Touchpad not working Asus ROG flow 13

Hardware Support
1

Hi everyone, I'm also new to Zorin/linux.

Having some trouble getting my touchpad to work for multi-touch, things like two finder scroll (or anything beyond point/click does not seem to work).

I've followed a couple of tutorials but to no luck, from what I understand asus elon drivers are somewhat painful.

Any suggestions on the best path forwards to get this working?

2

Hi and welcome. Not sure if this will resolve the issue:

" Elan Touchpad Drivers for Linux

For ELAN touchpads on Linux, the issue often arises due to the elan_i2c kernel module causing conflicts. Blacklisting this module can resolve the problem. To do this, create a configuration file in /etc/modprobe.d/ and add the blacklist elan_i2c line to it. This solution has been reported to work for various Linux distributions, including Manjaro and Ubuntu.

For example, you can create a file named psmouse.conf in /etc/modprobe.d/ and add the following content:

blacklist elan_i2c

After adding this line, update the system's module configuration and reboot the system to apply the changes.

If blacklisting the module does not resolve the issue, you might also need to ensure that the correct input driver is being used. For ELAN touchpads, the libinput driver is commonly used and should be enabled in the system settings or configuration files.

Additionally, setting the touchpad to "basic" mode in the BIOS instead of "enhanced" can sometimes resolve issues with ELAN touchpads on Linux.

For specific models, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad, the Synaptics driver might be a viable alternative if the ELAN driver does not work.

If you are using a USB live stick or another installation method, ensure that the touchpad is recognized during the installation process and choose the appropriate driver if given the option.

In summary, blacklisting the elan_i2c kernel module is a common and effective solution for ELAN touchpad issues on Linux.

AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts."

There is a Touchpad application in Software. See if adding that makes a difference.

3

Welcome to the Forum!

Does only the Multi-Touch Stuff not work or is it a common ''not working''?

4

Thanks @Ponce-De-Leon and @swarfendor437

Here's a more detailed breakdown :slight_smile:

Issue:

  • Touchpad scrolling (multitouch gestures) not working anywhere in the system.
  • Touchscreen works fine.
  • Problem persists on both Wayland and Xorg sessions.

What has been tried:

  1. Kernel upgrade to 6.14.8 — Installed mainline kernel, but scrolling still broken.
  2. Dependency issues during kernel install — Resolved or ignored; kernel and modules installed successfully.
  3. Checked input devices with libinput and `xinput* — Touchpad detected as ELAN9008:00 04F3:2ED7 but shows no scroll methods or multitouch data.
  4. libinput debug-events monitoring** — No scroll events detected from touchpad event devices; touchscreen events detected normally.
  5. Kernel parameters i2c_hid.reset=1 and i2c_hid.force_poll=1 — Both ignored by kernel, no effect on issue.
  6. Blacklisted elan_i2c kernel module — Module not loaded after blacklist, but issue persists with i2c_hid driver.
  7. Tested multiple input event devices — Only touchscreen event device produces input; touchpad event devices fail to initialize or produce no scroll data.
  8. Tried switching between Wayland and Xorg sessions — No difference in scrolling behavior but Xorg breaks touchscreen.
  9. Checked for missing firmware warnings — Intel GPU firmware missing warnings present but likely unrelated.
  10. Considered alternative drivers (Synaptics) — Decided to stick with libinput for now.
  11. Checked for newer libinput versions — System uses libinput 1.20.0; latest upstream is 1.28.1 but no easy upgrade path via package manager.
  12. Updated bios to latest available version.

Current status:

  • ELAN touchpad recognized but does not send multitouch scroll data.
  • Kernel logs show repeated message: i2c_hid_get_input: IRQ triggered but there's no data for ELAN device.
  • No scroll events detected by libinput or xinput tools.
  • Blacklisting elan_i2c module did not resolve the issue.
  • Kernel parameters to fix i2c_hid behavior are ignored by current kernel version.
  • Touchscreen and other input devices work normally.
5

Another possible solution:

" Elan Touchpad Gestures Not Working

To enable touch gestures on an Elan touchpad in Ubuntu 22.04, you can try installing the gesture-improvements GNOME extension from the GNOME Extensions website. This extension can enhance touchpad functionality beyond the default settings.

AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts."

6

Thanks will try that now.

Just in case, some extra info too:

alex@ROG-Flow-Z13:~$ xinput list
⎡ Virtual core pointer id=2 [master pointer (3)]
⎜ ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer id=4 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Asus Keyboard id=11 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Asus Keyboard id=13 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Asus Keyboard id=15 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Asus Keyboard id=16 [slave pointer (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard id=3 [master keyboard (2)]
↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard id=5 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Power Button id=6 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Video Bus id=7 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Video Bus id=8 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Power Button id=9 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Sleep Button id=10 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Asus Keyboard id=12 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Asus Keyboard id=14 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Intel HID events id=17 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Asus WMI hotkeys id=18 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard id=19 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Asus Keyboard id=20 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Asus Keyboard id=21 [slave keyboard (3)]

The touchpad is the one with an ID of 14, but it's being recognized as a keyboard, not sure if that can help narrow down what might be going wrong...

7

@swarfendor437 no luck with gesture improvements unfortunately.

I've also tried the RC kernels and every patch I can find online, to no luck.

Really not sure where to look next or if zorin is just not an option :cry:

8

Using Brave A.I. search engine via Mojeek again I found:

"Touchpad Recognized as Keyboard

The issue of a touchpad being recognized as a keyboard in Linux on the Asus ROG Flow 13 can be challenging. Here are some steps and insights that might help:

  • Kernel Update : Ensure you are using the latest stable kernel. This can often resolve driver issues. Instructions for updating the kernel on Ubuntu 18.04 can be found in a forum post from March 6, 2024.

  • Driver Issues : There have been reports of driver issues with the Asus ROG Flow X13, particularly with the touchpad. One user noted that the touchpad is detected but does not function properly, even though an external USB mouse works.

  • Libinput Debugging : If the touchpad is not working, you can use libinput debug-events to check if the touchpad is being recognized. If it does not appear in the debug events, this could indicate a deeper driver issue.

  • Community Support : Engaging with community forums such as the Linux Mint forum or the Qubes OS forum can provide additional insights and solutions from users who have faced similar issues.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider reaching out to the Linux community or the ASUS support forums for more specific guidance."

Whilst you have tried this (latest stable kernel) you may still have issues as you need to remember such hardware was designed for that other OS. It is not the fault of GNU/Linux that your hardware is not recognised, it is the lack of support for GNU/Linux by hardware manufacturers who don't want to waste time and money developing for GNU/Linux. A lot of drivers that do work in GNU/Linux has been down to dedicated Linux kernel maintainers reverse engineering so that hardware built for that other OS works in GNU/LInux.

9

Did You check if it happens on other Distro's? On Linux Mint or Fedora for Example? You could test it in Live Mode.

10

I'll try this next thank you!