Ubuntu Documentation

Touchpad configuration instructions are out-of-date

Bug #150136 reported by Phil Bull
4
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Ubuntu Documentation
Fix Released
Low
Mads Peter Rommedahl

Bug Description

The instructions for configuring laptop touchpads are out of date. The documentation recommends installing gsynaptics, but an easier method is available:

 1. Press System -> Preferences -> Mouse
 2. Press 'Touchpad'
 3. Change settings as appropriate

What's more, the preferences in this dialog seem to take priority over the preferences set in gsynaptics (e.g. if scrolling is turned on in Mouse Preferences but off in gsynaptics, it will remain turned on).

The documentation should be corrected to use the Mouse Preferences method rather than gsynaptics (which is a universe package anyway).

Affected document: file:///usr/share/gnome/help/hardware/C/hardware.xml#laptops-touchpads

Revision history for this message
Mads Peter Rommedahl (lhademmor) wrote :

Patch attached which should fix this problem. Could probably be improved, I dunno...

Changed in ubuntu-doc:
assignee: nobody → lhademmor
status: New → In Progress
Revision history for this message
Phil Bull (philbull) wrote :

Setting importance, even though its my own bug. Please let me know if you object and I'll change it.

Thanks for the patch Mads. Do you know if you still need to insert the 'SHMConfig' line into xorg.conf for the 'Mouse Preferences' method to work? You've removed that bi in your patch.

Changed in ubuntu-doc:
importance: Undecided → Low
Revision history for this message
Mads Peter Rommedahl (lhademmor) wrote :

First of all, what's a 'bi'?

I don't know anything about what SHMConfig actually does, though I know it can do some stuff with tapping, I think.
Anyway, if you don't install the gsynaptics package, I don't see the point in adding the SHMConfig line.

That said, the gsynaptics AFAICS provides a little more functionality than the Mouse Preferences? They both provide the enable/disable tapping/vertical/horizontal scrolling, so are there any reasons to install gsynaptics, and if so should it be included in the patch?

Revision history for this message
Phil Bull (philbull) wrote :

Sorry, missed off the 't': "bi" => "bit".

I was wondering if the Touchpad settings in the Mouse Preferences still work if the SHMConfig line isn't there. I was under the impression that *any* touchpad configuration required that SHMConfig line to be there. I'll have to test it.

There are still reasons that someone might want to install gsynaptics, but it's not really necessary to cover this in detail in the documentation I think. It was only there so that people could at least do some basic configuration. At most, we'd write something like 'For advanced touchpad configuration, install the gsynaptics package' at the end of the touchpads section.

Revision history for this message
Mads Peter Rommedahl (lhademmor) wrote :

Well... AFAIK I haven't got any SHMConfig line and turning scrolling/tapping on and off in the Mouse Preferences still works perfectly well.

Revision history for this message
Phil Bull (philbull) wrote :

Could you attach a copy of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf please, just to check?

Revision history for this message
Mads Peter Rommedahl (lhademmor) wrote :

Here it is

Revision history for this message
Phil Bull (philbull) wrote :

Thanks Mads, I've committed your patch to SVN trunk, r4455.

Changed in ubuntu-doc:
status: In Progress → Fix Committed
Revision history for this message
Matthew East (mdke) wrote :

New package now released in Ubuntu Hardy (version 8.02.1)

Changed in ubuntu-doc:
status: Fix Committed → Fix Released
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