Changes in 50-synaptics.config File have no effect. Are they being Overritten?

Question

Changes to the 50-synaptics.config file have no effect. Would like to change resolution. I have added

Option "VertResolution" "20"
Option "HorizResolution" "20"

Please check out the log file. Maybe someone can help me find the problem. Changes show in the /var/log/xorg.0.log file, marked with -->.

By what are they being overwritten?

[     7.331] (II) config/udev: Adding input device AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint         (/dev/input/event5)
[     7.331] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: Applying InputClass "evdev touchpad catchall"
[     7.331] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: Applying InputClass "evdev touchscreen catchall"
[     7.331] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: Applying InputClass "touchpad"
[     7.331] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: Applying InputClass "Default clickpad buttons"
[     7.331] (II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
[     7.332] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/synaptics_drv.so
[     7.332] (II) Module synaptics: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[     7.332]    compiled for 1.18.4, module version = 1.8.3
[     7.332]    Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
[     7.332]    ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 22.1
[     7.332] (II) Using input driver 'synaptics' for 'AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint'
[     7.332] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: always reports core events
[     7.332] (**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event5"
[     7.396] (II) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: found clickpad property
[     7.396] (--) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: x-axis range 0 - 4095 (res 40)
[     7.396] (--) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: y-axis range 0 - 2047 (res 71)
[     7.396] (II) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: device does not report pressure, will use touch data.
[     7.396] (II) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: device does not report finger width.
[     7.396] (--) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: buttons: left double triple
[     7.396] (--) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: Vendor 0x2 Product 0x8
[     7.396] (--) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: invalid pressure range.  defaulting to 0 - 255
[     7.396] (--) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: invalid finger width range.  defaulting to 0 - 15
-->[     7.396] (**) Option "HorizResolution" "20"
-->[     7.396] (**) Option "VertResolution" "20"**
[     7.396] (**) Option "SoftButtonAreas" "50% 0 82% 0 0 0 0 0"
[     7.396] (--) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: touchpad found
[     7.396] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: always reports core events
[     7.428] (**) Option "config_info" "udev:/sys/devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input5/event5"
[     7.428] (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint" (type: TOUCHPAD, id 12)
[     7.428] (**) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) MinSpeed is now constant deceleration 2.5
[     7.428] (**) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) MaxSpeed is now 1.75
[     7.428] (**) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) AccelFactor is now 0.044
[     7.428] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) keeping acceleration scheme 1
[     7.428] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) acceleration profile 1
[     7.428] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) acceleration factor: 2.000
[     7.428] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: (accel) acceleration threshold: 4
[     7.428] (--) synaptics: AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: touchpad found
[     7.428] (II) config/udev: Adding input device AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint (/dev/input/mouse0)
[     7.428] (**) AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint: Ignoring device from InputClass "touchpad ignore duplicates"

Answer 1

What version of Ubuntu are you running? The past few Ubuntu releases have replaced Xorg evdev with Wayland using libinput.

As a result, you may want to follow the advice provided at https://askubuntu.com/a/864746/32664. That recommendation suggests that you make your touchpad configuration edits to /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/90-libinput.conf.

Note: the solution provided at that link is for 16.04. On my own box, I'm running Ubuntu GNOME 17.04, and that same conf file is named /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-libinput.conf.

Rich