Ubuntu
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics package

No touchpad detection on Dell XPS-15z

Asked by Charles Beer on 2011-12-11

I have a Dell XPS-15z running an Intel Core i7-2620, and I get no response from the touchpad.

I attempted to work my way through the debugging article for this issue ( https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingTouchpadDetection#Known_bugs ), but got the error message "sudo: evtest: command not found" when I attempted to run the evtest to create a log of the issue (the command to run was "$ sudo evtest /dev/input/eventX > ~/evtest" )

When I run "$ cat /proc/bus/input/devices" I get no touchpad listed, only a generic PS/2 mouse and the USB mouse I have been using to debug the system.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Question information

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Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu xserver-xorg-input-synaptics Edit question
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Solved by:
Charles Beer
Solved:
2011-12-11
Last query:
2011-12-11
Last reply:
2011-12-11
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : #1

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/Machines/Laptops/Dell/XPS/15z

Run:

echo "options psmouse proto=imps" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/psmouse.conf

Reboot to test, if that doesn't make it work, run:

echo "options psmouse proto=bare" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/psmouse.conf

If that fails run:

echo "options psmouse proto=exps" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/psmouse.conf

Let us know which works (if any)...

Charles Beer (beer-charlesw) said : #2

Thanks very much for showing me that hardware-specific page, though I am
not having some of the issues it describes, and others are a problem, but
do not seem to be fixed by the tweaks suggested.
Unfortunately, the trackpad seems to be one of the latter. None of these
three command sequences got any functionality from my trackpad.

On Sun, Dec 11, 2011 at 2:31 PM, actionparsnip <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #181578 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/181578
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/Machines/Laptops/Dell/XPS/15z
>
> Run:
>
> echo "options psmouse proto=imps" | sudo tee
> /etc/modprobe.d/psmouse.conf
>
> Reboot to test, if that doesn't make it work, run:
>
> echo "options psmouse proto=bare" | sudo tee
> /etc/modprobe.d/psmouse.conf
>
> If that fails run:
>
> echo "options psmouse proto=exps" | sudo tee
> /etc/modprobe.d/psmouse.conf
>
> Let us know which works (if any)...
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/181578/+confirm?answer_id=0
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/181578
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Charles Beer (beer-charlesw) said : #3

UPDATE:

I tried these commands as you had them rather than as listed in the hardware support link, proto=imps got me basic support, just no multitouch, which i understand is a remaining open issue on this particular device.

Thank you for your help.

cvetelina christova (chr-cvet) said : #4

Why is this happening again and again? I've been having problems with different drivers since I've started using Linux. I mean, there are so many people involved in this project, is it so absolutely impossible to fix such bugs? My touchpad is not even recognised and I chose this netbook because it came with a preinstalled Ubuntu from the reseller so I expected it would work fine. Damn!
I've tried all the steps from the threat + installed Synaptic Gpoining and so on, and so on, no result.