16.04 - ELAN Touchpad - Disable while typing does not work? - Ask Ubuntu

i love brand new laptop. fast processor, m.2 ssd, memory spare, xubuntu runs great.

however, tocuhpad driving me nuts! i'm typing the mouse clicks on whatever window it's over. worst part feature "disable touchpad while typing" should take care of not work.

lets start specs:

#uname -a linux pickledpeanuts 4.4.0-45-generic #66-ubuntu smp wed oct 19 14:12:37 utc 2016 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 gnu/linux #cat /etc/issue ubuntu 16.04.1 lts \n \l  #ps ax|grep syndaemo 13764 pts/6    s+     0:00 syndaemon -i 3 -kr 13793 pts/2    s+     0:00 grep --color=auto syndaemo #xinput ⎡ virtual core pointer                      id=2    [master pointer  (3)] ⎜   ↳ virtual core xtest pointer                id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)] ⎜   ↳ elan1010:00 04f3:3012 touchpad            id=12   [slave  pointer  (2)] ⎜   ↳ etps/2 elantech touchpad                  id=14   [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)]     ↳ video bus                                 id=8    [slave  keyboard (3)]     ↳ power button                              id=9    [slave  keyboard (3)]     ↳ sleep button                              id=10   [slave  keyboard (3)]     ↳ integrated_webcam_hd                      id=11   [slave  keyboard (3)]     ↳ @ translated set 2 keyboard              id=13   [slave  keyboard (3)]     ↳ dell wmi hotkeys                          id=15   [slave  keyboard (3)]     ↳ dell wireless hotkeys                     id=16   [slave  keyboard (3)] #ps ax|grep wm  2062 ?        s      0:15 xfwm4 --replace 13860 pts/2    s+     0:00 grep --color=auto wm #dmesg|grep -i elan [    1.604814] psmouse serio1: elantech: assuming hardware version 4 (with firmware version 0x4d5f02) [    1.617181] psmouse serio1: elantech: synaptics capabilities query result 0x00, 0x15, 0x10. [    1.629063] psmouse serio1: elantech: elan sample query result 0c, 02, 75 [    1.692084] input: etps/2 elantech touchpad /devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input6 [    2.194620] input: elan1010:00 04f3:3012 touchpad /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:15.0/i2c_designware.0/i2c-4/i2c-elan1010:00/0018:04f3:3012.0001/input/input12 [    2.194862] hid-multitouch 0018:04f3:3012.0001: input,hidraw0: i2c hid v1.00 mouse [elan1010:00 04f3:3012] on i2c-elan1010:00 # #synclient  parameter settings:     leftedge                = 128     rightedge               = 3092     topedge                 = 130     bottomedge              = 2292     fingerlow               = 1     fingerhigh              = 1     maxtaptime              = 180     maxtapmove              = 177     maxdoubletaptime        = 100     singletaptimeout        = 180     clicktime               = 100     emulatemidbuttontime    = 0     emulatetwofingerminz    = 282     emulatetwofingerminw    = 7     vertscrolldelta         = 80     horizscrolldelta        = 80     vertedgescroll          = 1     horizedgescroll         = 0     cornercoasting          = 0     verttwofingerscroll     = 1     horiztwofingerscroll    = 0     minspeed                = 1     maxspeed                = 1.75     accelfactor             = 0.0496401     touchpadoff             = 1     lockeddrags             = 0     lockeddragtimeout       = 5000     rtcornerbutton          = 2     rbcornerbutton          = 3     ltcornerbutton          = 0     lbcornerbutton          = 0     tapbutton1              = 1     tapbutton2              = 3     tapbutton3              = 0     clickfinger1            = 1     clickfinger2            = 3     clickfinger3            = 0     circularscrolling       = 0     circscrolldelta         = 0.1     circscrolltrigger       = 0     circularpad             = 0     palmdetect              = 0     palmminwidth            = 10     palmminz                = 200     coastingspeed           = 20     coastingfriction        = 50     pressuremotionminz      = 30     pressuremotionmaxz      = 160     pressuremotionminfactor = 1     pressuremotionmaxfactor = 1     resolutiondetect        = 1     grabeventdevice         = 0     tapanddraggesture       = 1     arealeftedge            = 0     arearightedge           = 0     areatopedge             = 0     areabottomedge          = 0     horizhysteresis         = 20     verthysteresis          = 20     clickpad                = 1     rightbuttonarealeft     = 1610     rightbuttonarearight    = 0     rightbuttonareatop      = 1986     rightbuttonareabottom   = 0     middlebuttonarealeft    = 0     middlebuttonarearight   = 0     middlebuttonareatop     = 0     middlebuttonareabottom  = 0 # 

please note the etps/2 elantech touchpad disabled in mouse , touchpad settings window. when elan1010:00 04f3:3012 touchpad disabled, touchpad no longer works (so 1 used.)

what i've tried (with not making difference):

• standard "disable touchpad while typing" option in interface
• disabling above , running syndaemon -i 3 -dk
• disabling above , running syndaemon -i 3
• running syndaemon root (just in case)

how know if works/doesn't work:

• continuously tap 1 key in window
• while doing above tap on touchpad in window
• if focus changes other window, touchpad not disabling while typing

a couple theory's may happening:

• touchpad driver plain not working right
• syndaemon disabling wrong touchpad entry (how test/fix?)
• syndaemon not detecting keyboard activity (how test/fix?)

i don't want jerk when asking help, before suggests "create batch file disable touchpad , map key" workaround. know that, it's not viable solution me. of time spent clicking, typing few lines, clicking again. etc. looking disable touchpad while typing working. quite technical, have been using different flavors of linux 18 years, , have been programming 20 years. however, not know codebases involved , love getting tracked down.

hi had same problem , figured out solution. read somewhere drivers mouse become confused when there more 1 mouse hardware listed under xinput.

so have tested , did following stop cursor focus moving elsewhere while typing:

from xinput list command see touchpad needs disabled id 14. run in terminal:

xinput set-prop 14 "device enabled" 0 

your mouse should still work both tap , physical click. if type while trying tap else should not lose focus (physical click still make lose focus havent figured out why yet. not big issue me never lean on pad hard enough while typing make click in way). need run on startup there arent 2 different mice detected @ once.