# no synaptics in 2.6.23-r3 (last worked with 2.6.18-r6)

## papapenguin

I have tried in vain to fix this problem, but I'm at a loss...

I lost my touchpad in a previous upgrade (2.6.19-r5)--it worked last with 2.6.18-r6--since then, I've used a USB mouse.  I really want to get back to using the touchpad!

My xorg.conf

 *Quote:*   

> Section "ServerLayout"
> 
>         Identifier      "X.org Configured"
> 
>         Screen          0  "Screen0"    0               0
> ...

 

Here are the relevant bits of Xorg.0.log

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> X Window System Version 7.1.1
> 
> Release Date: 12 May 2006
> ...

 

ThanksLast edited by papapenguin on Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:13 am; edited 2 times in total

----------

## DirtyHairy

What's the output of 

```
cat /proc/bus/input/devices
```

----------

## papapenguin

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ # cat /proc/bus/input/devices
> 
> I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=ab41
> ...

 

----------

## DirtyHairy

Hmmm, just a shot in the dark, but: do you have PS/2 mouse support enabled in the kernel?

----------

## papapenguin

Yes, I had it enabled, I even tried to set it as a module, but that didn't work either.

Here are my devices:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ # cat /proc/bus/input/devices
> 
> I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=ab41
> ...

 

also my modules:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ # lsmod
> 
> Module                  Size  Used by
> ...

 

----------

## papapenguin

In my menuconfig, I have PS/2 mouse enabled, Serial mouse as module, inport/ms/atixl busmouse, logitech busmouse IBM PC110 touchpad all as modules, DEC VSXXX disabled.

----------

## DirtyHairy

Do you get an messages concerning the touchpad in your dmesg? Also, could you post the input part of your .config?

----------

## papapenguin

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ # dmesg
> 
> Linux version 2.6.20-gentoo-r6 (root@papapenguin) (gcc version 4.1.1 (Gentoo 4.1.1-r3)) #1 SMP Thu Apr 26 18:56:50 PDT 2007
> ...

 

----------

## DirtyHairy

Could you post the input part of your .config?

----------

## papapenguin

Sorry, forgot to include that.  Also--did you mean the config file in Xorg?  Or is there another input config file?

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> Section "ServerLayout"
> 
>         Identifier      "X.org Configured"
> ...

 

----------

## Zythran

Just getting some basics out of the way, since I didn't see your original attempts to fix this problem:

What flags are set for xorg-server?  Is it using input-devices-synaptics?  Do you have x11-drivers/synaptics emerged?

On my laptop (which was running Ubuntu), I found it helpful to use Udev to create a symlink for the touchpad device; this way, I didn't have to deal with generic mouse devices and could plug in/remove USB mice before and after startup, and still use the touchpad without problems.

Here's my Udev description for the touchpad, yours would likely be a little different:

 *Quote:*   

> BUS=="serio", SYSFS{description}=="i8042 Aux-1 Port", \
> 
> KERNEL=="event?", SYMLINK="input/touchpad"
> 
> 

 

This creates the symlink /dev/input/touchpad which points to the appropriate event for the touchpad at any time.

Here's the relevant bits of my working xorg.conf:

 *Quote:*   

> Section "InputDevice"
> 
>    Identifier  "Mouse"
> 
>    Driver      "mouse"
> ...

 

Once again, note that this machine is running Ubuntu, so it might need to be adapted a bit for Gentoo, but it seems to work perfectly for me.  I just needed these two things and the appropriate synaptics drivers from the Ubuntu repos in order to get the touchpad working properly.

----------

## DirtyHairy

Uuups, nope, sorry, I meant the kernel .config  :Smile:  Or better, post the whole .config (although it will be long). The point is that the touchpad isn't recognized at kernel level, so that is where there error will have to be looked for...

----------

## papapenguin

Sorry, but how do I get that?  I use 

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> genkernel --menuconfig --bootloader=grub all
> 
> 

 

to compile, but I don't know how to 'print' out the results.

