Problem with Synaptics under Linux Kernel 2.6.15 [Solved]

Message

plastikman187 · Post by **plastikman187** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:51 am

Skerb1,

Did you file a bug for the missing /dev/input/eventX? What kernel are you running?

skerb1 · Post by **skerb1** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:28 am

Nope did not file a bug...
This happened with both kernel.org 2.6.15 and kernel.org 2.6.15.1

plastikman187 · Post by **plastikman187** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:50 am

can you update the bug with your info?

http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=119505

jamapii · Post by **jamapii** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:38 pm

skerb1 wrote:I think the issue is here is that the 2.6.15 kernels must have changed some API because now my
/dev/input/eventX devices are not being created as they were for < 2.6.15 kernels. Seems like
this is a bug in the kernel code. It would seem like this is the same problem that KeyserZero had
but I have evdev build into the kernel directly.

try udev-079 and baselayout 1.11.14-r1, also try synaptics-0.14.4-r2 if applicable

I guess all the modprobe and mknod solutions are just emulating udev's job.

plastikman187 · Post by **plastikman187** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 3:25 pm

updating baselayout and udev resolved the issue. If they are required why are
they not listed as dependancies in the ebuild for kernel 2.6.15

kingLatency · Post by **kingLatency** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:20 am

I'm having this same issue. The errors say:

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(II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 0.14.6 (1406)
Synaptics no synaptics event device found (checked 17 nodes)

**snip**

(EE) Synaptics no synaptics touchpad detected and no repeater device
(EE) Synaptics Unable to query/initialize Synaptics hardware.
(EE) PreInit failed for input device "Synaptics"
(II) UnloadModule: "synaptics"

This is gentoo-sources 2.6.24-gentoo-r3, with appletouch support built-in (not a module). synaptics driver is version 0.14.6. xorg is 7.2. udev is 115-r1. Looking in /dev/input I see event0-event6. When I run `cat /dev/input/event0` for example, I get output when using the keyboard, not the trackpad. event3, however, gives output when I use my trackpad.

I've been messing with this for a while now, I can't pinpoint what the issue is. Any help diagnosing this would be much appreciated! Thanks!

gringo · Post by **gringo** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:51 am

event3, however, gives output when I use my trackpad.

did you tell the x server (though xorg.conf) that this is the right device to use ? Is this the first time it happens to you ?
And btw, no need to post in a 2 years old thread, just open a new one next time

cheers

kingLatency · Post by **kingLatency** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 3:54 am

Thanks for the idea, gringo. No, I hadn't been using /dev/input/event3 as my Device in the InputDevice center. All the examples, and the generic InputDevice mouse use /dev/input/mice. But I did try using /dev/input/event3, and just the same, the log issues the notification:

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(II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 0.14.6 (1406)
Synaptics no synaptics event device found (checked 17 nodes)
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event3"
(**) Option "SHMConfig" "on"
(**) Option "LeftEdge" "50"
(**) Option "RightEdge" "840"
(**) Option "TopEdge" "30"
(**) Option "BottomEdge" "320"
(**) Option "FingerLow" "12"
(**) Option "FingerHigh" "20"
(**) Option "MaxTapTime" "120"
(**) Option "RTCornerButton" "3"
(**) Option "LTCornerButton" "2"
(**) Option "TapButton1" "0"
(**) Option "TapButton2" "2"
(**) Option "TapButton3" "3"
Query no Synaptics: 000000
(EE) Synaptics no synaptics touchpad detected and no repeater device
(EE) Synaptics Unable to query/initialize Synaptics hardware.
(EE) PreInit failed for input device "Synaptics"
(II) UnloadModule: "synaptics"

And yes, I've never done this before, this is a new install of Gentoo. Again thanks for the help.

gringo · Post by **gringo** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 7:05 pm

i suppose you already did but just to triplecheck, you have the evdev kernel module built in your kernel or loaded in case you built it as a module, right ?

cheers

kingLatency · Post by **kingLatency** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:29 pm

How can I check that? I know I can look in

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/usr/src/linux/.config

, but I think I probably have futzed around in

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make menuconfig

and saved changes in anticipation of compiling a new kernel. So how can I check what my kernel was actually built with?

kingLatency · Post by **kingLatency** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:22 pm

Okay, well I looked in /usr/src/linux/.config and /proc/config.gz and the latter said that appletouch was unset. So I built a new kernel, making sure that appletouch was set to 'y' and that evdev was also set to 'y'. I booted using that kernel, but I still have the same exactly synaptics errors. Any further ideas?

gringo · Post by **gringo** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:14 pm

i googled a bit and found this report in ubuntus bugzilla, which apprently describes your issue, closed wontfix because theyve sent it upstream.

