Here is my mini-tutorial on two-finger scrolling for those that do not have it. I will assume you are using Jaunty for this, this would be slightly different for Intrepid and much different for Hardy.
Introduction
This is a quick 5-minute guide and is by no means extensive. This particular guide for Jaunty will modify a single HAL settings file to pass options to X in order for the two finger scrolling to work.
Step One: Determine Your Brand of Trackpad
Start out by opening and terminal and executing the following:
That will show console output of your trackpad's input, something like this:
Code:
time x y z f w l r u d m multi gl gm gr gdx gdy
44.059 430 416 64 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 00000000 0 0 0 0 0
which will constantly scroll so long as you are touching the trackpad. Start by focusing on the f and the z axes. Touch one finger to the trackpad. The f axis should jump to one while you are touching the trackpad with one finger, and the z axis will rise. Note the ballpark for z, you may or may not need it later. Now take your finger off and touch two fingers. This is where we determine your brand of trackpad. One of two things will happen: Either the f value will be 2, which means you are using a Synaptics trackpad which fully supports multitouch. Skip to step 2A. If f doesn't change to 2, you most likely have an Alps trackpad. Have a look at axis z. Between one and two fingers, this axis should dramatically increase when two fingers are placed on the trackpad. This is a pressure value that we will use to simulate two fingers. Take note of the ballpark two fingers gives you, we need to know at what pressure to emulate two fingers. Do not make it impossibly high, nor so low that it constantly triggers scrolling. I will be using 100, as that is an acceptable value for me, a friend of mine has a laptop where 85 is enough to trigger it. Head to step 2B for setting up two finger scrolling.
-----------------------------------------
Step 2A: Synaptics
For those of you with a Synaptics trackpad, open a terminal and execute the following:
Code:
cd /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty/
sudo cp 11-x11-synaptics.fdi 11-x11-synaptics.fdi.bak
gksudo gedit 11-x11-synaptics.fdi
The second command was simply to back up your trackpad config incase something goes awry.
In the newly opened gedit window, you will see quite a short document. Find the line
Code:
<merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">synaptics</merge>
and underneath it, paste in:
Code:
<merge key="input.x11_options.SHMConfig" type="string">On</merge>
<merge key="input.x11_options.VertTwoFingerScroll" type="string">1</merge>
<merge key="input.x11_options.HorizTwoFingerScroll" type="string">1</merge>
and then save and close. Simply reboot, and you should be happily scrolling with two fingers.
Step 2B: Alps
This step is the same as above with a single except that where I ask you to paste in
Code:
<merge key="input.x11_options.SHMConfig" type="string">On</merge>
<merge key="input.x11_options.VertTwoFingerScroll" type="string">1</merge>
<merge key="input.x11_options.HorizTwoFingerScroll" type="string">1</merge>
, I need you to paste in an extra line with it:
Code:
<merge key="input.x11_options.SHMConfig" type="string">On</merge>
<merge key="input.x11_options.EmulateTwoFingerMinZ" type="string">100</merge>
<merge key="input.x11_options.VertTwoFingerScroll" type="string">1</merge>
<merge key="input.x11_options.HorizTwoFingerScroll" type="string">1</merge>
Simply follow step 2A with this block instead, however where you see '100' in the new line, change that value to the z axis value for two fingers that we found in step one.
Conclusion
Any X11 option for the trackpad can be passed through here, in the form of
Code:
<merge key="input.x11_options.OptionName" type="string">Value</merge>
So feel free to mess around with the options if you need extra options for you trackpad such as speed and all.
Cheers, hope this was useful.
Bookmarks