Also--I think you're right about the kernel and that's what's so puzzling.  I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but when I try to check the kernel image I get something different than I expect

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ #  ls /boot/kernel* /boot/initramfs*
> 
> ls: cannot access /boot/initramfs*: No such file or directory
> ...

 

----------

## DirtyHairy

I never used genkernel, so I don't have any experience with that, but the configuration resides in a text file called .config in the kernel directery; alternatively, the config of the current kernel can be accessed via /proc/config.gz (provided the kernel is properly configured for that). Since the .config is pretty huge you shouldn't post all of it, the part you get via 

```
cat /usr/src/linux/.config | grep -n -A 60 -ie input
```

 should suffice.

You seem to run the correct kernel version (it's reported in the first line of dmesg); I'm not sure where genkernel stores your image (you could search your grub configuration --- residing in /boot/grub/menu.lst if I remember correctly).

Your lsmod output shows you compiled pretty much everything as modules. Although this should be fine and cause no problems, it is safe to compile most of the drivers for your hardware directly into the kernel. Modules are mainly useful on generic kernels which have to adapt to a variety of hardware configurations or if you have drivers that have to be removed e.g. before suspending. Also, it is a good idea to compile stuff as usb drivers or exotic filesystems as modules which are not used on a regular basis. But again, that's only a matter of taste and shouldn't be connected to your touchpad problem  :Smile: 

----------

## papapenguin

Thanks, I didn't know how to cat that...

I also compiled the kernel pretty much like the manual says, and then added modules as needed.

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ #   cat /usr/src/linux/.config | grep -n -A 60 -ie input
> 
> 1345:# Input device support
> ...

 

----------

## DirtyHairy

I must admit I'm a bit at a loss as I can't see anything fundamentally wrong with your configuration. Can you post the same for your working 2.6.18 configuration as comparision so we can try to find out if there is some configuration difference that broke it?

----------

## papapenguin

Here is the cat of config from 2.6.18-r6 (which I'm in now and my touchpad works perfectly), should I post dmesg and others as well?

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ #   cat /usr/src/linux/.config | grep -n -A 60 -ie input
> 
> 1345:# Input device support
> ...

 

----------

## DirtyHairy

Sorry, this is the configuration from the same 2.6.20-r6 kernel (/usr/src/linux is just a symlink to it)  :Smile:  . You have to take the .config from the 2.6.18 source durectory. Alternatively, the configuration of the running kernel might be available from /proc/config.gz (this is compressed with gzip, so you have to use zcat to read it).

----------

## tarpman

 *DirtyHairy wrote:*   

> 
> 
> ```
> cat /usr/src/linux/.config | grep -n -A 60 -ie input
> ```
> ...

 

http://sial.org/howto/shell/useless-cat/

----------

## ziggysquatch

What version of Udev are you on?

----------

## papapenguin

ziggyt you might be on to something.  I've just read the Udev manual and it states 

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> If you use genkernel, don't forget to run it with the --udev option to enable all the required kernel configuration directives. The default configuration given by this genkernel invocation is sufficient. 
> 
> 

 

I do use genkernel, but have never run with the --udev option.  I just emerged the new 2.6.20-r7 kernel and I'll run that option when it finishes compiling.

I'll then post the results...could it be this easy?

----------

## jburns

The --udev option is not needed if the version of genkernel is v3.4.0 or later.  See http://gentoo-wiki.com/Genkernel

----------

## papapenguin

...as I found out during genkernel...udev depricated...

and here is the giant config.gz from 2.6.18-r6 (when the touchpad worked)

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> #
> 
> # Automatically generated make config: don't edit
> ...

 

----------

## ziggysquatch

I had the exact same problem with my touchpad where it was detected by the kernel but never loaded for X.  After upgrading Udev for other reasons the touchpad began working again.

----------

## papapenguin

Do you mean an unmerge of udev, then re-emerge?  I am currently running udev-104-r12.

I just re-emerged udev and got this:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> >>> Regenerating /etc/ld.so.cache...
> 
> >>> Original instance of package unmerged safely.
> ...

