Ubuntu 11.04 with Gnome on Dell 6510: cannot disable touchpad

**vincegata** · May 13th, 2011

I cannot disable touchpad. If I go to mouse preferences, there is no Touchpad tab.

I used this package but it does not install at all.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:atareao/atareao
sudo apt-get install touchpad-indicator

Do you have any other suggestions, please?

TIA!!

**vincegata** · May 14th, 2011

This command:

sudo synclient TouchpadOff=1

gives me:

Couldn't find synaptics properties. No synaptics driver loaded?

Any other suggestions, please?

**Joliea** · May 25th, 2011

I also have the same problem!

**eyedeal** · May 25th, 2011

I own a DELL INSPIRON N5110. It uses Alps touchpad, and that's a problem because it's recognized as a mouse. So touchpad cannot be disabled and/or configured as a touchpad.

I'm not sure how to solve this issue, but it might be the real issue for you two as well.

If you do `xinput list` and see:

Code:

....
⎜   ↳ ImPS/2 ALPS GlidePoint                  	id=19	[slave  pointer  (2)]
....

it means you have the crappy ALPS touchpad.

**d.burba** · May 29th, 2011

This is the script I use on my N5110 on every startup (in order to set correct touchpad state) and assigned it for touchpad enable/disable keyboard shortcut. Customize it for your needs as I did

**vincegata** · June 19th, 2011

@d.burba, the script does not work on my Dell E6510

Is there anything else, please?

**mfergo** · September 11th, 2011

I too have the Alps touchpad (Dell Inspiron 15R) and this did not work for me so I made 2 very simple scripts as follows:
I used xprint list to identify the Alps id (14 in my case).

to enable it:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
xinput --set-prop 14 'Device Enabled' 1

and to disable it:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
xinput --set-prop 14 'Device Enabled' 0

Bear in mind that I am quite ignorant of these matters. I don't know why, in d.burba's script, there is an '8' between the 'Device Enabled' and the 1/0. It does not seem to be in the man pages for xinput.

**moonport** · July 4th, 2011

Originally Posted by vincegata

I cannot disable touchpad. If I go to mouse preferences, there is no Touchpad tab.

I used this package but it does not install at all.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:atareao/atareao
sudo apt-get install touchpad-indicator

Do you have any other suggestions, please?

TIA!!

I've the same issue in my Lenovo Laptop.