touchpad that much it wasn't big issue. My external USB mouse went dead today so I had to switch to touchpad. It was working just fine all day long, but after fresh start half an hour ago it started to act strange. 

First of all, comparing to today's behaviour and touchpad experience - mouse cursor became "heavy". Not sure can I explain it well, but accelartion is quite poor and controlling it seems quite demading, it became less responsive and quite lazy. Second, vertical scroll is not working more. I've been using it all day long while reading some web pages and it worked just fine (bear in mind that tap works without any issues).

I am using xorg-server-1.7.7 and xf86-input-synaptics-1.2.1 (hal USE flag enabled). 

This is my /etc/hal/fdi/policy/11-x11-synaptics.fdi:

```

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

<deviceinfo version="0.2">

  <device>

    <match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.touchpad">

        <merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">synaptics</merge>

        <merge key="input.x11_options.SHMConfig" type="string">true</merge>

        <merge key="input.x11_options.VertEdgeScroll" type="string">true</merge>

        <merge key="input.x11_options.VertTwoFingerScroll" type="string">true</merge>

        <merge key="input.x11_options.HorizTwoFingerScroll" type="string">true</merge>

        <merge key="input.x11_options.TapButton1" type="string">1</merge>

    </match>

  </device>

</deviceinfo>

```

xorg.conf:

```

Section "ServerLayout"

        Identifier     "aticonfig Layout"

        Screen      0  "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0" 0 0

EndSection

                                                                                

Section "Files"                                                                 

EndSection                                                                      

                                                                                

Section "Module"                                                                

EndSection

Section "Monitor"

        Identifier   "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"

        Option      "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"

        Option      "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"

        Option      "DPMS" "true"

EndSection

Section "Device"

        Identifier  "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"

        Driver      "fglrx"

        Option      "OpenGLOverlay" "on"

        BusID       "PCI:1:5:0"

EndSection

Section "Screen"

        Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0"

        Device     "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"

        Monitor    "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"

        DefaultDepth     24

        SubSection "Display"

                Viewport   0 0

                Depth     24

        EndSubSection

EndSection

```

I am using KDE, but the problem is present with Fluxbox also.

Thank you for your suggestions.

Alex

----------

## Logicien

Hi,

/var/log/Xorg.0.log would be the file that can give some hints about the touchpad problem and maybe dmesg because you do not have any mouse input device section in your xorg.conf.

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## kukibl

Relevant part from Xorg.0.log:

```

(II) config/hal: Adding input device PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad

(**) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: always reports core events

(**) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: Device: "/dev/input/event1"

(II) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: Found 3 mouse buttons

(II) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: Found relative axes

(II) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: Found x and y relative axes

(II) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: Configuring as mouse

(**) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: YAxisMapping: buttons 4 and 5

(**) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: EmulateWheelButton: 4, EmulateWheelInertia: 10, EmulateWheelTimeout: 200

(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" (type: MOUSE)

(**) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: (accel) keeping acceleration scheme 1

(**) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: (accel) acceleration profile 0

(II) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: initialized for relative axes.

(II) PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: Device reopened after 1 attempts.

```

Relevant part from dmesg:

```

[    3.374942] input: PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad as /devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input1

```

Complete Xorg.0.log:

http://pastebin.com/nhxrBagE

As I already wrote, it worked just fine before with the same xorg.conf. Also, maybe I am wrong, but do I need mouse input device section at all?  :Confused: 

----------

## paulusbrand

Maybe FingerLow and FingerHigh have something to do with it. They control the force needed for finger detection.

See:

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Touchpad_Synaptics

With xorg 1.7.7 use the hal policy >1.8 use the xorg method.

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## kukibl

Problem occurs randomly, not always. Right now touchpad works just fine, but I don't know what will happen after next fresh boot.

I checked Xorg.0.log and this is Synaptics' relevant part now:

```

(II) config/hal: Adding input device SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad

(II) LoadModule: "synaptics"

(II) Loading /usr/lib64/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so

(II) Module synaptics: vendor="X.Org Foundation"

(II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 1.2.1

(II) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: x-axis range 1472 - 5472

(II) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: y-axis range 1408 - 4448

(II) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: pressure range 0 - 255

(II) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: finger width range 0 - 0

(II) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: buttons: left right middle

(--) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: touchpad found

(**) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: always reports core events

(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" (type: TOUCHPAD)

(**) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: (accel) keeping acceleration scheme 1

(**) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: (accel) acceleration profile 0

(--) SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad: touchpad found

```

In comparision to Xorg.0.log output from my previous post (when touchpad failed to work properly), now Xorg.0.log shows that it loaded synaptics driver. So this leads to conclusion that the source of the problem in not related to configuration of the touchpad, but to configuration of Xorg and HAL (or whatever loads Xorg drivers automatically).

I guess the proper question would be - how to load synaptics driver every time X starts and why is it failing to do so (randomly)?

----------

## Logicien

The Touchpad operate in compatibility mode as a PS2 mouse when the Synaptics drivers are not use by X or in the console. Maybe the PS2 mode is causing the problem. The native drivers for (Synaptics) Touchpads are Synaptics drivers. There are severals guides on the Internet on how to create and configure proprely an InputDevice Section for Touchpad in xorg.conf. That way, you can force Synaptics drivers for Touchpad any time with X.

----------

## kukibl

I've added Synaptics section to my xorg.conf, also added line which loads synaptics module. However problem still occurs although Xorg.log shows that synaptics module is loaded. 

Finally, I managed to figure it out when exactly - when I boot my Gentoo system on battery it fails to initialize Synaptics' configuration properly. However if it is booted when it is plugged in - everything works fine. Rather strange...

Any ideas what is causing this?  :Confused: 

----------