So i would say : test with the latest stable kernel availble ( if you didnt already), make sure everything is in place and boot that kernel, triple check your software setup ( synaptics in INPUT_DEVICES and such little things), start with a clean xorg.conf and if the problem persists open a bugreport.

hopefully this helps a bit further.

randalf · Post by **randalf** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:16 pm

@kingLatency,
is your trackpad connected to the ADB?
Then you probably need the adbsyn-patch for your Kernel and select

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CONFIG_ADB_TRACKPAD_ABSOLUTE=y

Check

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cat /proc/bus/input/devices

to see if your's is an ADB or USB one.

kingLatency · Post by **kingLatency** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:32 pm

Hi randalf, thanks for the pointer. /proc/bus/input/devices shows several devices, including an ADB mouse. Bus 0017 Vendor 0001 Product 3301 Version 0100. The Sysfs is /class/input/input3 and the Handlers are mouse1 and event3.

There are also listings for "Macintosh mouse button emulation" and "ADB Powerbook buttons" which I imagine are provided by pbbuttonsd, but I'm not sure.

I've never patched my kernel before. It looks like the latest devel patch is in release candidate for the latest gentoo-sources, so it will likely apply cleanly without issue? (now if only I could figure out how I broke my wireless...)

Thanks again, randalf. Can you point me to a link or further information about using this patch for ADB touchpads + synaptics?

randalf · Post by **randalf** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:04 am

Have a look at http://adbsyn.crisidev.org/.
For Kernel 2.6.24-gentoo-r3 you need to download adbsyn_0.4-2.6.24-rc1.diff.
Apply the patch

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cd /usr/src/linux
patch -p1 -i /your/path/to/adbsyn_evonly_0.4-2.6.24-rc1.diff

Attend the -p1 option (not -pl).
make menuconfig and enable ADB_TRACKPAD_ABSOLUTE [=y].

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-> Device Drivers                                                                                     │  
  │       -> Macintosh device drivers (MACINTOSH_DRIVERS [=y])                                                │  
  │         -> Support for ADB input devices (keyboard, mice, ...) (INPUT_ADBHID [=y])

Here is th relevant section of my xorg.conf (Powerbook-G4-1Ghz)

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Section "InputDevice"

        Identifier      "Mouse1"
        Driver          "synaptics"
        Option          "CorePointer"                            
        Option          "Device"                "/dev/psaux" 
        Option          "Protocol"              "auto-dev"
        Option          "RightEdge"              "1670"
        Option          "TopEdge"                "280"
        Option          "LeftEdge"               "300"
        Option          "BottomEdge"             "950"
        Option          "FingerLow"              "2"
        Option          "FingerHigh"             "2"
        Option          "EmulateMidBottonTime"   "75"
        Option          "ClickTime"              "10"
        Option          "EdgeMotionMinZ"         "100"
        Option          "EdgeMotionMaxZ"         "160"
        Option          "EdgeMotionMinSpeed"     "1"
        Option          "EdgeMotionMaxSpeed"     "400"
        Option          "MaxTapMove"             "4"
        Option          "MaxTapTime"             "80"
        Option          "VertScrollDelta"        "40"
        Option          "HorizScrollDelta"       "40"
        Option          "MinSpeed"               "0.25"
        Option          "MaxSpeed"               "0.75"
        Option          "AccelFactor"            "0.06"
        Option          "LeftRightScrolling"     "on"
        Option          "LockedDrags"           "off"
        Option          "RTCornerButton"        "3"
        Option          "RBCornerButton"        "2"
        Option          "LTCornerButton"        "2"
        Option          "TapButton1"            "0"
        Option          "CircularScrolling"     "1"
        Option          "CircScrollDelta"       "0.1"
        Option          "CircScrollTrigger"     "1"
        Option          "SHMConfig"             "on"
EndSection

Not everything works as it should but it may help you to get started.

kingLatency · Post by **kingLatency** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 5:54 pm

Randalf, thanks, that patch did the trick. I don't understand how it is that after searching through numerous forum posts/bug reports/blog posts about Gentoo on Alu PB G4s, this patch was never mentioned. Thanks again.

gringo · Post by **gringo** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:06 pm

I don't understand how it is that after searching through numerous forum posts/bug reports/blog posts about Gentoo on Alu PB G4s, this patch was never mentioned

i agree, i´m running gentoo for three or four years on my alubook and i had no idea this was possible with software. I always assumed one needed some special hardware ( like latest powerbooks with appletouch) to work with synaptics, but apparently i was wrong. Will test this asap.

EDIT -> ok, tried it and it apparently works just fine

thanks for the info randalf