Ubuntu
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics package

Option "AreaBottomEdge" ignores other areas when active

Bug #1257153 reported by Kyle Weaver on 2013-12-03

This bug affects 10 people

Affects		Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
	xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (Ubuntu)	Confirmed	Undecided	Unassigned

Bug Description

Just got a new laptop with one of the infamous "ClickPads," been playing around for a couple hours to get the thing to work decently.
After enabling Option "AreaBottomEdge" "82%", I finally got it to ignore movement in the "button" areas, but if I put my finger down in that 18% area first, the top 82% of the touchpad ignores any movement from a second finger. This makes it difficult to perform a click and drag operation.
Inversely, if I touch in the top 82% first, then click on the 18% bottom button area, then I still get cursor movement from the top area.
It's a workaround I suppose, but not ideal. Still debating about sending this laptop back and buying something from 2011 to meet my "netbook" requirements
Using xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 1.7.1-0ubuntu1 on saucy.

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Revision history for this message

Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote on 2014-06-15:

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Changed in xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (Ubuntu):
status:	New → Confirmed

Revision history for this message

Nicolas Beck (nicolasbeck1) wrote on 2014-07-12:

I am also affected by this bug. Note that this behaviour is inconsistent with the manual description of the AreaBottomEdge Option which states :
" Ignore movements, scrolling and tapping which take place below this edge. The option is disabled by default and can be enabled by setting the AreaBottomEdge option to any integer value other than zero. Property: "Synaptics Area" "

However tapping is not completely ignored in this area because if I rest my index finger in this area the touch is recognized and I am unable to move the cursor with my middle finger. This makes text highlighting or other click and drag options impossible for me.

[1] http://www.x.org/archive/X11R7.5/doc/man/man4/synaptics.4.html

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Gabriel Oliveira (gabriell-goc) wrote on 2014-08-25:

I'm also affected by this bug... Makes drag-and-drop very complicated... Looking for a solution.

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Fabien Chéreau (xalioth) wrote on 2017-02-04:

fix_multitouch_outside_area.patch Edit (2.3 KiB, text/plain)

I have a similar issue with my click pad (Dell XPS 15). The issue is well described in the upstream project there: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=66532

The patch suggested by one maintainer (Kit Westneat) fixes the issue as far as I am concerned, and I can finally keep my fingers on the buttons without blocking the mouse movement done with the other finger.

I attach the (modified) patch to add to the package to solve the issue.

To test:
apt-get source xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
cp path/to/fix_multitouch_outside_area.patch xserver-xorg-input-synaptics-1.8.2/debian/patches/
echo fix_multitouch_outside_area.patch >> xserver-xorg-input-synaptics-1.8.2/debian/patches/series
cd xserver-xorg-input-synaptics-1.8.2
dpkg-buildpackage
cd ..
sudo dpkg -i xserver-xorg-input-synaptics_1.8.2-1ubuntu3_amd64.deb

reboot and tell synaptics to ignore the bottom clickpad area:
xinput set-prop 12 "Synaptics Area" 0, 0, 0, 800

Result:
I can now keep my left thumb on the bottom left button while moving the cursor with the right hand.

Revision history for this message

Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton) wrote on 2017-02-04:

The attachment "fix_multitouch_outside_area.patch" seems to be a patch. If it isn't, please remove the "patch" flag from the attachment, remove the "patch" tag, and if you are a member of the ~ubuntu-reviewers, unsubscribe the team.

[This is an automated message performed by a Launchpad user owned by ~brian-murray, for any issues please contact him.]

tags:

added: patch