Upgrade to 8.10, right arrow key no longer functioning in Gnome

**userundefine** · October 30th, 2008

I upgraded to 8.10 from 8.04.1 tonight. I log into Gnome to find out that my mouse speed has been reduced. I added specific changes in xorg.conf to increase the speed in Hardy, so I check xorg.conf to find out what happened (I had a backup copy too).

Then I found that my right-arrow key no longer functions at all in X. It *does* function at the gdm login screen, and in a tty terminal (ctrl+alt+1). But it does not function whatsoever in gnome.

Here's my xorg.conf:

Code:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Monitor		"Configured Monitor"
	Device		"Configured Video Device"
	Defaultdepth	24
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
	Driver	"ati"
	Option		"VideoOverlay"	"on"
	Option		"OpenGLOverlay"	"off"
EndSection

# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
#Section "InputDevice"
#	Identifier	"Generic Keyboard"
#	Driver		"kbd"
#	Option		"XkbRules"	"xorg"
#	Option		"XkbModel"	"pc105"
#	Option		"XkbLayout"	"us"
#EndSection

# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
#Section "InputDevice"
#	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"
#	Driver		"mouse"
#	Option		"CorePointer"
#EndSection

# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
#Section "InputDevice"
#	Identifier	"Synaptics Touchpad"
#	Driver		"synaptics"
#	Option		"SendCoreEvents"	"true"
#	Option		"Device"	"/dev/psaux"
#	Option		"Protocol"	"auto-dev"
#	Option		"HorizEdgeScroll"	"0"
#	Option		"MinSpeed"	"0.6"
#	Option		"MaxSpeed"	"0.9"
#	Option		"AccelFactor"	"0.0450"
#EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier	"Default Layout"
  screen "Default Screen"
# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
#	Inputdevice	"Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
	Option		"Composite"	"Enable"
EndSection

You can see that my modifications for the mouse have been commented out, as well as other things, for this "HAL." What is this, where can I configure it? I googled around and got very few results. I tried uncommenting the sections for my mouse and keyboard and X wouldn't start. I also reconfigured the X server manually, and nothing changed. I tried changing the keyboard settings through the System > Preferences without success.

Any ideas? Thanks!

**Bashar "** · November 2nd, 2008

Originally Posted by userundefine

I upgraded to 8.10 from 8.04.1 tonight. I log into Gnome to find out that my mouse speed has been reduced. I added specific changes in xorg.conf to increase the speed in Hardy, so I check xorg.conf to find out what happened (I had a backup copy too).

Then I found that my right-arrow key no longer functions at all in X. It *does* function at the gdm login screen, and in a tty terminal (ctrl+alt+1). But it does not function whatsoever in gnome.

Here's my xorg.conf:

Code:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Monitor		"Configured Monitor"
	Device		"Configured Video Device"
	Defaultdepth	24
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
	Driver	"ati"
	Option		"VideoOverlay"	"on"
	Option		"OpenGLOverlay"	"off"
EndSection

# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
#Section "InputDevice"
#	Identifier	"Generic Keyboard"
#	Driver		"kbd"
#	Option		"XkbRules"	"xorg"
#	Option		"XkbModel"	"pc105"
#	Option		"XkbLayout"	"us"
#EndSection

# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
#Section "InputDevice"
#	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"
#	Driver		"mouse"
#	Option		"CorePointer"
#EndSection

# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
#Section "InputDevice"
#	Identifier	"Synaptics Touchpad"
#	Driver		"synaptics"
#	Option		"SendCoreEvents"	"true"
#	Option		"Device"	"/dev/psaux"
#	Option		"Protocol"	"auto-dev"
#	Option		"HorizEdgeScroll"	"0"
#	Option		"MinSpeed"	"0.6"
#	Option		"MaxSpeed"	"0.9"
#	Option		"AccelFactor"	"0.0450"
#EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier	"Default Layout"
  screen "Default Screen"
# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
#	Inputdevice	"Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
	Option		"Composite"	"Enable"
EndSection

You can see that my modifications for the mouse have been commented out, as well as other things, for this "HAL." What is this, where can I configure it? I googled around and got very few results. I tried uncommenting the sections for my mouse and keyboard and X wouldn't start. I also reconfigured the X server manually, and nothing changed. I tried changing the keyboard settings through the System > Preferences without success.

Any ideas? Thanks!

have you found a solution for this ? i upgraded today and noticed also my mouse part of xorg.conf also HAL , whats HAL anyway?

**andy_t** · November 2nd, 2008

HAL is the Hardware Abstraction Layer, but that's all I can tell you... I've not been able to change my mouse settings with it either!

**Bashar "** · November 2nd, 2008

google and search the forums and you'll find some answers, i did already and configured my thinkpoint scrolling for X300 successfully

**userundefine** · November 2nd, 2008

No unfortunately I found no solution. Instead I decided to install a fresh copy. It really blows to install a completely new system because they change and poorly document something like that.

**andy_t** · November 3rd, 2008

I tried to search also, what was wrong with xorg.conf? At least it worked for me, I did manage to get ubuntu to load and use the vmmouse driver using a fdi but the pointer remained in the bottom right and didn't move (also same outcome when I disabled hotplugging)

**frediE** · December 1st, 2008

Just wondering if anyone knows where to configure "MinSpeed" for the mouse now? the touch pad on dell laptop is way to slow and using the "mouse preferences" never seems to get the right speed right.

i used to have the following in my xorg.conf...

Code:

Option        "MinSpeed" "1.0"

but now it is commented out with the following...

Code:

# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used

when i uncomment it x (gdm) will not start. grrrr.
any help would be awesome.... thanks!

**frediE** · December 15th, 2008

i could say it took forever to get to this page (mouse being slow), but that really isn't funny.

just wondering if anyone had any ideas how to adjust the minspeed now that Xorg.conf looks like it is _not_ being used???

any help would be great... thanks.