[gentoo-user] Synaptic touchpad sensitive after upgrade to Xorg 1.5.3

[gentoo-user] Synaptic touchpad sensitive after upgrade to Xorg 1.5.3

[Mike Mazur]

Hi,

After my upgrade to Xorg 1.5.3 I reconfigured my synaptic touchpad to
be controlled with hal. I copied the fdi policy found in
/usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/11-x11-synaptics.fdi to /etc/hal/fdi/policy.
My only changes are disabling VertTwoFingerScroll and setting
TapButton1 and TapButton2 to 1 and 2, respectively.

Now my touchpad is extremely sensitive: when moving the cursor from
one end of the screen to another, I sometimes make multiple sweeps
across the touchpad with my thumb, and I find that all of a sudden I'm
inadvertently dragging a desktop icon or highlighting a block of text
in the browser. I tried increasing the FingerHigh option, but this
seemed to disable the click-drag feature altogether.

Which option do I need to tweak to turn down this sensitivity?

Thanks,
Mike

Re: [gentoo-user] Synaptic touchpad sensitive after upgrade to Xorg 1.5.3

[Alan McKinnon]

On Tuesday 05 May 2009 14:37:06 Mike Mazur wrote:
> Hi,
>
> After my upgrade to Xorg 1.5.3 I reconfigured my synaptic touchpad to
> be controlled with hal. I copied the fdi policy found in
> /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/11-x11-synaptics.fdi to /etc/hal/fdi/policy.
> My only changes are disabling VertTwoFingerScroll and setting
> TapButton1 and TapButton2 to 1 and 2, respectively.
>
> Now my touchpad is extremely sensitive: when moving the cursor from
> one end of the screen to another, I sometimes make multiple sweeps
> across the touchpad with my thumb, and I find that all of a sudden I'm
> inadvertently dragging a desktop icon or highlighting a block of text
> in the browser. I tried increasing the FingerHigh option, but this
> seemed to disable the click-drag feature altogether.
>
> Which option do I need to tweak to turn down this sensitivity?

I had the exact opposite problem. Several hal versions ago the touch pad was 
over-sensitive, where lightly brushing the pad with my thumb while pressing 
the spacebar caused multiple button1 taps. After some routine upgrade or other 
it went away. Here's my current policy file for comparison (mostly untouched 
from default):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<deviceinfo version="0.2">
  <device>
    <match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.touchpad">
      <match key="info.product" contains="Synaptics TouchPad">
        <merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">synaptics</merge>
        <!-- Arbitrary options can be passed to the driver using
             the input.x11_options property since xorg-server-1.5. -->
        <!-- EXAMPLE:
        <merge key="input.x11_options.LeftEdge" type="string">120</merge>
        -->
      </match>
      <match key="info.product" contains="AlpsPS/2 ALPS">
        <merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">synaptics</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.SHMConfig" type="string">true</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.LeftEdge" type="string">0</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.RightEdge" type="string">1280</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.TopEdge" type="string">0</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.BottomEdge" type="string">800</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.ClickFinger1" type="string">1</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.ClickFinger2" type="string">3</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.ClickFinger3" type="string">2</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.HorizEdgeScroll" 
type="string">true</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.VertEdgeScroll" 
type="string">true</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.VertTwoFingerScroll" 
type="string">true</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.HorizTwoFingerScroll" 
type="string">true</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.HorizScrollDelta" 
type="string">0</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.VertScrollDelta" 
type="string">40</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.PressureMotionMinZ" 
type="string">10</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.FingerLow" type="string">16</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.FingerHigh" type="string">80</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.FingerPress" type="string">256</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.PalmDetect" type="string">0</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.PalmMinWidth" type="string">10</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.PalmMinZ" type="string">200</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.MinSpeed" type="string">0.8</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.MaxSpeed" type="string">1.2</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.AccelFactor" type="string">0.10</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.MaxTapMove" type="string">25</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.MaxTapTime" type="string">223</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.MaxDoubleTapTime" 
type="string">200</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.TapButton1" type="string">1</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.TapButton2" type="string">3</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.TapButton3" type="string">2</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.RTCornerButton" type="string">0</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.RBCornerButton" type="string">0</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.LTCornerButton" type="string">0</merge>
        <merge key="input.x11_options.LBCornerButton" type="string">0</merge>
      </match>
      <match key="info.product" contains="appletouch">
        <merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">synaptics</merge>
      </match>
      <match key="info.product" contains="bcm5974">
        <merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">synaptics</merge>
      </match>
    </match>
  </device>
</deviceinfo>


-- 
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com

Re: [gentoo-user] Synaptic touchpad sensitive after upgrade to Xorg 1.5.3

[Mike Mazur]

Hi,

On Wed, May 6, 2009 at 3:42 AM, Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@gmail.com> wrote:
> Here's my current policy file for comparison (mostly untouched
> from default):

Thanks for pasting that. Comparing your config to mine, I noticed my
MaxTapMove was set to 2000, much higher than yours. Somehow I
uncommented that in the example fdi policy file. This setting so
large, every time I moved my mouse pointer across the screen in
multiple swipes, synaptics treated it as a double-click.

