Cursor jumping around while typing, palm detection.

[dogshed]

Dell XPS 12 (The one from a few years ago, not the new one.)
Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS

I tried some of the recipe solutions I found with google, but I think I need some real diagnoses help.
synclient reports that I have set these values:

PalmDetect = 1
PalmMinWidth = 8
PalmMinZ = 100

I'm not sure I understand palm minimum width. If my palm brushes the pad then I think it would be seen as smaller than a finger. I can move the cursor around with my palm.
Do I want MinZ really high or low?
Am I even using the synaptics driver?

[dogshed]

So I used the Touchpad settings to change sensitivity. I move the slider to the right and I have to press harder with my finger to move the cursor, but a light touch with my palm still moves it.
Running synclient tells me the touchpad settings slider changed it to FingerLow 15 and FingerHigh 62.
It seems to stay on the settings when I rebooted, but I can't tell where it stored that.
I have a /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d file that I put in the Palm settings, 50-synaptics.conf.

[wizard10000]

Try syndaemon - it's a program that monitors keyboard activity and disables the touchpad until X seconds after you stop typing.

Good luck -

[GreyGeek]

In System Settings I ticked the box the disables the pad if the mouse is plugged in. IIRC, it is in the devices setting, but if not just Hoover your mouse pointer over the icons and read what the do until you see it

[dogshed]

Try syndaemon - it's a program that monitors keyboard activity and disables the touchpad until X seconds after you stop typing.

Good luck -

I suppose that's an option but I think I should be able to get the palm detection to work. I just cant find something that explains how it works.

[dogshed]

Try syndaemon - it's a program that monitors keyboard activity and disables the touchpad until X seconds after you stop typing.

Good luck -

Unfortunately that makes it so I can only use the physical buttons and not just tap. I need to be able to tab because the buttons aren't working well. It's supposed to only do it for the number of seconds indicated.

[wizard10000]

In System Settings I ticked the box the disables the pad if the mouse is plugged in. IIRC, it is in the devices setting, but if not just Hoover your mouse pointer over the icons and read what the do until you see it

You're absolutely right. Saw it, forgot about it and just set it up myself and got rid of syndaemon

Unfortunately that makes it so I can only use the physical buttons and not just tap. I need to be able to tab because the buttons aren't working well. It's supposed to only do it for the number of seconds indicated.

Yup. syndaemon only disables the touchpad; there's no way to make it do what you'd like, sorry

[dogshed]

Yup. syndaemon only disables the touchpad; there's no way to make it do what you'd like, sorry

Actually, syndaemon is supposed to disable the touchpad only for the time indicated. It disables it permanently. It might work for me if you know why it isn't turning the pad back on after the time setting, -i.

[wizard10000]

Actually, syndaemon is supposed to disable the touchpad only for the time indicated. It disables it permanently. It might work for me if you know why it isn't turning the pad back on after the time setting, -i.

Might be interesting to run it in a terminal session just to see if there's any usable output.

[Snowhog]

You might want to look at touchpad-indicator in:

3rd Party Repository: Atareao Atareao

(This repository is available for: Precice Trusty Vivid Wily Xenial)

It's a 'replacement' for the old Synaptiks Touchpad Utility that was last available in 13.10.

[dogshed]

You might want to look at touchpad-indicator in:

3rd Party Repository: Atareao Atareao

(This repository is available for: Precice Trusty Vivid Wily Xenial)

It's a 'replacement' for the old Synaptiks Touchpad Utility that was last available in 13.10.

Thanks. I installed it with apt, but I can't figure out how to run it.

[Snowhog]

Does an icon for it appear in the System Tray?

See Touchpad Indicator : Easily disable or enable touchpad in Linux Mint