I use openSUSE 11.1. Suddenly, I can’t scroll anymore with the touchpad on my Acer Aspire One A150 (the rest of the functions of the touchpad are allright). It used to work fine; this is new. Possibly some buggy update?
Now, when I try to start Hardware - Touchpad, I get the following error message:
GSynaptics couldn't initialize.
You have to set 'SHMConfig' 'true' in xorg.conf or XF86Config to use GSynaptics
When I check /etc/X11/xorg.conf, everything seems allright: SHMconfig is turned on:
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "synaptics"
Identifier "Mouse[1]"
Option "Buttons" "5"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "on"
Option "InputFashion" "Mouse"
Option "Name" "Touchpad"
Option "Protocol" "explorerps/2"
Option "SHMConfig" "on"
Option "Vendor" "Synaptics"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection
When I change the SHMconfig line into:
Option “SHMConfig” “true”
(changing “on” into “true”)
and then reboot, it doesn’t make any difference.
What can I do?
Can you post the contents of the file “/var/log/Xorg.0.log” ?
It might contain some useful error messages to find out what’s wrong.
BTW, did you plug an external mouse ? Was it plugged when X has started (log in) ?
Thanks for replying. There was no external mouse plugged in.
This is what the relevant part of Xorg.0.log says (I can’t post the log entirely; it’s too many characters for a forum message. The forum software won’t allow it):
(II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 0.15.2
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 100
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 200
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 300
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 400
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 500
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 600
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 700
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 800
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 900
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 1000
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 1100
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 1200
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 1300
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 1400
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 1500
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 1600
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 1700
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 1800
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 1900
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 2000
Mouse[1] waiting 100 msec to become devices ready
Mouse[1] waiting time total: 2100
Mouse[1] no synaptics event device found
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
(**) Option "SHMConfig" "on"
Query no Synaptics: 6003C8
(EE) Mouse[1] no synaptics touchpad detected and no repeater device
(EE) Mouse[1] Unable to query/initialize Synaptics hardware.
(EE) PreInit failed for input device "Mouse[1]"
(II) UnloadModule: "synaptics"
(**) Option "Protocol" "explorerps/2"
(**) Mouse[3]: Device: "/dev/input/mice"
(**) Mouse[3]: Protocol: "explorerps/2"
(**) Option "SendCoreEvents"
(**) Mouse[3]: always reports core events
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
(**) Option "Buttons" "5"
(==) Mouse[3]: Emulate3Buttons, Emulate3Timeout: 50
(**) Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
(**) Mouse[3]: ZAxisMapping: buttons 4 and 5
(**) Mouse[3]: Buttons: 9
(**) Mouse[3]: Sensitivity: 1
(II) evaluating device (Keyboard[0])
(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Keyboard[0]" (type: KEYBOARD)
(II) evaluating device (Mouse[3])
(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Mouse[3]" (type: MOUSE)
(II) Mouse[3]: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded
Could not init font path element /usr/share/fonts/TTF/, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/share/fonts/OTF, removing from list!
I hope this is enough information.
Very strange. It looks like the synaptics module is waiting for the touchpad but can’t find it. This happened to me once on an old Dell laptop, maybe it had some hardware issue. After powering it off, then on again, it worked fine.
In your case, it is probably another problem.
The package for the touchpad driver is “x11-input-synaptics”. You might try to downgrade/upgrade it in yast and see whether it fixes your issue.
Else, you might try starting the openSUSE live CD or live DVD and see whether the scroll works there, in case the problem would be caused by another package.
I couldn’t revert to an earlier version of x11-input-synaptics: YaST didn’t offer the possibility for this package. How can I acquire an earlier version?
However: the problem seems to be intermittent (I hate intermittent problems, they are hell for bug squashing). The last 2 times that I booted, the touchpad did allow scrolling again. And Xorg.0.log gave a much healthier result as well. This is a shortened rendering of it’s contents (shortened because of the forum software linitations):
X.Org X Server 1.5.2
Release Date: 10 October 2008
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: openSUSE SUSE LINUX
Current Operating System: Linux linux-6yl6 2.6.27.29-0.1-pae #1 SMP 2009-08-15 17:53:59 +0200 i686
Build Date: 02 July 2009 08:02:13AM
Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
to make sure that you have the latest version.
