Touchpad under 16.04 not working

I'm new to Ubuntu and just recently installed the Version 16.04 My Touchpad is not working at all and it seems as if it is not detected. The USB Mouse however is working perfect. I'd like to use the Touchpad though.

Is there a way to get it working?

I'm using a MEDION akoya E5218 notebook.

I did not disable it. I tried Fn+F6.

6 Answers

My touchpad sometimes gets stuck (especially on a fresh boot).

In my case, reloading the driver works. First I unload the module from the kernel (using rmmod (remove module)) and then reinsert it (using modprobe):

sudo rmmod i2c_hid
sudo modprobe i2c_hid

If you type

less /proc/bus/input/devices

do you see a touchpad anywhere in that list? If not, then there is no support for your touchpad in the kernel and you are pretty much out of luck, at least for now. If your touchpad is detected then the problem is elsewhere. Typing

xinput

will show if the X server has detected your touchpad. If your touchpad is in that list it may be possible to modify the X config to make it work

Follow these instructions to fix the issue,

modify grub file,

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

replace

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

with

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="i8042.reset quiet splash"

Save the file and then update grub using,

sudo update-grub command. and then restart your OS,

sudo shutdown -r now

Edit GRUB

sudo -H gedit /etc/default/grub

In the open window edit line

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

It should look this way

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash i8042.nopnp"

Save file and run

sudo update-grub

Prevent i2c_hid from loading

echo "blacklist i2c_hid" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/i2c-hid.conf
sudo depmod -a
sudo update-initramfs -u
echo "synaptics_i2c" | sudo tee -a /etc/modules

Reboot.

What it does is, it removes the synaptics hid drivers from the blacklist and allows them to be loaded at the initialization of the RAM file system, allowing your touch pad to work at boot

For my Akoya laptop this worked fine:

1. Try the following:

reboot to the grub menu and type e (hope it is right, --> you have to edit your command line)
in the line starting with GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT insert the following kernel properties:
```
 "i8042.reset i8042.nomux=1 i8042.nopnp i8042.noloop"
```
if your touchpad is now working, go to point 2.

2. Permanent Grub modification

Make a backup of your grub file:

 sudo cp /etc/default/grub /etc/default/grub.backup

Edit your grub file:
```
 sudo nano /etc/default/grub 
```
Now add the following paramters into the line starting with GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT :
```
 "i8042.reset i8042.nomux=1 i8042.nopnp i8042.noloop"
```
Save the file
Update your grub
```
 sudo update-grub
```
Reboot.

Perhaps you need to upgrade your kernel. I find that Ubuntu kernels below 4.5 don't find my Elantech touchpad by default.

You can upgrade to a newer version, like 4.5 using the instructions found here:

How to update kernel to the latest mainline version without any Distro-upgrade?