 

unfortunately, it didn't seem to do anything...

----------

## DirtyHairy

Hmm, I can't see any difference between the two configs. What is noteworthy though is that you have a lot of stuff enabled (at least in the input part) that you'll never ever need, you might try to remove most of that and see if it helps (though unlikely, it might be some conflict); for reference, the corresponding part in my kernel config (2.6.20-r6 on a thinkpad T60) is

```
CONFIG_INPUT=y

# CONFIG_INPUT_FF_MEMLESS is not set

#

# Userland interfaces

#

CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV=y

CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_PSAUX=y

CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_SCREEN_X=1024

CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSEDEV_SCREEN_Y=768

# CONFIG_INPUT_JOYDEV is not set

# CONFIG_INPUT_TSDEV is not set

CONFIG_INPUT_EVDEV=y

# CONFIG_INPUT_EVBUG is not set

#

# Input Device Drivers

#

CONFIG_INPUT_KEYBOARD=y

CONFIG_KEYBOARD_ATKBD=y

# CONFIG_KEYBOARD_SUNKBD is not set

# CONFIG_KEYBOARD_LKKBD is not set

# CONFIG_KEYBOARD_XTKBD is not set

# CONFIG_KEYBOARD_NEWTON is not set

# CONFIG_KEYBOARD_STOWAWAY is not set

CONFIG_INPUT_MOUSE=y

CONFIG_MOUSE_PS2=y

# CONFIG_MOUSE_SERIAL is not set

# CONFIG_MOUSE_VSXXXAA is not set

# CONFIG_INPUT_JOYSTICK is not set

# CONFIG_INPUT_TOUCHSCREEN is not set

CONFIG_INPUT_MISC=y

CONFIG_INPUT_PCSPKR=y

# CONFIG_INPUT_WISTRON_BTNS is not set

# CONFIG_INPUT_UINPUT is not set

#

# Hardware I/O ports

#

CONFIG_SERIO=y

CONFIG_SERIO_I8042=y

# CONFIG_SERIO_SERPORT is not set

# CONFIG_SERIO_CT82C710 is not set

# CONFIG_SERIO_PARKBD is not set

# CONFIG_SERIO_PCIPS2 is not set

CONFIG_SERIO_LIBPS2=y

# CONFIG_SERIO_RAW is not set

# CONFIG_GAMEPORT is not set
```

If this doesn't work, you could also try to recompile a new kernel from scratch (possibly without genkernel) ajusting the configuration so as to remove anything uneccesary for your system. I don't suppose this is udev related since the touchpad isn't even found by the kernel; udev's business is (mainly) the creation and removal of device nodes...

---

 *tarpman wrote:*   

>  *DirtyHairy wrote:*   
> 
> ```
> cat /usr/src/linux/.config | grep -n -A 60 -ie input
> ```
> ...

 

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Gulliver%27s_Travels/Part_I/Chapter_IV

----------

## papapenguin

OK, so I'm still having this issue.  I do most of my work on the 2.6.18-r6 kernel, where when I run 

 cat /proc/bus/input/devices

I get

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ # cat /proc/bus/input/devices
> 
> I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=ab41
> ...

 

and when I run the same in 2.6.21-r4, I get:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ # cat /proc/bus/input/devices
> 
> I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=ab41
> ...

 

My xorg file is the same in each.  Any ideas?

----------

## papapenguin

Still trying to solve this one...

Recently rebuilt machine due to total meltdown involving python, so I'm kinda starting this problem again.

Synaptics touchpad didn't work in LiveCD either.

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> mouse is unknown device 046d:c00a at /dev/input/mice
> 
> 

 

results of lspci:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ # lspci
> 
> 00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. P/KN266 Host Bridge
> ...

 

So I'm not sure its even compiled correctly, since it doesn't show anywhere:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> papapenguin ~ # cat /usr/src/linux/.config | grep -n -A 60 -ie input
> 
> 1586:# Input device support
> ...

 

Any new ideas?

----------

