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diff --git a/docs/trouble-shooting.txt b/docs/trouble-shooting.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3d2e012 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/trouble-shooting.txt @@ -0,0 +1,152 @@ +Trouble-shooting guide +---------------------- + +Contents +-------- + +1. Check that the touchpad is correctly detected by the kernel +2. Check that an external PS/2 mouse isn't causing problems +3. Check if some other program is using the /dev/psaux device +4. Check that the evdev kernel driver is available +5. Check that the synaptics driver is properly loaded by the X server +6. Check that the touchpad is enabled in the BIOS/hardware + + +1. Check that the touchpad is correctly detected by the kernel +-------------------------------------------------------------- + +If you are using a 2.6 linux kernel, check the /proc/bus/input/devices +file. The touchpad must be identified a "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" +or an "AlpsPS/2 ALPS TouchPad". If it is identified as a "PS/2 Generic +Mouse" or "PS/2 Synaptics TouchPad", something is wrong. + +Possible fixes: + +1. Check your BIOS settings. Some BIOSes can do USB -> PS/2 mouse + emulation which can interfere with the touchpad. There may be a way + to disable the legacy mouse emulation from the BIOS setup program. + +2. Arrange so that the kernel initializes the USB subsystem before the + PS/2 touchpad. Initializing the USB mouse sometimes disables the + BIOS emulation. Compiling psmouse as a module and loading it in + /etc/rc.d/rc.local usually assures the USB is initialized first. + +3. Disconnect the USB mouse and restart the computer. (Not really a fix, + but can help when trying to figure out what's wrong.) + +4. Make sure your boot loader doesn't pass any parameter to the kernel + that disables mouse extensions. ("psmouse_proto=bare" for example). + Alternatively, if psmouse is compiled as a module, make sure that + modprobe doesn't pass such parameters. Check /etc/modprobe.conf and + "rmmod psmouse; modprobe -v psmouse". + +If you run a 2.4 kernel or an non-linux kernel, the +/proc/bus/input/devices file is not available, but the BIOS setting +could be relevant anyway. + + +2. Check that an external PS/2 mouse isn't causing problems +----------------------------------------------------------- + +If you want to use an external PS/2 mouse at the same time as the +synaptics touchpad driver, you must use a 2.6 linux kernel and your +hardware (keyboard controller) must support active multiplexing. You +should see something like this when the computer boots: + + mice: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice + i8042.c: Detected active multiplexing controller, rev 1.1. + serio: i8042 AUX0 port at 0x60,0x64 irq 12 + serio: i8042 AUX1 port at 0x60,0x64 irq 12 + serio: i8042 AUX2 port at 0x60,0x64 irq 12 + serio: i8042 AUX3 port at 0x60,0x64 irq 12 + +If you don't use a 2.6 kernel or your hardware doesn't support active +multiplexing, you can't use an external PS/2 mouse together with the +touchpad driver. + + +3. Check if some other program is using the /dev/psaux device +------------------------------------------------------------- + +If you use a 2.4 linux kernel, only one program at a time can reliably +read from /dev/psaux. This means that if you for example have GPM +running, it will probably prevent the synaptics driver from working +correctly. It also means that if you have a second InputDevice in your +X configuration file, it must not read from /dev/psaux. You probably +want it to read from /dev/input/mice instead, which will handle USB +mice in both 2.4 and 2.6 linux kernels, and both USB and external PS/2 +mice if you use a 2.6 kernel. + +The 2.6 linux kernel fixes the /dev/psaux shortcoming, so that you can +safely run GPM and the synaptics driver at the same time. + + +4. Check that the evdev kernel driver is available +-------------------------------------------------- + +If you are using a 2.6 linux kernel, the evdev kernel driver is needed +for the X driver to be able to communicate with the kernel driver. +Check the /proc/bus/input/devices file. The Handlers= line should +contain an event device name, like this: + + H: Handlers=mouse0 event0 + +If there is no event handler, you either have to load the evdev kernel +module or recompile the kernel and build it into the kernel. If you +don't want to recompile the kernel, adding "/sbin/modprobe evdev" to +/etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit usually works. + + +5. Check that the synaptics driver is properly loaded by the X server +--------------------------------------------------------------------- + +The X log file is usually called /var/log/XFree86.0.log or +/var/log/Xorg.0.log. It should contain something like this: + + (II) LoadModule: "synaptics" + (II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/input/synaptics_drv.o + (II) Module synaptics: vendor="X.Org Foundation" + compiled for 4.3.99.902, module version = 1.0.0 + Module class: X.Org XInput Driver + ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 0.4 + +If the LoadModule line is missing, you probably forgot to add + + Load "synaptics" + +to the "Module" section in the X config file, or you modified the +wrong config file. Some systems that have been upgraded from XFree86 +to Xorg or from XFree86 3.x to XFree86 4.x can have multiple config +files in the /etc/X11/ directory, but only one is used. + +Next, check that the log file also contains a line like this: + + (II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 0.13.4 + +If there is no such line, there is probably a binary compatibility +problem between the synaptics driver and the X server. + +Possible fixes: + +1. Try upgrading to the latest synaptics driver. + +2. Try installing the X SDK package if it is available for your + version of X. (In Fedora Core 2, that package is called + xorg-x11-sdk-6.7.0-2.i386.rpm.) Then re-compile the synaptics + driver and try again. + +3. Make sure the driver is compiled with the same compiler version as + the X server. + + +6. Check that the touchpad is enabled in the BIOS/hardware +---------------------------------------------------------- + +On some computers, it is possible to disable the touchpad either with +a special key combination, from the BIOS, or with a special touchpad +on/off button. On some machines, cycling the power doesn't +automatically reenable the touchpad. + +If the touchpad appears to be dead, try to enable it from the BIOS or +using a key combination. One user also reported that he had to remove +the computer battery to make his touchpad operational again. |