Hi folks! :-)
I have a Fujitsu Lifebook U series laptop running updated CentOS 6.4 (64bit), and the touchpad doesn't work. It's a new laptop, the touchpad works correctly in Fedora 18 Live (given the kernel parameters below), no hardware problems.
I searched the web all around, and it's a known issue for several laptop models. The only solution, quoted everywhere, it is to append the
i8042.notimeout i8042.nomux
to the kernel parameters. The problem is that the latest CentOS6 kernel (2.6.32-358.2.1.el6.x86_64) doesn't appear to recognize these. Or it otherwise ignores them. I did append the parameters, but (unlike in Fedora) the touchpad is still dead.
This laptop is to be used by a noob user who needs a LTS distro and is already accustomed to CentOS, so a more modern distro like Fedora or Ubuntu is not an option.
What can be done about this? Would a CentOSplus kernel work? It is somehow too lousy to tell the client "The touchpad of your brand-new laptop doesn't work because CentOS is too old, use an USB mouse instead".
Any advice appreciated.
TIA, :-) Marko
On Sat, Mar 23, 2013 at 7:04 AM, Marko Vojinovic vvmarko@gmail.com wrote:
Hi folks! :-)
I have a Fujitsu Lifebook U series laptop running updated CentOS 6.4 (64bit), and the touchpad doesn't work. It's a new laptop, the touchpad works correctly in Fedora 18 Live (given the kernel parameters below), no hardware problems.
I searched the web all around, and it's a known issue for several laptop models. The only solution, quoted everywhere, it is to append the
i8042.notimeout i8042.nomux
to the kernel parameters. The problem is that the latest CentOS6 kernel (2.6.32-358.2.1.el6.x86_64) doesn't appear to recognize these. Or it otherwise ignores them. I did append the parameters, but (unlike in Fedora) the touchpad is still dead.
This laptop is to be used by a noob user who needs a LTS distro and is already accustomed to CentOS, so a more modern distro like Fedora or Ubuntu is not an option.
What can be done about this? Would a CentOSplus kernel work? It is somehow too lousy to tell the client "The touchpad of your brand-new laptop doesn't work because CentOS is too old, use an USB mouse instead".
Any advice appreciated.
TIA, :-) Marko
Just did a quick check. The current CentOS kernel (centosplus kernel as well) seems to have code for i8042.nomux but not i8042.notimeout in linux/drivers/input/serio/i8042.c .
You might want to give ELRepo's kernel-ml a try:
http://elrepo.org/tiki/kernel-ml
It is the latest mainline kernel that runs on CentOS.
Akemi
On Sat, 23 Mar 2013 07:24:25 -0700 Akemi Yagi amyagi@gmail.com wrote:
On Sat, Mar 23, 2013 at 7:04 AM, Marko Vojinovic vvmarko@gmail.com wrote:
I have a Fujitsu Lifebook U series laptop running updated CentOS 6.4 (64bit), and the touchpad doesn't work. It's a new laptop, the touchpad works correctly in Fedora 18 Live (given the kernel parameters below), no hardware problems.
I searched the web all around, and it's a known issue for several laptop models. The only solution, quoted everywhere, it is to append the
i8042.notimeout i8042.nomux
to the kernel parameters. The problem is that the latest CentOS6 kernel (2.6.32-358.2.1.el6.x86_64) doesn't appear to recognize these. Or it otherwise ignores them. I did append the parameters, but (unlike in Fedora) the touchpad is still dead.
Just did a quick check. The current CentOS kernel (centosplus kernel as well) seems to have code for i8042.nomux but not i8042.notimeout in linux/drivers/input/serio/i8042.c .
You might want to give ELRepo's kernel-ml a try:
http://elrepo.org/tiki/kernel-ml
It is the latest mainline kernel that runs on CentOS.
The mainline kernel works beautifully, thanks! :-)
Now the only question is how does it coexist with the regular kernels? More precisely, when I do a "yum update", and there are new kernels available in the update, how will they be ordered in /boot/grub/grub.conf, and which one will be the default on a subsequent boot?
I have enabled the elrepo-kernel repository, so both types of kernels will get updates. However, I want to boot only from the mainline kernels, never from the regular ones. How should I configure grub and/or yum, to make this stick?
Thanks again for the advice! :-)
Best, :-) Marko
On 24.03.2013 14:29, Marko Vojinovic wrote:
The mainline kernel works beautifully, thanks! :-)
Now the only question is how does it coexist with the regular kernels? More precisely, when I do a "yum update", and there are new kernels available in the update, how will they be ordered in /boot/grub/grub.conf, and which one will be the default on a subsequent boot?
I have enabled the elrepo-kernel repository, so both types of kernels will get updates. However, I want to boot only from the mainline kernels, never from the regular ones. How should I configure grub and/or yum, to make this stick?
Hello Marko,
The 2 kernels will coexist peacefully. If you modify /boot/grub/menu.lst to boot the elrepo kernel-ml it will remember to boot the same kernel next time, after an update.
HTH
Lucian
On Sun, 24 Mar 2013 14:34:15 +0000 Nux! nux@li.nux.ro wrote:
On 24.03.2013 14:29, Marko Vojinovic wrote:
The mainline kernel works beautifully, thanks! :-)
Now the only question is how does it coexist with the regular kernels? More precisely, when I do a "yum update", and there are new kernels available in the update, how will they be ordered in /boot/grub/grub.conf, and which one will be the default on a subsequent boot?
I have enabled the elrepo-kernel repository, so both types of kernels will get updates. However, I want to boot only from the mainline kernels, never from the regular ones. How should I configure grub and/or yum, to make this stick?
The 2 kernels will coexist peacefully. If you modify /boot/grub/menu.lst to boot the elrepo kernel-ml it will remember to boot the same kernel next time, after an update.
Thanks for the info! I have already modified it to boot the ml kernel by default, but I was worried since the first installation of the ml kernel has left the original kernel as a default. But at this point, if yum will always do the Right Thing and make the current default stick to ml, then the issue is solved. :-)
Thanks again!
Best, :-) Marko
Marko Vojinovic <vvmarko@...> writes:
On Sun, 24 Mar 2013 14:34:15 +0000 Nux! <nux@...> wrote:
On 24.03.2013 14:29, Marko Vojinovic wrote:
The mainline kernel works beautifully, thanks!
Now the only question is how does it coexist with the regular kernels? More precisely, when I do a "yum update", and there are new kernels available in the update, how will they be ordered in /boot/grub/grub.conf, and which one will be the default on a subsequent boot?
I have enabled the elrepo-kernel repository, so both types of kernels will get updates. However, I want to boot only from the mainline kernels, never from the regular ones. How should I configure grub and/or yum, to make this stick?
The 2 kernels will coexist peacefully. If you modify /boot/grub/menu.lst to boot the elrepo kernel-ml it will remember to boot the same kernel next time, after an update.
Thanks for the info! I have already modified it to boot the ml kernel by default, but I was worried since the first installation of the ml kernel has left the original kernel as a default. But at this point, if yum will always do the Right Thing and make the current default stick to ml, then the issue is solved.
Thanks again!
Best, Marko
Hello Marko,
I am facing a very similar problem as described in your post. It seems your problem with the Alps touchpad has been resolved by using the ml kernel.
I have done the same , but when using the ml kernel my laptop does is stuck after the CentOS loading screen. For the old kernel it boots normally.
Did you face any such problem? Could you suggest what can be done ?
Regards, Om
-
Akemi Yagi -
Marko Vojinovic -
Nux! -
Om Kulkarni