Alps (Synaptics) touchpad configuration in Lucid and Maverick Meerkat

The procedure for modifying touchpad settings has changed in Lucid Lynx. Today I installed the Beta 1 and found that the earlier techniques for configuring touchpad settings in Jaunty and Karmic no longer work. In Ubuntu 10.04, the entire HAL system has died and is replaced with something called udev.

Alternatively, we can change the touchpad settings in the xorg.conf.d folder. Thanks for the tip Jensel!

Let’s look at both techniques

Using Udev

Users can place their configuration files for udev inside “/etc/udev/rules.d” The files have a certain syntax, but of course it’s best to simply copy someone else’s file and just modify it to what you want. I created a file called touchpad.rules (the file must have the extension “rules”). Here is what I put into it:

ACTION!=”add|change”, GOTO=”xorg_synaptics_end”
KERNEL!=”event*”, GOTO=”xorg_synaptics_end”

ENV{ID_INPUT_TOUCHPAD}!=”1″, GOTO=”xorg_synaptics_end”

ENV{x11_options.MaxTapTime}=”300″

LABEL=”xorg_synaptics_end”

See the bold section? That’s where you put in your own settings similar to the rules we used to put into our .fdi files. Here are the settings in my earlier fdi file and here is the full list of options you can use.

I had to reboot the system to apply the changes – logging off didn’t work. If I find a better way to do this, I’ll post it here. The command posted on the official instruction page didn’t work for me either.

Using .conf files in xorg.conf.d

This is simple. Go to the folder “/usr/lib/X11/xorg.conf.d”. In there, find the file that has your synaptics settings. For me it was “10-synaptics.conf”. You can add your synaptics settings after the “Driver” line in the relevant “Identifier” section. My Identifier line was: Identifier “touchpad catchall”

Option        “HorizEdgeScroll”    “1”
Option        “MaxTapTime”        “300”

This will change the HorizEdgeScroll and MaxTapTime parameters. Just modify for whichever parameters you want to change. When you log out and log in again, your settings should be applied.

If you learn something more about these rules, be sure to let me know!

What do you think of this post?
  • Don't Agree but Interesting (1)
  • Agree (0)
  • You're an asshole (0)

70 thoughts on “Alps (Synaptics) touchpad configuration in Lucid and Maverick Meerkat”

  1. I just upgraded from 9.10 AMD64 to 10.04 and my touchpad wasn't working properly either. Apparently, xserver-xorg-input-synaptics was not installed. After installing this package, everything is good again. That may not be your problem, but I think it is problematic that somehow it didn't get installed.

    Reply

  2. I have had major trouble with a Dell Latitude E6510 (ALPS GlidePoint) It seams to be hit by several issues, so even is i got to disable the touchpad with the info provided here, it is still recognized as a mouse. I would be hapy if i could disable the touchpad and use the trackpoint only. In my search i also found reference to some having trouble where setting psmouse proto=imps helped (https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg/+question/79740).

    Anyone having succes with the E6510 (or similar) ?

    Reply

    • In reply to Jakob Staerk

      I also own a E6510, and the touchpad has the same issue. The problem is that the touchpad is also detected as a PS/2 mouse, and that configuration is used. Anybody any idea to force to use only the ALPS ?

      Reply

      • In reply to Dries

        Running Ubuntu 10.04
        I also have a Dell E6510. My touchpad 'works' as a pointer, but not as a touchpad. Any changes I make in (System > Preferances > mouse – touchpad) do not effect the behavior of the touchpad.
        The main thing I want to do is disable the tap to click, or disable the touchpad while typing. If I could use one of those two options, i would be set.

        When I run the command 'sudo cat /dev/input/mouse2' and move my finger along the touchpad, i see output, but if I run the command 'sudo cat /dev/input/mouse3' I do not get any output while moving my finger along the touchpad.

        Below is part of my Xorg.0.log that I feel is causing the issue.
        It appears to me that the issue lies with the fact that the touchad is being seen by the system as a PS/2 mouse, instead of the touchpad first.

        I have tried to modify /usr/lib/X11/xorg.conf.d/05-evdev.conf and add (Option "MaxTapTime" "0") under the 'evdev pointer catchall' section but that has not helped.

        Any thoughts on how to fix this would be awesome!

        (II) config/udev: Adding input device PS/2 Mouse (/dev/input/event10)
        (**) PS/2 Mouse: Applying InputClass "evdev pointer catchall"
        (**) PS/2 Mouse: always reports core events
        (**) PS/2 Mouse: Device: "/dev/input/event10"
        (II) PS/2 Mouse: Found 3 mouse buttons
        (II) PS/2 Mouse: Found relative axes
        (II) PS/2 Mouse: Found x and y relative axes
        (II) PS/2 Mouse: Configuring as mouse
        (**) PS/2 Mouse: YAxisMapping: buttons 4 and 5
        (**) PS/2 Mouse: EmulateWheelButton: 4, EmulateWheelInertia: 10, EmulateWheelTimeout: 200
        (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "PS/2 Mouse" (type: MOUSE)
        (II) PS/2 Mouse: initialized for relative axes.
        (II) config/udev: Adding input device PS/2 Mouse (/dev/input/mouse2)
        (II) No input driver/identifier specified (ignoring)
        (II) config/udev: Adding input device AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint (/dev/input/event11)
        (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: Applying InputClass "evdev pointer catchall"
        (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: Applying InputClass "evdev touchpad catchall"
        (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: Applying InputClass "touchpad catchall"
        (II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
        (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so
        (II) Module synaptics: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
        compiled for 1.7.6, module version = 1.2.2
        Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
        ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 7.0
        (II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 1.2.2
        (**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event11"
        (II) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: x-axis range 0 – 1023
        (II) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: y-axis range 0 – 767
        (II) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: pressure range 0 – 127
        (II) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: finger width range 0 – 0
        (II) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: buttons: left right middle
        (**) Option "MaxTapTime" "0"
        (**) Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "1"
        (–) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: touchpad found
        (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: always reports core events
        (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint" (type: TOUCHPAD)
        (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) keeping acceleration scheme 1
        (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) acceleration profile 0
        (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) acceleration factor: 2.000
        (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) acceleration threshold: 4
        (–) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: touchpad found
        (II) config/udev: Adding input device AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint (/dev/input/mouse3)
        (II) No input driver/identifier specified (ignoring)

