[gpm]Problems using synps2 mouse type with Synaptics touch pad

[Rich Griswold]

I have an HP Pavilion XH136 laptop with a Synaptics touch pad.  Currently
I'm using the ps/2 mouse driver for both the console and X.  It works
flawlessly, but it doesn't support the middle scroll button.  I recently
found that this support is available in the gpm synps2 driver.  I
installed gpm 1.20 which is supposed to have the support available without
needing a patch.  I ran 'gpm -m /dev/mouse -t synps2', and it reported
'Firmware version 5.1'.  Here's where I ran into a problem.

On the console, I can only occasionally get the mouse cursor to move.
Immediately after I start gpm, I can move about halfway across the screen,
then the cursor stops.  If I move my finger around the touch pad enough, I
can sometimes get it to move again.  It seems to work better if I have two
fingers on the touch pad.  Also, none of the buttons work.

I've looked on the web for more information, but nothing I've found has
helped.  I've added 'use_wmode 1' to /etc/gpm-syn.conf, and I've tried
using the '-3' parameter when running gpm.  I've also used tpconfig to
verify that the touch pad is indeed a Synaptics.  Here's the output from
'tpconfig -i'

  Found Synaptics Touchpad.
  Firmware: 5.1 (single-byte mode).
  Sensor type: Advanced Technology Pad.
  Geometry: rectangular/landscape/down.
  Packets: absolute (new style), 80 packets per second.
  Tap gestures: enabled.
  Sleep mode: off.

I also tried putting gpm in debug mode.  Here's what I get (minus the '***
debug ***' lines):

  Initializing Synaptics PS/2 TouchPad
  Synaptics Ident:  model_code=1   Firmware version 5.1
  Synaptics model:
     rot180:      Yes
     portrait:    No
     sensor:      15
                  Advanced Technology pad

                  0x0 res/mm
                   0.0x 0.0 mm
                  0x0 res
     hardware:    64
     newABS:      Yes
     simpleCmd:   Yes
     geometry:    1

  Min Toss Dist^2: 0

  Screen size: 80 - 25
  x 10, y 20
  Removing files /var/run/gpm.pid and /dev/gpmctl
  info: [/home/snailtalk/RPM/BUILD/gpm-1.20.0/src/gpn.c(363)]:
  Started gpm successfully. Entered daemon mode.
       Firmware version 5.1

gpm prints debug output when I move my finger on the touchpad and when I
press the left and right buttons.  However, it doesn't print anything when
I press the scroll button.  I can send the full debug output if anyone
needs it.

Even though I don't use gpm in repeater mode, it messes up the mouse with
X as well.  When I try to move the cursor, it jumps all over the screen
and seems to randomly send button events.  If I do put gpm in repeater
mode and configure X to read from gpm, the cursor has the same behavor as
on the console, and the buttons don't work.

I'm running RedHat 7.2 with kernel 2.4.7, gpm 1.20, and XFree86 4.1.0.
Any suggestions on how to fix this problem are appreciated.

-- 
Richard Griswold - griswold@acm.org

There are only 10 types of people who understand binary -
  those who do and those who don't