Module Loader present
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Fri Sep 18 11:44:24 2009
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(==) ServerLayout "Layout[all]"
(**) |-->Screen "Screen[0]" (0)
(**) | |-->Monitor "Monitor[0]"
(**) | |-->Device "Device[0]"
(**) |-->Input Device "Keyboard[0]"
(**) |-->Input Device "Mouse[1]"
(**) |-->Input Device "Mouse[3]"
(**) Option "ZapWarning" "on"
(**) Option "AllowMouseOpenFail" "on"
(**) Option "Xinerama" "off"
(**) Option "AIGLX" "on"
(==) Automatically adding devices
(==) Automatically enabling devices
--snip--
(**) Input device list set to "/dev/gpmdata,/dev/input/mice"
(==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/modules/updates,/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
(**) Extension "Composite" is enabled
(II) Open ACPI successful (/var/run/acpid.socket)
(II) Loader magic: 0x81f95c0
(II) Module ABI versions:
X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
X.Org Video Driver: 4.1
X.Org XInput driver : 2.1
X.Org Server Extension : 1.1
X.Org Font Renderer : 0.6
(II) Loader running on linux
(++) using VT number 7
--snip--
(II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules//input/synaptics_drv.so
(II) Module synaptics: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
compiled for 1.5.2, module version = 0.15.2
Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 2.1
(II) LoadModule: "mouse"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules//input/mouse_drv.so
(II) Module mouse: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
compiled for 1.5.2, module version = 1.3.0
Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 2.1
--snip--
(--) RandR disabled
(II) Initializing built-in extension MIT-SHM
(II) Initializing built-in extension XInputExtension
(II) Initializing built-in extension XTEST
(II) Initializing built-in extension XKEYBOARD
(II) Initializing built-in extension XC-APPGROUP
(II) Initializing built-in extension SECURITY
(II) Initializing built-in extension XINERAMA
(II) Initializing built-in extension XFIXES
(II) Initializing built-in extension RENDER
(II) Initializing built-in extension RANDR
(II) Initializing built-in extension COMPOSITE
(II) Initializing built-in extension DAMAGE
(II) Initializing built-in extension XEVIE
drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card0
drmOpenDevice: open result is 12, (OK)
drmOpenByBusid: Searching for BusID pci:0000:00:02.0
drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card0
drmOpenDevice: open result is 12, (OK)
drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns 12
drmOpenByBusid: drmGetBusid reports pci:0000:00:02.0
(II) AIGLX: enabled GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer
(II) AIGLX: enabled GLX_SGI_swap_control and GLX_MESA_swap_control
(II) AIGLX: enabled GLX_texture_from_pixmap with driver support
(II) AIGLX: Loaded and initialized /usr/lib/dri/i915_dri.so
(II) GLX: Initialized DRI GL provider for screen 0
(II) intel(0): Setting screen physical size to 305 x 230
(**) Option "CoreKeyboard"
(**) Keyboard[0]: always reports core events
(**) Option "Protocol" "Standard"
(**) Keyboard[0]: Protocol: Standard
(**) Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
(**) Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
(**) Keyboard[0]: XkbRules: "xfree86"
(**) Option "XkbModel" "microsoftpro"
(**) Keyboard[0]: XkbModel: "microsoftpro"
(**) Option "XkbLayout" "us"
(**) Keyboard[0]: XkbLayout: "us"
(**) Option "XkbVariant" "intl"
(**) Keyboard[0]: XkbVariant: "intl"
(**) Option "CustomKeycodes" "off"
(**) Keyboard[0]: CustomKeycodes disabled
(II) Synaptics touchpad driver version 0.15.2
(--) Mouse[1] auto-dev sets device to /dev/input/event1 (waited 0 msec)
(II) Mouse[1]: x-axis range 1472 - 5472
(II) Mouse[1]: y-axis range 1408 - 4448
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event1"
(**) Option "SHMConfig" "on"
(--) Mouse[1] touchpad found
(**) Option "CorePointer"
(**) Mouse[1]: always reports core events
(**) Option "Protocol" "explorerps/2"
(**) Mouse[3]: Device: "/dev/input/mice"
(**) Mouse[3]: Protocol: "explorerps/2"
(**) Option "SendCoreEvents"
(**) Mouse[3]: always reports core events
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
(**) Option "Buttons" "5"
(==) Mouse[3]: Emulate3Buttons, Emulate3Timeout: 50
(**) Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
(**) Mouse[3]: ZAxisMapping: buttons 4 and 5
(**) Mouse[3]: Buttons: 9
(**) Mouse[3]: Sensitivity: 1
(II) evaluating device (Keyboard[0])
(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Keyboard[0]" (type: KEYBOARD)
(II) evaluating device (Mouse[1])
(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Mouse[1]" (type: TOUCHPAD)
(II) evaluating device (Mouse[3])
(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Mouse[3]" (type: MOUSE)
(II) Mouse[1]: x-axis range 1472 - 5472
(II) Mouse[1]: y-axis range 1408 - 4448
(--) Mouse[1] touchpad found
(II) Mouse[3]: ps2EnableDataReporting: succeeded
Could not init font path element /usr/share/fonts/TTF/, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/share/fonts/OTF, removing from list!
--snip--
I’m pretty sure that it’s not faulty hardware. My Acer Aspire One is triple boot, with Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04 and Windows XP Home as well. The problem never happens in these two other operating systems.
I googled “synaptics not detected sometimes” and found this bug report:
https://lists.linux-foundation.org/pipermail/bugme-new/2009-April/021666.html
Can you compare your kernel version of Ubuntu with the one from openSUSE ?
uname -a
Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04:
Linux aao150netboekje 2.6.28-15-generic #49-Ubuntu SMP Tue Aug 18 18:40:08 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux
openSUSE 11.1:
Linux linux-6yl6 2.6.27.29-0.1-pae #1 SMP 2009-08-15 17:53:59 +0200 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
By the way: scrolling with the touchpad is impossible again… 
So your Ubuntu kernel is more recent than the openSUSE one.
I have the same version in openSUSE but no issues with the synaptics module.
You might also try to compare the xorg.conf of Ubuntu with openSUSE.
You said the problems started to appear after an update ? It could be the kernel update.
Else, I have found this: No Synaptics Touchpad detected on Laptop. - LinuxQuestions.org
It’s for slackware but it has some suggestions about what you can try.
Good luck !