Mouse pointer sporadically jumps elsewhere <SOLVED>

[bowline]

Hi,

I just installed Linux Mint 17.2 with Cinnamon. My first time with either. This is in a dual boot setup with Windows 8.1.

Every once in the while, when a left click, the mouse pointer jumps elsewhere on the screen before the left click is processed. Usually this it jumps to the bottom left corner or the top right corner. Sometimes, it jumps somewhere on the edge of the screen. Occasionally, it jumps to somewhere in the middle of the screen.

I found some threads on this issue, but they're pretty old. This one discusses a work around and a fix, but neither seem to work: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=118125

The fix it mentions is:

update package xserver-xorg-core to the newest version 2:1.13.0-0ubuntu6.1 (see bug https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1041063)

But it's an old post. I'm already at version 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2.7, I don't think I should downgrade it -- at least not that far back.

The workaround it mentions doesn't work for me either:

<pre>$ xinput set-prop "VirtualBox mouse integration" "Coordinate Transformation Matrix" 0.5 0 0 0 0.5 0 0 0 1.0
$ xinput set-prop "VirtualBox mouse integration" "Coordinate Transformation Matrix" 1.0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 1.0</pre>

I tried it, but got the following error:

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X Error of failed request:  BadValue (integer parameter out of range for operation)
  Major opcode of failed request:  132 (XInputExtension)
  Minor opcode of failed request:  57 ()
  Value in failed request:  0x92
  Serial number of failed request:  20
  Current serial number in output stream:  21

From this post: http://superuser.com/questions/599319/x ... -correctly, I gather that the "Coordinate Transformation Matrix" has been made read-only since the workaround was first posted. I tried calling xinput with sudo, but got the same error.

I also saw posts about the issue regarding running in virtual box, but I'm not running in virtual box. I didn't find a solution there either.

Here's an excerpt of inxi -b:

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System:    Host: mintbox Kernel: 3.16.0-38-generic x86_64 (64 bit) Desktop: Cinnamon 2.6.11  Distro: Linux Mint 17.2 Rafaela
Machine:   Mobo: Dell model: Inspiron 3541 version: A03 Bios: Dell version: A03 date: 11/12/2014
CPU:       Dual core AMD E1-6010 APU with AMD Radeon R2 Graphics (-MCP-) clocked at 1000.00 MHz 
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Mullins [Radeon APU E2-4000 with R2 Graphics] 
           X.Org: 1.15.1 driver: fglrx Resolution: 1366x768@60.0hz 
           GLX Renderer: AMD Radeon R2 Graphics GLX Version: 4.4.13374 - CPC 15.20.1013

And here's the output of xinput:

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⎡ Virtual core pointer                    	id=2	[master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer              	id=4	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad              	id=12	[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)]
    ↳ Integrated_Webcam_HD                    	id=10	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard            	id=11	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Dell WMI hotkeys                        	id=13	[slave  keyboard (3)]

Not sure why I have two pointers. I only have a single input device (a touchpad).

I appreciate any help you can give. I've used Linux for years, but I've never administrated it before.

Thanks!

[Dave B]

Hi bowline and welcome to Mint forum,

I'm also using 17.2 Cinnamon edition.

Wonder if your issue is possibly due to touchpad sensitivity being too high (even while set on the lowest setting in System Settings), I have to reduce touchpad sensitivity on my laptop, here's how to try new settings, and apply new values...


Using the following (12 being your Synaptic touchpad ID from your xinput results)

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xinput list-props 12

Amongst other information, you should see a line like

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Synaptics Finger (288):	25, 30, 0

25 and 30 are the values of interest, 25 = FingerLow (as you remove your finger from the touchpad), 30 = FingerHigh (pressure required to use the touchpad).


You can test new values without permanently committing them using the following example (replace 288 with the value seen in your xinput list-props 12 result).

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xinput set-prop 12 288 35 40 0

For my laptop, I need to use higher settings. xinput set-prop 12 288 40 50 0

Best advice, increase values slowly and always keep the first (FingerLow) value lower than the second (FingerHigh) value.

If you go too high, and your touchpad stops working, don't panic!
1) Since you started with lower values, using (your keyboard up / down arrow keys, go back through) your bash (Terminal) history, find a previously tested lower value and press enter, your touchpad should work again. Keyboard advice added for new users reading this post.

2) If there's no lower value to return too. Restart your system using.

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sudo reboot

Previous settings will be restored.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once you find settings you are happy with.

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sudo gedit /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-synaptics.conf

In the first InputClass section, below MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"', add

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Option "FingerLow" "40"
Option "FingerHigh" "50"

Replacing 40 and 50 with your chosen values.

All of the above probably sounds far more complicated than it actually is.

By the way, your xinput results look fine, it's normal to see Virtual core XTEST pointer, plus Synaptics pointer.

Thanks go to user roblm, learned the above after previously reading one of his posts.
Hope you manage to find values to fix your problem.

David

[bowline]

Thanks, David!

Useful information. I'll try it out and run with it for a while. I'll let you know how it goes.

[bowline]

Well, changing the finger pressure sensitivity on the trackpad didn't solve the issue. I gradually increased it, until the trackpad didn't work anymore, but the problem persisted until the trackpad was non-functional.

I've attached a mouse and disabled the trackpad, to see if it happened with the mouse, but so far, it hasn't happened. It appears to be specific to the trackpad.

[Dave B]

Sorry to hear the settings didn't help, but good to hear you have a workaround for now.

[bowline]

Ok, so I think I figured it out. The problem is that my trackpad doesn't have buttons separate from the pad itself. You click the pad and it figures out whether it was a left or right click based on where your finger is when you click. This is all well and good except that usually, when I click like this, I have one finger in the middle of the trackpad moving the cursor around, and I use a finger on my other hand to click the lower left corner of the trackpad. But since I'm clicking the trackpad itself, there is a moment when I have two fingers touching at once, and the trackpad misinterprets that as a movement -- the cursor jumps down and to the left.

I found this page that describes all the Synaptic driver properties: http://www.x.org/archive/X11R7.5/doc/ma ... ics.4.html. Using that as a guide, I modified my "Synaptics Area".

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xinput list-props 14 | egrep 'Edges|Area '
	Synaptics Edges (296):	1666, 5360, 1498, 4478
	Synaptics Area (328):	0, 0, 0, 3800

Synaptics Edges (argument 4): "Y coordinate for bottom edge."
Synaptics Area (argument 4): "Ignore movements, scrolling and tapping which take place below this edge."

So, I created a 678 "trackpad-pixel" high dead zone at the bottom of my trackpad, so when I click my "buttons" it won't think I'm trying to move the cursor.

Still not ideal, but it works.

[bowline]

How do I mark this as solved? I don't see a way to do that.

Thanks.

[Dave B]

Hey well done.

That's achieved by editing your first post, you will then be able to modify the subject line adding <SOLVED>.

[bowline]

Thanks!

[jspotswood]

Another solution to this problem is to edit the /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-synaptics.conf file and uncomment the line

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Option "AreaBottomEdge" "82%"

After a restart on my system, this resulted in the command

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xinput list-props 14 | egrep 'Edges|Area '

returning:
Synaptics Edges (317): 1685, 5361, 1489, 4409
Synaptics Area (349): 0, 0, 0, 4035