Trackpad Configuration

frogprince

After the inability of the Dell 7490 to accept a Ghost installation, I pulled up an older Dell M6800 that had been running MX Linux. The machine configuration is:

FreeBSD 15.0-RELEASE-p10 amd64
CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4810MQ CPU @ 2.80GHz (2793.65-MHz K8-class CPU)
CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4810MQ CPU @ 2.80GHz (2793.70-MHz K8-class CPU)
real memory = 17179869184 (16384 MB)
avail memory = 16591962112 (15823 MB)
[drm] Got Intel graphics stolen memory base 0xcd200000, size 0x2000000
real memory = 17179869184 (16384 MB)
avail memory = 16591953920 (15823 MB)
[drm] Got Intel graphics stolen memory base 0xcd200000, size 0x2000000

The install went perfectly (I'm using the XFCE version), no problems with UEFI boot in this bios version, and it runs well. However, I'm back to the same trackpad problems I had with the Latitude E6420: no two finger scroll. I did some research, and decided to try the synaptics trackpad driver, instead of libinput. I found the following link:

forums.freebsd.org/threads/how-to-use-synaptics-touchpad-with-freebsd.67094/

Which states:

"Have you try this:

echo 'hw.psm.synaptics_support="1" >> /boot/loader.conf
sysrc moused_enable=YES
service moused start

Now, this is GhostBSD, not straight FreeBSD, and Ghost runs LibreX. In Software Station, I found and installed xlibre-xf86-synaptics and libsynaptics, and then ran the commands noted above. Now, the Mouse/Trackpad control in Applications shows both the system mouse (which I assume is the trackpad) and the joystick pointer. But still no two finger scrolling option.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to implement these two functions, either in synaptics or libinput? Thanks in advance.

vimanuelt

frogprince
Given FreeBSD’s growing adoption of cross-platform desktop technologies used in the Linux ecosystem, especially in graphics, audio and input handling, I would suggest developing this solution around libinput. This would provide a more standardized input layer and better interoperability with modern desktop environments.

I would suggest a BSD native solution, but the code is still alpha.

ericbsd

@frogprince remove xf86-synaptics. I had the same issue, and removing it solved it. The xf86-synaptics driver is for pre 2010 hardware. The next version of GHostBSD will not come with it preinstalled.

frogprince

Thank you, gentlemen. I reversed the edits above, and then searched on the FreeBSD manual pages for libinput. That section discusses using the xorg.conf file for making configuration changes, but I could not find that file anywhere in my system. So,

1.) Am I correct in deciding that the standard Ghost installation does not include this configuration file?
a.) If so, then where is it located?
b.) If not, can I create one without other consequences? Where should I put it?

Thanks again for your help. I think that solving this issue might help a number of users.

ericbsd

frogprince The default is libinput, but since the last update, Synaptic packages cause issues. If you removed the xf86-synaptics package, it should solve the issue.

vimanuelt

The advice to remove xf86-synaptics is probably the right one. The M6800 is modern enough that libinput is the driver you want. The old Synaptics driver exists largely for older hardware and tends to create more problems than it solves on current systems. GhostBSD is moving in the same direction as the rest of the X.Org world: let libinput handle input devices unless there is a compelling reason not to.

The absence of an xorg.conf file is not a problem. In fact, it is the normal configuration. X.Org has not required a monolithic configuration file for years. Hardware is detected automatically, and any local customization is usually done with small configuration snippets placed in /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/. That approach is cleaner, easier to maintain, and avoids replacing the defaults that are already working.

Before creating any configuration, it is worth confirming that libinput is actually driving the touchpad. The X.Org log will tell you which driver is attached to the device, and xinput list-props will show the properties exported by that driver. If the device exposes options such as Scroll Method, Tapping, and Natural Scrolling, then libinput is in control and those behaviors can usually be adjusted with a small configuration file. If those properties are absent, then the touchpad is not being managed by libinput, and changing configuration files will not accomplish much.

If libinput is active, a small file such as 40-libinput.conf in /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ is the appropriate place to enable two-finger scrolling or tapping. There is little reason to create a complete xorg.conf; doing so replaces automatic configuration with a static one, which is usually more work than benefit.

