Comment 3 for bug 1908992

Exact same system model and Synaptics device. We're interested in getting the top two physical buttons working. xev does not even register anything when the buttons are pressed.
List of things attempted:

1.
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics breaks the touchpad altogether when installed, under-touchpad ones no longer register a central button 2.

With xserver-xorg-input-synaptics installed and x.org using, "Using input driver 'synaptics' for 'SYNA30B4:00 06CB:CE09 Touchpad'",

⎡ Virtual core pointer id=2 [master pointer (3)]
⎜ ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer id=4 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ SYNA30B4:00 06CB:CE09 Mouse id=12 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ SYNA30B4:00 06CB:CE09 Touchpad id=13 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Kensington Kensington Expert Mouse id=14 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ HID 0566:3013 Consumer Control id=16 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Generic USB Audio Consumer Control id=19 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Generic USB Audio Consumer Control id=21 [slave pointer (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard id=3 [master keyboard (2)]
↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard id=5 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Power Button id=6 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Video Bus id=7 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Power Button id=8 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Sleep Button id=9 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HP HD Camera: HP HD Camera id=10 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HP HD Camera: HP IR Camera id=11 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HID 0566:3013 id=15 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HID 0566:3013 System Control id=17 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HID 0566:3013 id=18 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Generic USB Audio id=20 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Generic USB Audio id=22 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Intel HID events id=23 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Intel HID 5 button array id=24 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard id=25 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HP Wireless hotkeys id=26 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HP WMI hotkeys id=27 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HID 0566:3013 Consumer Control id=28 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Generic USB Audio Consumer Control id=29 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Generic USB Audio Consumer Control id=30 [slave keyboard (3)]

Using input driver 'libinput' for 'SYNA30B4:00 06CB:CE09 Touchpad'",

⎡ Virtual core pointer id=2 [master pointer (3)]
⎜ ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer id=4 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ KEYBOARD Consumer Control id=11 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ HID 0566:3013 Consumer Control id=14 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ SYNA30B4:00 06CB:CE09 Mouse id=19 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ SYNA30B4:00 06CB:CE09 Touchpad id=20 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Kensington Kensington Expert Mouse id=21 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Generic USB Audio Consumer Control id=22 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Generic USB Audio Consumer Control id=24 [slave pointer (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard id=3 [master keyboard (2)]
↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard id=5 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Power Button id=6 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Video Bus id=7 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Power Button id=8 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Sleep Button id=9 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ KEYBOARD id=10 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ KEYBOARD System Control id=12 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HID 0566:3013 id=13 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HID 0566:3013 System Control id=15 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HID 0566:3013 id=16 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HP HD Camera: HP HD Camera id=17 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HP HD Camera: HP IR Camera id=18 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Generic USB Audio id=23 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Generic USB Audio id=25 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Intel HID events id=26 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Intel HID 5 button array id=27 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard id=28 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HP Wireless hotkeys id=29 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HP WMI hotkeys id=30 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ KEYBOARD Consumer Control id=31 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ HID 0566:3013 Consumer Control id=32 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Generic USB Audio Consumer Control id=33 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Generic USB Audio Consumer Control id=34 [slave keyboard (3)]

2.
sudo rmmod i2c_hid
sudo modprobe i2c_hid
No change in behavior.

3.
blacklisting of driver provided no relief.
sudo vi /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf (likely a new file)
<add the line below>
install i2c_hid /bin/true

Then, update initramfs and reboot...

sudo update-initramfs -u
sudo reboot

4.
Reinstall of xserver-xorg-input-libinput provided no relief.

5.
Back to original config
original configuration (no synaptics or blacklist, all 3 buttons working in touchpad), it appears as two devices --

Device 'SYNA30B4:00 06CB:CE09 Mouse':
Device Enabled (174): 1
Coordinate Transformation Matrix (176): 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000
libinput Natural Scrolling Enabled (309): 0
libinput Natural Scrolling Enabled Default (310): 0
libinput Scroll Methods Available (311): 0, 0, 1
libinput Scroll Method Enabled (312): 0, 0, 1
libinput Scroll Method Enabled Default (313): 0, 0, 1
libinput Button Scrolling Button (314): 2
libinput Button Scrolling Button Default (315): 2
libinput Middle Emulation Enabled (316): 0
libinput Middle Emulation Enabled Default (317): 0
libinput Accel Speed (318): 0.000000
libinput Accel Speed Default (319): 0.000000
libinput Accel Profiles Available (320): 1, 1
libinput Accel Profile Enabled (321): 1, 0
libinput Accel Profile Enabled Default (322): 1, 0
libinput Left Handed Enabled (323): 0
libinput Left Handed Enabled Default (324): 0
libinput Send Events Modes Available (294): 1, 0
libinput Send Events Mode Enabled (295): 0, 0
libinput Send Events Mode Enabled Default (296): 0, 0
Device Node (297): "/dev/input/event7"
Device Product ID (298): 1739, 52745
libinput Drag Lock Buttons (325): <no items>
libinput Horizontal Scroll Enabled (326): 1

Device 'SYNA30B4:00 06CB:CE09 Touchpad':
Device Enabled (174): 1
Coordinate Transformation Matrix (176): 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000
libinput Tapping Enabled (327): 0
libinput Tapping Enabled Default (328): 0
libinput Tapping Drag Enabled (329): 1
libinput Tapping Drag Enabled Default (330): 1
libinput Tapping Drag Lock Enabled (331): 0
libinput Tapping Drag Lock Enabled Default (332): 0
libinput Tapping Button Mapping Enabled (333): 1, 0
libinput Tapping Button Mapping Default (334): 1, 0
libinput Natural Scrolling Enabled (309): 1
libinput Natural Scrolling Enabled Default (310): 0
libinput Disable While Typing Enabled (335): 1
libinput Disable While Typing Enabled Default (336): 1
libinput Scroll Methods Available (311): 1, 1, 0
libinput Scroll Method Enabled (312): 1, 0, 0
libinput Scroll Method Enabled Default (313): 1, 0, 0
libinput Click Methods Available (337): 1, 1
libinput Click Method Enabled (338): 1, 0
libinput Click Method Enabled Default (339): 1, 0
libinput Middle Emulation Enabled (316): 0
libinput Middle Emulation Enabled Default (317): 0
libinput Accel Speed (318): 0.000000
libinput Accel Speed Default (319): 0.000000
libinput Left Handed Enabled (323): 0
libinput Left Handed Enabled Default (324): 0
libinput Send Events Modes Available (294): 1, 1
libinput Send Events Mode Enabled (295): 0, 0
libinput Send Events Mode Enabled Default (296): 0, 0
Device Node (297): "/dev/input/event11"
Device Product ID (298): 1739, 52745
libinput Drag Lock Buttons (325): <no items>
libinput Horizontal Scroll Enabled (326): 1

6.
Gnome tweaks did not resolve
sudo apt install gnome-tweaks . Launch Gnome Tweaks (gnome-tweaks), and go to Keyboard & Mouse tab. Change the Mouse Click Emulation setting to AREA.

7.
Even though xev showed no events, attempted to remap. No good.

xinput set-button-map 19 0 0 3 4 5 1 2
xinput set-button-map 20 0 0 3 4 5 1 2

To get it back to where we started

xinput set-button-map 19 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
xinput set-button-map 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8.
Moved from Ubuntu to Wayland. No relief.

9.
Booted from older kernel. No relief. Current is 5.4.0-58

10.
Validated all applicable HWE applied. Reinstalled xserver-xorg-input-all. Not resolved.