4

For a couple of weeks I am now experiencing problems with my trackpoint and touchpad on my Thinkpad T460p on Ubuntu 16.04. I am normally using trackpoint only, preferably with touchpad being disabled.

After a fresh install everything worked fine, probably because synaptics still managed the input devices instead of libinput.

After a kernel upgrade the scroll functionality was gone and sensitivity of touchpad and trackpoint was messed up. Manually switching back to an older kernel version fixed the problem.

Unfortunately I removed this kernel version via a thoughtless autoremove, and even after manually reinstalling this kernel version I could not get my pointing devices to work as before.

Now I am running on kernel 4.4.0-59-generic with libinput and synaptics installed. xinput is giving me:

⎡ Virtual core pointer                      id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer                id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad                   id=12   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                     id=3    [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard               id=5    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                              id=6    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                                 id=7    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                                 id=8    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sleep Button                              id=9    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Integrated Camera                         id=10   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ ThinkPad Extra Buttons                    id=13   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ 00:0C:8A:7E:A5:23                         id=14   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Raw Set 2 keyboard                     id=16   [slave  keyboard (3)]

So my trackpoint still works but is no longer recognized as such.

The settings of my touchpad show:

Device 'PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad':
    Device Enabled (139):   1
    Coordinate Transformation Matrix (141): 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000
    libinput Accel Speed (276): 0.000000
    libinput Accel Speed Default (277): 0.000000
    libinput Accel Profiles Available (278):    1, 1
    libinput Accel Profile Enabled (279):   1, 0
    libinput Accel Profile Enabled Default (280):   1, 0
    libinput Natural Scrolling Enabled (281):   0
    libinput Natural Scrolling Enabled Default (282):   0
    libinput Send Events Modes Available (260): 1, 0
    libinput Send Events Mode Enabled (261):    0, 0
    libinput Send Events Mode Enabled Default (262):    0, 0
    libinput Left Handed Enabled (283): 0
    libinput Left Handed Enabled Default (284): 0
    libinput Scroll Methods Available (285):    0, 0, 1
    libinput Scroll Method Enabled (286):   0, 0, 1
    libinput Scroll Method Enabled Default (287):   0, 0, 1
    libinput Button Scrolling Button (288): 2
    libinput Button Scrolling Button Default (289): 274
    libinput Middle Emulation Enabled (290):    0
    libinput Middle Emulation Enabled Default (291):    0
    Device Node (263):  "/dev/input/event6"
    Device Product ID (264):    2, 1
    libinput Drag Lock Buttons (292):   <no items>h
    libinput Horizonal Scroll Enabled (265):    1

I can change the pointer speed via xinput --set-prop which takes effect on touchpad and trackpoint. But even maximum speed is too slow on the trackpoint. I can disable the touchpad but that also disables the trackpoint, and although the libinput 'Palm Detection' is enabled I frequently perform random clicks while typing, which is very annoying.

So it seems like trackpoint and touchpad are recognized as one pointing device with limited functionality (e.g. only On-Button Scrolling).

I only want a fast trackpoint and a disabled touchpad. So I guess the options are:

  1. Getting the system to use synaptics instead of libinput (simply removing libinput does not work unfortunately)
  2. Getting libinput to recognize touchpad and trackpoint correctly
  3. Something I did not think of

Any ideas?

higgzz
  • 41

1 Answers1

0

For anyone with an external keyboard with a trackpoint, I opened up the keyboard, lifted up the film to look for any obvious signs of damaage, didn't see any and put it back together and the problem was solved. I guess maybe there was static that removing the film discharged or something else wrong which removing the film fixed.

We'll see if the issue returns.

dodddummy
  • 1