Ubuntu – How to load the synaptics driver on 12.04? (Scrolling does not work)

12.04synapticstouchpad

I have installed Ubuntu 12.04 on my new Lenovo z580 laptop. The touchpad maker is Synaptics. However Ubuntu is unable to load the Synaptics driver, although the driver has been installed. Due to this, I am unable to use scrolling on my touchpad. The command

synclient -l

returns:

Couldn't find synaptics properties. No synaptics driver loaded?

Please help.

Best Answer

IT IS SCARY YET EASY TO DO, DON'T BE SCARED MY CHILD

try this if neither of the previous ideas of this thread worked:
In a terminal enter :
xinput
you should get something looking like this :

⎡ Virtual core pointer                      id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer                id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad                  id=14   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ MOSART Semi. 2.4G Wireless Mouse          id=10   [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)]
    ↳ Video Bus                                 id=8    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Sleep Button                              id=9    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ USB Camera                                id=11   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Asus WMI hotkeys                          id=12   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard              id=13   [slave  keyboard (3)]

Even though it is scary, it is actually very easy to understand; now locate your touchpad, mine here is called is called "ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad" (on the third line).
now, once you've done this enter :
xinput --list-props "whatever your touchpad is called"
for instance mine would be
nathan@linux-engine:~$ xinput --list-props "ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad"

Once you've done this, Lotta lines should appear, for me it is :

Device 'ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad':
    Device Enabled (135):   1
    Coordinate Transformation Matrix (137): 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000
    Device Accel Profile (263): 1
    Device Accel Constant Deceleration (264):   2.500000
    Device Accel Adaptive Deceleration (265):   1.000000
    Device Accel Velocity Scaling (266):    12.500000
    Synaptics Edges (288):  123, 2974, 114, 2005
    Synaptics Finger (289): 1, 1, 0
    Synaptics Tap Time (290):   180
    Synaptics Tap Move (291):   165
    Synaptics Tap Durations (292):  180, 180, 100
    Synaptics ClickPad (293):   1
    Synaptics Middle Button Timeout (294):  0
    Synaptics Two-Finger Pressure (295):    282
    Synaptics Two-Finger Width (296):   7
    Synaptics Scrolling Distance (297): 75, 75
    Synaptics Edge Scrolling (298): 0, 0, 0
    Synaptics Two-Finger Scrolling (299):   1, 1
    Synaptics Move Speed (300): 1.000000, 1.750000, 0.053305, 0.000000
    Synaptics Off (301):    0
    Synaptics Locked Drags (302):   0
    Synaptics Locked Drags Timeout (303):   5000
    Synaptics Tap Action (304): 2, 3, 0, 0, 1, 3, 0
    Synaptics Click Action (305):   1, 3, 0
    Synaptics Circular Scrolling (306): 0
    Synaptics Circular Scrolling Distance (307):    0.100000
    Synaptics Circular Scrolling Trigger (308): 0
    Synaptics Circular Pad (309):   0
    Synaptics Palm Detection (310): 0
    Synaptics Palm Dimensions (311):    10, 200
    Synaptics Coasting Speed (312): 20.000000, 50.000000
    Synaptics Pressure Motion (313):    30, 160
    Synaptics Pressure Motion Factor (314): 1.000000, 1.000000
    Synaptics Resolution Detect (315):  1
    Synaptics Grab Event Device (316):  1
    Synaptics Gestures (317):   1
    Synaptics Capabilities (318):   1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1
    Synaptics Pad Resolution (319): 32, 31
    Synaptics Area (320):   0, 0, 0, 0
    Synaptics Soft Button Areas (321):  1548, 0, 1737, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
    Synaptics Noise Cancellation (322): 18, 18
    Device Product ID (255):    2, 14
    Device Node (256):  "/dev/input/event5"

But it is alwright! If you look carefully you should be able to find the a line saying "two fingers scrolling". for instance, mine is at Synaptics Two finger scrolling (299). If the values in that line are something else than 1, 1 then BINGO here are the problem ! just type :
xinput --set-prop "touchpad name" "scrolling option" 1 1
mine is
nathan@linux-engine:~$ xinput --set-prop "ETPS/2 Elantech Touchpad" "Synaptics Two-Finger Scrolling" 1 1.
it should be working now :)

You'll have to this everytime you restart your computer though !
Now it is time to automatized that everytime you wake up your computer :
In your home folder (or wherever you want) make a file named as you wish. it should contain 

#! bash
xinput (the command) ...

Then in the search for an application name startup applications and press "ADD". Name it as you wish and write in the command Field bash /your/file/path. example. It is done, forever :D !!!

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