Thanks again,
Mike

[gentoo-user] Synaptics and HAL Device Information Files

[Redouane Boumghar]

Hello All !

I have tried many things to make my touchpad work with the new xorg and
HAL but in vain...
Fortunatly my video is allright (xorg.conf), 
my keyboard is also good (/etc/hal/fdi/policy/10-x11-input.fdi and /etc/hal/fdi/policy/10-keymap.fdi)
and my usb mouse works but I strictly have no entry for it either in
xorg.conf or any fdi files in /etc/hal/fdi/policy/

I only have this Section in my xorg.conf :

===========================
Section "ServerFlags"
     Option "AutoAddDevices" "true"
EndSection
===========================


First of all where can I find information about the file names of FDI ?
NUMBER-NAME-NAME.fdi

Where are the specification of the nomenclature ?
I have found different names possible :
11-x11-synaptics.fdi
99-x11-synaptics.fdi

Why the donkey would it be 99 or 11 ?

Thanks for any hints about that..

My Kernel seems well configured for HAL to work properly. (Event Interface
& Mice > PS/2 mouse)

The thing is that I don't know how to match my touchpad with the
fdi policy or that I have another unknown problem.

I have the following devices :

=========================
root~$  xinput  list --short
"Virtual core keyboard" id=0    [XKeyboard]
"Virtual core pointer"  id=1    [XPointer]
"Macintosh mouse button emulation"      id=2    [XExtensionPointer]
"PS/2 Mouse"    id=3    [XExtensionPointer]
"AT Translated Set 2 keyboard"  id=4    [XExtensionKeyboard]
"HID 04d9:1133" id=5    [XExtensionPointer]
=========================

I have tried many different synaptics fdi files and for now I am trying
this simplest one :

=========================
root~$ cat /etc/hal/fdi/policy/99-x11-synaptics.fdi 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<deviceinfo version="0.2">
  <device>
      <match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.touchpad">
              <merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">synaptics</merge>
      </match>
  </device>
</deviceinfo>
=========================


Thanks in advance for your help and pointers,

Red.


ps : 
INSTALLED : 
sys-apps/hal-0.5.11-r8  USE="X crypt dell doc laptop -acpi -apm -debug -disk-partition (-selinux)"
x11-drivers/xf86-input-evdev-2.1.3  USE="hal -debug"
x11-drivers/xf86-input-synaptics-1.0.0  USE="hal -debug"

Re: [gentoo-user] Synaptics and HAL Device Information Files

[Mike Edenfield]

On 5/26/2009 5:58 AM, Redouane Boumghar wrote:

> First of all where can I find information about the file names of FDI ?
> NUMBER-NAME-NAME.fdi
>
> Where are the specification of the nomenclature ?
> I have found different names possible :
> 11-x11-synaptics.fdi
> 99-x11-synaptics.fdi
 >
> Why the donkey would it be 99 or 11 ?

Since (as I see below) you've added "hal" to your USE flags for the 
xf86-input-synaptics driver, you should already have the synaptics HAL 
data installed -- the post-ebuild messages would tell you where those 
are.  Currently, the stock HAL rules are installed into

/usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/10osvendor/11-x11-synaptics.fdi


The reason it's number 11 is because the synaptics Xorg driver exposes 
itself to HAL in a way that also looks like a mouse, so it matches all 
on the HAL rules for standard pointer device behavior.  The synaptics 
rules need to override the normal rules, which are in the file 
10-x11-pointer.fdi, so the synaptics rules go into 11-x11-synaptics.fdi 
and get loaded second.

The file named 99- is most likely a suggestion from someone for a local 
customization to the policy, since it will be loaded after everything 
else.  Since the synaptics rules are included in the base HAL policy 
now, there's no need for the 99- file.


> The thing is that I don't know how to match my touchpad with the
> fdi policy or that I have another unknown problem.

You should not have to do anything to get your touchpad recognized by 
HAL as a synaptics device, since you already have the HAL policy file 
locally.  You can use lshal(1) to ask HAL what devices it found, for 
example:

lshal | grep -9 input.x11_driver

You should see a result which includes:

input.x11_driver = 'synaptics'

If you back up a few lines you will see the info.capabilities set, which 
should include items like "input", "input.mouse", and input.touchpad.

