Trackpad not working on thinkpad after upgrade- help?

Question

Relevant info:

Thinkpad W530

Precise 12.04.2

$ uname -a

Linux revolt 3.2.0-38-generic-pae #60-Ubuntu SMP Wed Feb 13 13:47:26 UTC 2013 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

After allowing a system update (I was already on 12.04 so I think it was maybe just some packages that wanted to be upgraded and maybe the kernel but I didn't really pay attention), for some reason my computer deleted X and also deleted my nvidia drivers, going from happy ubuntu to just a shell login. I reinstalled X, and then installed nvidia-current, so my computer was kind of back to normal, except that the trackpad doesn't work anymore. The nipple mouse works fine, as do external mice, and my wacom tablet, and the trackpad's buttons also still work, just not the trackpad for moving the mouse.

I read this https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingTouchpadDetection and don't think it's a kernel bug because

cat /proc/bus/input/devices shows

I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0002 Product=0007 Version=01b1
N: Name="SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio1/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input17
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse1 event17 
B: PROP=9
B: EV=b
B: KEY=6420 0 30000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B: ABS=2608000 11000003

and

$ xinput list-props "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad"
Device 'SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad':
Device Enabled (121):   1
Coordinate Transformation Matrix (123): 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000
Device Accel Profile (243): 0
Device Accel Constant Deceleration (244):   1.000000
Device Accel Adaptive Deceleration (245):   1.000000
Device Accel Velocity Scaling (246):    10.000000
Device Product ID (238):    2, 7
Device Node (239):  "/dev/input/event17"
Evdev Axis Inversion (247): 0, 0
Evdev Axis Calibration (248):   <no items>
Evdev Axes Swap (249):  0
Axis Labels (250):  "Abs MT Position X" (284), "Abs MT Position Y" (285), "Abs Pressure" (278), "Abs Tool Width" (283), "None" (0), "None" (0)
Button Labels (251):    "Button Left" (124), "Button Unknown" (241), "Button Right" (126), "Button Wheel Up" (127), "Button Wheel Down" (128)
Evdev Middle Button Emulation (252):    0
Evdev Middle Button Timeout (253):  50
Evdev Third Button Emulation (254): 0
Evdev Third Button Emulation Timeout (255): 1000
Evdev Third Button Emulation Button (256):  3
Evdev Third Button Emulation Threshold (257):   20
Evdev Wheel Emulation (258):    0
Evdev Wheel Emulation Axes (259):   0, 0, 4, 5
Evdev Wheel Emulation Inertia (260):    10
Evdev Wheel Emulation Timeout (261):    200
Evdev Wheel Emulation Button (262): 4
Evdev Drag Lock Buttons (263):  0

If I go into system settings > mouse and touchpad there is no touchpad tab.

However, if I do sudo cat /dev/input/event17 I can see that the trackpad is producing output.

If I try to install additional drivers through the additional drivers program it only shows that Nvidia drivers are available and I have them already installed. I don't remember having to install anything in particular before to have the trackpad work.

I reinstalled everything related to xinput for good measure to no effect.

Please let me know if you have any tips! My two finger scrolling was so nice before!

thanks

Nadya

Solution

If reinstalling synaptics doesn't work. Try adding this to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file. You should have it if you have the nvidia driver installed. If not create one.

Section "InputClass"
    Identifier "touchpad"
    Driver "synaptics"
    MatchIsTouchpad "on"
        Option "TapButton1" "1"
        Option "TapButton2" "2"
        Option "TapButton3" "3"
        Option "VertEdgeScroll" "on"
        Option "VertTwoFingerScroll" "on"
        Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "on"
        Option "HorizTwoFingerScroll" "on"
        Option "CircularScrolling" "on"
        Option "CircScrollTrigger" "2"
        Option "EmulateTwoFingerMinZ" "40"
        Option "EmulateTwoFingerMinW" "8"
        Option "CoastingSpeed" "0"
 EndSection

Comments

[phipsalabim]

I would first try to simply reinstall the synaptics driver: sudo apt-get install --reinstall xserver-xorg-input-synaptics

[phipsalabim]

Oh.. I'm sorry, just saw you already did that.

[Nadya]

Awesome! that fixed it. There wasn't an xorg.conf file, I don't know why. Perhaps that means other things are also messed up I'll find out about some other time. Thanks so much!

[phipsalabim]

No problem, glad it's working again. Please close the question so others can find a solution quickly.