Thinkpad's Touchpad/Trackpoint and 2.6.x kernel

Message

dub · Post by **dub** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 8:53 am

Hello everyone. I'm trying to move to the 2.6 version of the linux kernel. I got everything working except for one thing, my Touchpad/Trackpoint.

The problem:

If my lap has a USB Mouse connected when it's booting my gentoo system, my Touchpad/Trackpoint gets disabled. So I can only use my USB mouse.

If there is no USB mouse connected when its booting, the Touchpad/Trackpoint works pretty well. Then I can connect my USB mouse and start using it. The three pointing devices will work together if I boot with my USB mouse unplugged.

Is not a life or dead problem, but I hate having to disconnect my USB mouse every time I turn on my Thinkpad. It shouldn't be that way!

Searching the net I found that is has something to be with the BIOS. In the BIOS there is a keyboard/mice section or something like that. There is an option to disable the touchpad, or set it in automatic. Automatic means that if other mouse is detected, disable the touchpd/trackpoint. But there is no ENABLED option! (I already upgraded my BIOS to the newest version).

Although with the 2.4.x kernels and with Windows OS works fine.

Earthwings · Post by **Earthwings** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 9:25 am

If it works fine with 2.4.x and windows, it won't be BIOS related. Here is my (working) setup for Kernel 2.6.4 and Thinkpad T41:

/etc/X11/XF86Config wrote: Section "ServerLayout"
[...]
InputDevice "USB Mouse" "CorePointer"
[...]
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "USB Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "Emulate3Timeout" "70"
Option "Buttons" "7"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
EndSection

make menuconfig wrote: --> Input device support
<M> Mouse interface
[*] Provide legacy /dev/psaux device

[*] Mice
<M> PS/2 mouse

/etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6 wrote: psmouse

I was not yet successful in getting the synaptics driver to work.

dtor · Post by **dtor** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 1:49 pm

In 2.6 try building USB stuff in kernel instead of having it as modules. When USB subsystem is activated it should turn off USB Legacy emulation (that makes your USB mouse look like regular PS/2 mouse to older OSes, like DOS). Try also compiling psmouse as a module. The goal is to have the emulation disabled before the kernel starts probing for AUX ports and devices.

Unfortunalely if you compile USB stuff in kernel you may start having problems with suspend (at least that's the story for now - USB better be unloaded before suspending).

curtis119 · Post by **curtis119** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 3:45 pm

In your XF86Config file put

Load "synaptics"
In 'Input device section':
Driver 'synaptics'
Option 'Protocol' 'auto'
Option 'Device' '/dev/<your-device>'
Option 'LeftEdge' '1900'
Option 'RightEDge' '5400'
Option 'BottomEdge' '1800'
Option 'TopEdge' '3900'
Option 'FingerLow' '25'
Option 'FingerHigh' '30'
Option 'MaxTapTime' '180'
Option 'MaxTapMove' '220'
Option 'VertScrollDelta' '100'
Option 'MinSpeed' '0.02'
Option 'MaxSpeed' '0.18'
Option 'AccelFactor' '0.0010'

In the kernel make sure to enable event interface. Reboot with this kernel.
cd into /dev/input and cat event0 touch the pad. If you get funny symbols then this is the one to use for XF86Config. If not then try all the other eventX until you find the right one. It may even be showing up as /dev/misc/psaux as well. Put this in <your-device> in the XF86Config. Doing it this way instead of the examples given by others will activate the tap, scroll and acceleration features of the touchpad and SHOULD keep the USB mouse from turning off the touchpad (this works on my T30). I know I saw a topic about this in the forums which gives even better details. Maybe you should search.