The default settings are in the FDI file in /usr/share, which will also 
show you how to override any of those settings.  Basically, anything 
that used to be an xorg.conf option can be set using an 
"input.x11_options.OPTIONNAME" key.  For example, to turn on SHMConfig 
so you can use the synaptics utilities:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<deviceinfo version="0.2">
   <device>
     <match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.touchpad">
       <merge key="input.x11_options.SHMConfig" type="string">On</merge>
     </match>
   </device>
</deviceinfo>

Put this in an FDI file inside your /etc/hal/fdi/policy folder, such as

/etc/hal/fdi/policy/10osvendor/11-x11-synaptics.fdi

Re: [gentoo-user] Synaptics and HAL Device Information Files

[Redouane Boumghar]

Thank you very much for your clear answers.

Now my touchpad works although I didn't change anything but I have
recompiled HAL (with dell USE flag) and the drivers.

In the early stage, not knowing precisely what filename to use I have
used the file name "99-x11-synaptics.fdi". It is still so but I will
change it while tuning its configuration.

My touchpad wasn't responding. And I realize now that it wasn't even
recognized at all (not in list : xinput list).

I have a DELL computer but I didn't have the "dell" USE flag for HAL so
I activated it and recompiled HAL. I did recompile xf86-input-synaptics
and xf86-input-evdev just in case.
I have restarted the HAL daemon but it wasn't working better.
I have rebooted my computer and the touchpad is now running fine.
And now I have this new entry in the xinput list :
"AlpsPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint"      id=3    [XExtensionPointer]

I just can guess that HAL could not recognize the touchpad by itself
and it needed new (fresh recompiled) driver support and a reloading of
the kernel (== reboot). I really am in the fog but I can walk on it.

Thank you very much for your enlightment.

:)
Red.

On Tue, May 26, 2009 at 11:54:34AM -0400, Mike Edenfield wrote:
> On 5/26/2009 5:58 AM, Redouane Boumghar wrote:
>
>> First of all where can I find information about the file names of FDI ?
>> NUMBER-NAME-NAME.fdi
>>
>> Where are the specification of the nomenclature ?
>> I have found different names possible :
>> 11-x11-synaptics.fdi
>> 99-x11-synaptics.fdi
> >
>> Why the donkey would it be 99 or 11 ?
>
> Since (as I see below) you've added "hal" to your USE flags for the 
> xf86-input-synaptics driver, you should already have the synaptics HAL data 
> installed -- the post-ebuild messages would tell you where those are.  
> Currently, the stock HAL rules are installed into
>
> /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/10osvendor/11-x11-synaptics.fdi
>
>
> The reason it's number 11 is because the synaptics Xorg driver exposes 
> itself to HAL in a way that also looks like a mouse, so it matches all on 
> the HAL rules for standard pointer device behavior.  The synaptics rules 
> need to override the normal rules, which are in the file 
> 10-x11-pointer.fdi, so the synaptics rules go into 11-x11-synaptics.fdi and 
> get loaded second.
>
> The file named 99- is most likely a suggestion from someone for a local 
> customization to the policy, since it will be loaded after everything else. 
>  Since the synaptics rules are included in the base HAL policy now, there's 
> no need for the 99- file.
>
>
>> The thing is that I don't know how to match my touchpad with the
>> fdi policy or that I have another unknown problem.
>
> You should not have to do anything to get your touchpad recognized by HAL 
> as a synaptics device, since you already have the HAL policy file locally.  
> You can use lshal(1) to ask HAL what devices it found, for example:
>
> lshal | grep -9 input.x11_driver
>
> You should see a result which includes:
>
> input.x11_driver = 'synaptics'
>
> If you back up a few lines you will see the info.capabilities set, which 
> should include items like "input", "input.mouse", and input.touchpad.
>
> The default settings are in the FDI file in /usr/share, which will also 
> show you how to override any of those settings.  Basically, anything that 
> used to be an xorg.conf option can be set using an 
> "input.x11_options.OPTIONNAME" key.  For example, to turn on SHMConfig so 
> you can use the synaptics utilities:
>
> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
> <deviceinfo version="0.2">
>   <device>
>     <match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.touchpad">
>       <merge key="input.x11_options.SHMConfig" type="string">On</merge>
>     </match>
>   </device>
> </deviceinfo>
>
> Put this in an FDI file inside your /etc/hal/fdi/policy folder, such as
>
> /etc/hal/fdi/policy/10osvendor/11-x11-synaptics.fdi
>