Ubuntu
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics package

/dev/input/event? device node changes across reboots

Bug #44768 reported by Wes Morgan
10
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Medium
Pascal De Vuyst

Bug Description

udev often assigns a different /dev/input/event? device node to the touchpad (event2, 3, or 4 on my system) when the computer is rebooted. This prevents X from starting and requires editing the xorg.conf file to reflect the current event? number in order to fix.

This forum post: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=466023&postcount=50

...details one way to fix it by creating a udev rule that this device should be symlinked to /dev/input/alps no matter which event? device node it is assigned.

Should this package create this rule and then refer to the static symlink device node in the xorg.conf file?

Revision history for this message
asubedi (asubedi) wrote :

I confirm this. I have hp dv4000 laptop which has alps touchpad. The event for the touchpad changes randomly across reboots. It also changes when I reboot my laptop without plugging my usb mouse.

Revision history for this message
Wes Morgan (cap10morgan) wrote :

This is fixed by using the "auto-dev" protocol and /dev/psaux as the device. This causes the driver to automatically use the correct event device node. This bug should be closed.

Revision history for this message
Frode Hatlevik (frodesh) wrote :

On my nephews Dell Inspirion 510m with ALPS Glidepoint using /dev/psaux and auto-dev does not work. The pad is overly sensitive to clicking, and configuring it with ksynaptics does not work well. Using event3 for device and "event" for protocol improves things, but I keep loosing my poinet afetr switching virtual terminals or suspend/hibertnate. Any ideas?

Revision history for this message
Frode Hatlevik (frodesh) wrote :

Sorry. Did a little more reserach. Seems running "syndaemon" from "/etc/X11/Xsession" like this made it all work better:

---

#!/bin/sh
#
# /etc/X11/Xsession
#
# global Xsession file -- used by display managers and xinit (startx)

# $Id: Xsession 967 2005-12-27 07:20:55Z dnusinow $

set -e

# Start syndaemon to enable [k,g,q]synaptics to communicate with touchpad
/usr/bin/syndaemon -i 1 -d -t

PROGNAME=Xsession

---

Still have the problem with loosing the pointer on switching terminals, though. Perhaps I should file this as a separate bug.

Revision history for this message
Pascal De Vuyst (pascal-devuyst) wrote :

> This is fixed by using the "auto-dev" protocol and /dev/psaux as the device. This bug should be closed.

Closing this bug then, feel free to reopen if the problem returns.

Changed in xserver-xorg-input-synaptics:
assignee: nobody → pascal-devuyst
status: New → Fix Released
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