One detail stands out. You saw the same behavior on both a Latitude E6420 and now on an M6800. Those Dell systems were frequently equipped with Alps touchpads, depending on the production run. Historically, Alps devices have exposed fewer capabilities through the FreeBSD input stack than Synaptics or ELAN hardware. If the kernel only sees a basic PS/2 pointing device, then libinput has nothing from which to synthesize two-finger gestures.

The next useful step is not to edit configuration files but to identify the hardware. The output of dmesg | grep -i psm, xinput list, and xinput list-props (or libinput list-devices, if available) will reveal both the touchpad model and the driver in use. Once those facts are known, it becomes much easier to determine whether the missing functionality is a configuration issue or a limitation of the underlying driver.

vimanuelt

ericbsd
It didn't solve the same issue on my 2015 Dell Latitude laptops. There is still a gap in support.

I have created a driver but it uses a different input system than GhostBSD.

frogprince

vimanuelt: This is the best information on this topic I've found to date. X.org.0.log shows this pertinent piece of information:

[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) config/udev: Adding input device System mouse (/dev/input/event1)
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] () System mouse: Applying InputClass "evdev pointer catchall"
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] () System mouse: Applying InputClass "libinput pointer catchall"
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) Using input driver 'libinput' for 'System mouse'
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] () System mouse: always reports core events
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] () Option "Device" "/dev/input/event1"
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) event1 - System mouse: is tagged by udev as: Mouse
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) event1 - System mouse: emulating high-resolution scroll wheel events.
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) event1 - System mouse: device is a pointer
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) event1 - System mouse: device removed
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) libinput: System mouse: Step value 0 was provided, libinput Fallback acceleration function is used.
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) libinput: System mouse: Step value 0 was provided, libinput Fallback acceleration function is used.
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) libinput: System mouse: Step value 0 was provided, libinput Fallback acceleration function is used.
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] () Option "config_info" "udev:/dev/input/event1"
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "System mouse" (type: MOUSE, id 7)
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] () Option "AccelerationScheme" "none"
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] () System mouse: (accel) selected scheme none/0
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] () System mouse: (accel) acceleration factor: 2.00
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (**) System mouse: (accel) acceleration threshold: 4
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) event1 - System mouse: is tagged by udev as: Mouse
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) event1 - System mouse: emulating high-resolution scroll wheel events.
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) event1 - System mouse: device is a pointer
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) config/udev: Adding input device Control Method Lid Switch (/dev/input/event2)
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) No input driver specified, ignoring this device.
[2026-07-22 22:08:35] (II) This device may have been added with another device file.

Moving along,

mikeb@mikeb-ghostbsd / % dmesg | grep psm
psm0: <PS/2 Mouse> irq 12 on atkbdc0
psm0: [GIANT-LOCKED]
WARNING: Device "psm" is Giant locked and may be deleted before FreeBSD 16.0.
psm0: model GlidePoint, device ID 0

mikeb@mikeb-ghostbsd / % xinput list
⎡ Virtual core pointer id=2 [master pointer (3)]
⎜ ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer id=4 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ System mouse id=7 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ GlidePoint id=11 [slave pointer (2)]

mikeb@mikeb-ghostbsd/% sudo libinput list-devices
Password:
Device: GlidePoint
Kernel: /dev/input/event6
Id: serial:0002:0001
Group: 7
Seat: seat0, default
Capabilities: pointer
Tap-to-click: n/a
Tap-and-drag: n/a
Tap button map: n/a
Tap drag lock: n/a
Left-handed: disabled
Nat.scrolling: disabled
Middle emulation: n/a
Calibration: n/a
Scroll methods: button
Scroll button: BTN_RIGHT
Scroll button lock: disabled
Click methods: none
Clickfinger button map: n/a
Disable-w-typing: n/a
Disable-w-trackpointing: n/a
Accel profiles: flat *adaptive custom
Rotation: 0.0
Area rectangle: n/a