        Reply

      • In reply to Rampor

        I have the exact same problem:

        (II) config/udev: Adding input device AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint (/dev/input/mouse3)
        (II) No input driver/identifier specified (ignoring)

        these last two lines from Xorg.0.log seem to indicate that the above configuration is overwritten to a useless mouse3 device

        (synaptics drivers work only with event devices)

        but how do you disable udev for just this /dev/input/mouse3?

        I've been sitting on this for at least 8 hours – today.

        has anyone got an idea how to solve this issue?

        Reply

  3. Well … neither RTCornerButton nor RBCornerButton appears under desktop/gnome/peripherals/touchpad in gconf settings. I have even tried to create two new keys with the customized names (lower cased) integer format and … did not work. I had to try :>)

    One day I will find out what is the problem … till then Thanks for your help.

    Reply

  4. hey, for those who don't want to work with the console, but do the same much easier with a gui:
    go to System > Settings > Mouse > Touchpad and activate in the scrolling section your favourite behaviour for scrolling.
    greetings from germany
    FabianZ

    Reply

  5. <blockquote cite="#commentbody-11363">
    josquin :Just for disabling the touchpad i used following command:gconftool -s -t bool /desktop/gnome/peripherals/touchpad/touchpad_enabled falseTo get a list of the options you can change this way, use:gconftool -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/touchpad(Ubuntu Lucid Lynx Beta)

    Why not use synclient?
    it still works, and it is a hell of a lot more simple if you ask me :)

    synclient TouchpadOff=1 disables the touchpad.
    synclient -l
    or:
    man synclient for list of variables.

    Reply

  6. Just for posterity. I was having difficulties with getting my changes in 10-synaptics.conf to take effect. After examining the X log, I noticed that the settings from 05-evdev.conf were being loaded after 10-synaptics.conf. I opened 05-evdev.conf (gedit 05-evdev.conf) and commented out the following lines (I added the hashes):

    #Section "InputClass"
    # Identifier "evdev touchpad catchall"
    # MatchIsTouchpad "on"
    # MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
    # Driver "evdev"
    #EndSection

    Two finger scrolling is now persistent, even after coming back from sleep. I'm new to linux, so I have no idea why this worked, but maybe it had something to do with the evdev vs synaptic driver? This change might help Jithin or other people who are confused as to why their changes aren't taking effect. Thank you for the extremely useful post bhagwad.

    Reply

    • In reply to David

      hm, that sounds mysterious

      05 should be executed before 10, nevertheless I'll try your suggestion…

      although my 'special' conf is in a 99-… file :-)

      Reply

  7. Hope that you can help me fix the jumping cursor issue. I just want to disable the touchpad.
    1. I have 64 bit Lucid running on my laptop. I have created a touchpad.rules file into which I put:
    ACTION!=”add|change”, GOTO=”xorg_synaptics_end”
    KERNEL!=”event*”, GOTO=”xorg_synaptics_end”

    ENV{ID_INPUT_TOUCHPAD}!=”1″, GOTO=”xorg_synaptics_end”

    ENV{x11_options.MaxTapTime}=”0″

    LABEL=”xorg_synaptics_end”

    2. I have gone to the gconf-editor -> desktop -> gnome -> peripherals -> toupad and put a checkmark in disable while typing, and removed the checkmark in front of touchpad_enabled.
    3. I have given the gconftool -s -t bool /desktop/gnome/peripherals/touchpad/touchpad_enabled false command
    4. In my 10-synaptics.conf file I have:
    Section "InputClass"
    Identifier "touchpad catchall"
    MatchIsTouchpad "on"
    MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
    Driver "synaptics"
    Option "MaxTapTime" "0"
    EndSection

    I have rebooted and in spite of all of these settings, my cursor jumps all over the place while I am typing. The touchpad is not deactivated.
    Do you have any other suggestions?

    Reply

  8. I'm trying to enable simulated two finger scrolling. I tried both the Udev and .conf file methods but I can't get it to stick. It loses the settings when I switch to a VT or suspend the machine or sometimes just randomly. My inelegant solution is to run a cron job every minute to correct the settings.

    Reply

  9. Hi,

    I have just cloned my install … and from the clone, I have upgraded to Ubuntu 10.10 . I wanted to keep as many of my settings and also try 'Maverick Meerkat' … you know what happens when you got a bit of free time ;)

    The thing is that I have lost some configuration around my touchpad, I mean … it doesn't behaves the same and when I checked about my previously customized '/usr/lib/X11/xorg.conf.d' set , I have realized that it is not there any longer so the question is : are we supposed to follow the same rules than five months ago (according to Alps touchpad configuration) ? … or … there have been another change in udev, X11 or whatever that changes the way we have to struggle with Ubuntu 10.10 touchpad configuration ?

    Thank you.

    Reply

Leave a Comment