Thinkpad trackpad problems

ntdoherty · 2016-10-08 22:39:10

Hi all,

I promise I've tried to find information about this but have hit a wall.

I installed bunsenlabs on a Lenovo Thinkpad e555 and I cannot get two-finger scrolling to work. It seems that the synaptics settings, whether accessed through the GUI application or the config files, have no effect on the behavior of the trackpad. The only way to address it is to grab scrollbars with either tapping or clicking, very different process.

As far as I have found, the problem is that gpointing-device-settings is the only way to control this model trackpad. This software is in wheezy and sid, only, and has been sitting for a while.

The trackpad problem is too annoying for me to keep using bunsenlabs on my laptop. This is a shame because it's the only thing that doesn't work perfectly but it's so irritating that I can't accommodate myself to it.

Does anyone have any suggestions? For now I'm using Manjaro XFCE. I like it plenty but I would rather have Debian as my base again and honestly the aesthetics of bunsenlabs is still better.

Thanks muchly for any feedback.

ND

damo · 2016-10-08 23:17:39

Don't the Debian instructions work for you? https://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebia … Trackpoint

Last edited by damo (2016-10-08 23:23:17)

ntdoherty · 2016-10-08 23:47:04

I'll try it and reply. I don't think I came across those directions. Derp.

lcafiero · 2016-10-21 02:34:14

I'm just throwing this out there because it may be a solution, as this is somewhat related to the turning-off-the-#@*!&%-tap-to-click in synclient (I feel very strongly about turning off tap-to-click, can you tell?).

As synclient has two settings for two-finger scroll -- VertTwoFingerScroll and HorizTwoFingerScroll -- and each defaults to 0 (off) in the long list of synclient settings, you need to turn them on. So to a terminal and type in (one at a time):

synclient VertTwoFingerScroll=1
synclient HorizTwoFingerScroll=1

But wait, there's more! If this works, it will be active only until you shut down your computer. Want to have it start up next time you boot? Simple.

You have to edit your autostart by right-clicking on the desktop, going to Preferences > Openbox > Edit autostart and add this to the bottom of the file:

#Enable two-finger scrolling
synclient VertTwoFingerScroll=1 &
synclient HorizTwoFingerScroll=1 &

And that way, at least theoretically (and this is how it works for turning off the tap-to-click), your synclient settings will be set to vertical and horizontal two-finger scrolling.

I hope this helps.

ohnonot · 2016-10-21 06:15:52

lcafiero wrote:

Edit autostart and add this to the bottom of the file:
#Enable two-finger scrolling
synclient VertTwoFingerScroll=1 HorizTwoFingerScroll=1 &

fixed that for you.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-10-21 06:48:06

Or just add the options to the line we already have:

https://github.com/BunsenLabs/bunsen-co … ostart#L25

EDIT: I hate tap-to-click as well

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2016-10-21 06:49:03)

lcafiero · 2016-10-22 12:06:13

ohnonot wrote:

lcafiero wrote:
Edit autostart and add this to the bottom of the file:
#Enable two-finger scrolling
synclient VertTwoFingerScroll=1 HorizTwoFingerScroll=1 &
fixed that for you.

Six of one, half-dozen of the other. Two ways of doing the same thing, apparently.

damo · 2016-10-22 15:14:56

lcafiero wrote:

...
Six of one, half-dozen of the other. Two ways of doing the same thing, apparently.

Except it is only one process instead of two?

lcafiero · 2016-10-23 01:02:58

One process or two? How big a difference does that make, exactly?

Lesson learned.

damo · 2016-10-23 10:17:02

lcafiero wrote:

One process or two? How big a difference does that make, exactly?.....

Probably not much, but more elegant?

lcafiero · 2016-10-23 23:17:17

damo wrote:

Probably not much, but more elegant?

*shrug* Granted. However, how exactly the original solution is "fixed" -- fixing something implies that it was/is broken -- is still a mystery, since both solutions essentially work, elegantly or otherwise.

Again, lesson learned: I yield to others in answering questions from here on in.

ohnonot · 2016-10-25 18:51:28

lcafiero wrote:

Again, lesson learned: I yield to others in answering questions from here on in.

what is this, are you hurt or what?
i was just trying to improve something. it's the way of foss. no harm intended.
in any case, HoaS' subsequent remark "fixes" it even better.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-10-25 18:58:45

Games of code golf are a common recreation on these boards, please don't take any suggestions as personal slights, that is not the way they are intended.

Your contributions are always welcome lcafiero, please don't be discouraged.

johnraff · 2016-10-26 04:03:27

ohnonot wrote:

it's the way of foss.

#1 2016-10-08 22:39:10

Thinkpad trackpad problems

#2 2016-10-08 23:17:39

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#3 2016-10-08 23:47:04

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#4 2016-10-21 02:34:14

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#5 2016-10-21 06:15:52

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#6 2016-10-21 06:48:06

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#7 2016-10-22 12:06:13

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#8 2016-10-22 15:14:56

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#9 2016-10-23 01:02:58

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#10 2016-10-23 10:17:02

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#11 2016-10-23 23:17:17

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#12 2016-10-25 18:51:28

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#13 2016-10-25 18:58:45

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

#14 2016-10-26 04:03:27

Re: Thinkpad trackpad problems

Board footer