Synaptics Clickpad functionalities incomplete: Right button area

Add this to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/51-clickpad.conf to make it persistent

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "Default clickpad buttons"
        MatchDriver "synaptics"
        Option "SoftButtonAreas" "50% 0 82% 0 0 0 0 0"
EndSection

There was concern of possible side effects / regressions that could affect other devices. I think Chase plans on bringing the feature back in 12.10. I don't know if he has any plans to host a PPA with the patched version we were experimenting with, but you can still obtain the old .debs that had the feature enabled from launchpad.

I do plan to enable it in 12.10. I suggest following Robert's approach for 12.04.

Hi,
the description of features for Ubuntu 12.04 (at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PrecisePangolin/TechnicalOverview/Beta2) lists Clickpad support as a feature of 12.04, but this bug is now marked as "Won't fix"--with this bug still present, Clickpad support is only partial--and Ubuntu really needs a right and middle button to work most efficiently.

If this bug will not be fixed for 12.04, I would suggest that the features page have clickpad support removed.

Hi Mason,

While I understand your sentiment, clickpad support is fully available in 12.04. The right button area is not enabled by default, but it can be easily enabled by users who want it.

There's a lot to clickpad functionality beyond just emitting the correct button click when tapping or clicking in specific areas. Two touch click and drag is a major piece of the puzzle, and that is enabled by default.

OK, I am good with that...except I could use help on the "easily enabled" part:
I checked in "System Settings"-->"Mouse and Touchpad" and there is no option to turn on the right button or the middle button. Is there a more obvious place to look?
Also, you haven't mentioned that the middle button can even be enabled, is that possible?
Thanks for your help.

Hi Mason,

See Robert's comment above on how to enable it by default. I recognize that it's not as easy as providing an option in gnome-control-center, but for those who really want it it isn't too difficult either.

Hi,
I just wanted to point out that the solution described for the right click works fine for my HP touchtmart tm2. Even though, is there any workaround for the two-tap disabling.? I have found anything relevant about it in internet. Is it going to be supported the feature as well on next ubuntu release? Thxs.

I'm using this bug to track the enablement of the right button area on clickpads. I am removing references to the tap-to-disable area. Please file another bug for that issue.

Thanks!

This bug was fixed in the package xserver-xorg-input-synaptics - 1.6.1-1ubuntu2

---------------
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (1.6.1-1ubuntu2) quantal-proposed; urgency=low

  * Enable right button clickpad area by default (LP: #972727)
    - Upstream has this enabled. We had it disabled for Precise due to the
      feature landing well after feature freeze. This change puts us back in
      sync with upstream.
 -- Chase Douglas <email address hidden> Thu, 07 Jun 2012 10:07:18 -0700

all right. New bug for two-taps disabling https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-input-synaptics/+bug/1010183

Marking this as verification-done; the recent SRU to 12.04 does *not* change this behaviour.

This bug was fixed in the package xserver-xorg-input-synaptics - 1.6.2-1ubuntu1~precise1

---------------
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (1.6.2-1ubuntu1~precise1) precise-proposed; urgency=low

  * Fixes memory corruption by driver (LP: #941953) FDo #49439
  * Fixes 'Coasting Direction is incorrect for negative VertScrollDelta/HorizScrollDelta'
  * Fixes jumpy cursor after suspend/resume
  * Fixes another resume bug
  * Fixes division by 0 or infinite loop with zero scroll distance FDo #49965
  * Merged from Debian unstable
  * Removed patches that were cherry picked commits and now in 1.6.2:
    - 201-Avoid-out-of-bounds-access-by-running-num_active_tou.patch
    - 202-Ignore-pre-existing-touches.patch
    - 203-Fix-coasting-for-negative-ScrollDelta.patch
    - 204-Reset-open-slots-array-on-device-disable.patch
    - 205-Reset-hw-x-y-to-INT_MIN-and-skip-HandleState-until-w.patch
    - 206-Don-t-allow-for-scroll-distances-of-0-49965.patch
  * Remaining patches:
    - 101_resolution_detect_option.patch
    - 103_enable_cornertapping.patch
    - 104_always_enable_tapping.patch
    - 106_always_enable_vert_edge_scroll.patch
    - 115_evdev_only.patch
    - 118_quell_error_msg.patch
    - 124_syndaemon_events.patch
    - 125_option_rec_revert.patch
    - 126_ubuntu_xi22.patch
    - 128_disable_three_click_action.patch
    - 129_disable_three_touch_tap.patch
  * Reinstate patch for (LP: #972727) due to feature freeze in precise

xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (1.6.2-1) unstable; urgency=low

  * New upstream release, from the 1.6 branch.

xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (1.6.1-1ubuntu2) quantal-proposed; urgency=low

  * Enable right button clickpad area by default (LP: #972727)
    - Upstream has this enabled. We had it disabled for Precise due to the
      feature landing well after feature freeze. This change puts us back in
      sync with upstream.

xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (1.6.1-1ubuntu1) quantal; urgency=low

  * Merged from Debian unstable
  * Refreshed patches for indentation changes
    - 101_resolution_detect_option.patch
    - 118_quell_error_msg.patch
    - 124_syndaemon_events.patch
    - 125_option_rec_revert.patch
  * Add temporary patches, for upstream git commits on synaptics-1.6-branch
  * Fix memory corruption by driver (LP: #941953) FDo #49439
   - 201-Avoid-out-of-bounds-access-by-running-num_active_tou.patch
   - 202-Ignore-pre-existing-touches.patch
  * Fix FDo #49966
   - 203-Fix-coasting-for-negative-ScrollDelta.patch
  * Fix jumpy cursor after suspend/resume
   - 204-Reset-open-slots-array-on-device-disable.patch
  * Fix another resume bug
   - 205-Reset-hw-x-y-to-INT_MIN-and-skip-HandleState-until-w.patch
  * Fix division by 0 or infinite loop with zero scroll distance FDo #49965
   - 206-Don-t-allow-for-scroll-distances-of-0-49965.patch

xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (1.6.1-1) unstable; urgency=low

  [ Julien Cristau ]
  * The mtdev build-dep is linux-only (closes: #672572). Thanks, Pino
    Toscano!

  [ Cyril Brulebois ]
  * New upstream release, from the 1.6 branch.

xserver-xorg-input-synaptics (1.6.0-1) unstable; urgency=low

  * New upstream release.
 -- Maarten Lankhorst <email address hidden> Thu, 1...

Hi,
I opened https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1030500 as my touchpad device is not recognized as a "clickpad" device.
Can you help me determine if it is a kernel bug or a xserver-xorg-input-synaptics bug?
Thanks