mikeb@mikeb-ghostbsd / % xinput list-props 7
Device 'System mouse':
Device Enabled (181): 1
Coordinate Transformation Matrix (182): 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000
libinput Natural Scrolling Enabled (317): 1
libinput Natural Scrolling Enabled Default (318): 0
libinput Scroll Methods Available (319): 0, 0, 1
libinput Scroll Method Enabled (320): 0, 0, 0
libinput Scroll Method Enabled Default (321): 0, 0, 0
libinput Button Scrolling Button (322): 2
libinput Button Scrolling Button Default (323): 2
libinput Button Scrolling Button Lock Enabled (324): 0
libinput Button Scrolling Button Lock Enabled Default (325): 0
libinput Scrolling Factor (298): 1.000000
libinput Scrolling Factor Default (299): 1.000000
libinput Middle Emulation Enabled (326): 0
libinput Middle Emulation Enabled Default (327): 0
libinput Rotation Angle (300): 0.000000
libinput Rotation Angle Default (301): 0.000000
libinput Accel Speed (328): 0.980000
libinput Accel Speed Default (329): 0.000000
libinput Accel Profiles Available (330): 1, 1, 1
libinput Accel Profile Enabled (331): 1, 0, 0
libinput Accel Profile Enabled Default (332): 1, 0, 0
libinput Accel Custom Fallback Points (333): <no items>
libinput Accel Custom Fallback Step (334): 0.000000
libinput Accel Custom Motion Points (335): <no items>
libinput Accel Custom Motion Step (336): 0.000000
libinput Accel Custom Scroll Points (337): <no items>
libinput Accel Custom Scroll Step (338): 0.000000
libinput Left Handed Enabled (339): 0
libinput Left Handed Enabled Default (340): 0
libinput Send Events Modes Available (302): 1, 0
libinput Send Events Mode Enabled (303): 0, 0
libinput Send Events Mode Enabled Default (304): 0, 0
Device Node (305): "/dev/input/event1"
Device Product ID (306): 0, 0
libinput Drag Lock Buttons (341): <no items>
libinput Horizontal Scroll Enabled (342): 1
libinput Scrolling Pixel Distance (343): 15
libinput Scrolling Pixel Distance Default (344): 15
libinput High Resolution Wheel Scroll Enabled (345): 1

Now, per https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=libinput&sektion=4&format=html, the available scrolling options for a trackpad in libinput are

Option "ScrollMethod" "string"
Enables a scroll method. Permitted values are none, twofinger,
edge, button. Not all devices support all options. If an op-
tion is unsupported, the default scroll option for this device
is used.

What I see from xinput list-props 7 is

libinput Scroll Methods Available (319): 0, 0, 1

So I'm at last led to two questions:

1.) What do these Boolean values mean for this property? Does this mean that the Glidepoint trackpad only supports basic mouse functionality?

2.) If I were to try to create a config file, say, 30-mylibinput.conf in X.org.conf.d, would I include a line such as

Option "ScrollMethod" "twofinger"

Now that I have some better understanding of how libinput works, I found a post at https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/touchpad-setup-with-libinput.79889/, and one of the posters also had a Glidepoint trackpad and was unable to get it to work with two-finger scrolling at all. The BSD driver simply doesn't support that function with this trackpad. But attempting an edit in the correct file would confirm this.

vimanuelt

The X log finally shows what is happening.

There are two devices here:

System mouse
GlidePoint

The relevant one is the GlidePoint, not the generic mouse device.

libinput list-devices says:

Device: GlidePoint
Capabilities: pointer
Scroll methods:
    button

That is the important part. A real multitouch touchpad would normally report gesture capability. This one is being presented as a pointer device only.

The xinput property:

libinput Scroll Methods Available (319): 0, 0, 1

is a bit opaque. The values are:

two-finger, edge, button

so this means:

two-finger: no
edge:       no
button:     yes

The device only supports button scrolling.

Adding:

Option "ScrollMethod" "twofinger"

to an X input configuration will not help. libinput can select only capabilities that the device already provides; it cannot create multitouch events that the kernel driver does not expose.

The remaining question is whether the FreeBSD psm driver exposes any multitouch data from this GlidePoint. Given:

psm0: model GlidePoint, device ID 0

and:

Capabilities: pointer

the answer is probably no.

The useful test is:

sudo libinput debug-events --device /dev/input/event6

If two fingers produce no multitouch events, then this is a driver limitation, not an X configuration problem.

In short: the hardware may be a touchpad, but FreeBSD is exposing it as a mouse. libinput is only reporting what it receives.

frogprince

vmanuelt: Thank you so very much. I learned a great deal from this exchange, and out of curiosity, I may attempt a FreeBSD install on the 7490. It is rated at 8/10 on the FreeBSD laptop evaluation, and I would really like to learn a bit more about BSD.