Linux Mint Chromebook 3180 sudden touchpad problem

System Details below

  • My trackpad suddenly died. I suspect the issue is connected with a Mint update to Libinput due to the the recent hack. I don’t want to start a wild goose chase if the next update will fix things. But maybe this is something entirely different.[

    Libinput is currently installed on Synaptic but sudo libinput commands such as “list-devices” returns “command not found.” My mouse works fine but the touchpad is dead.

    Machine info-- Linux Mint 22:
    Kernel: 6.8.0-124-generic arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.3.0 clocksource: tsc
    Desktop: Cinnamon v: 6.2.9 tk: GTK v: 3.24.41 wm: Muffin v: 6.2.0 vt: 7 dm: LightDM v: 1.30.0
    Distro: Linux Mint 22 Wilma base: Ubuntu 24.04 noble
    Machine:
    Type: Laptop System: GOOGLE product: Kefka v: 1.0 serial: Chassis: type: 9
    serial:
    Mobo: GOOGLE model: Kefka v: 1.0 serial: UEFI: coreboot
    v: MrChromebox-2408.1 date: 09/14/2024
    Battery:
    ID-1: BAT0 charge: 21.1 Wh (94.2%) condition: 22.4/42.0 Wh (53.3%) volts: 11.4 min: 11.4
    model: BYD DELL FY type: Li-ion serial: status: discharging cycles: 114
    CPU:
    Info: dual core model: Intel Celeron N3060 bits: 64 type: MCP smt: arch: Airmont
    rev: 4 cache: L1: 112 KiB L2: 2 MiB
    Speed (MHz): avg: 1734 high: 2480 min/max: 480/2480 cores: 1: 2480 2: 989 bogomips: 6400
    Flags: ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
    Graphics:
    Device-1: Intel Atom/Celeron/Pentium Processor x5-E8000/J3xxx/N3xxx Integrated Graphics
    driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-8 ports: active: eDP-1 empty: DP-1, DP-2, HDMI-A-1, HDMI-A-2
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:22b1 class-ID: 0300
    Device-2: Realtek Integrated_Webcam_HD driver: uvcvideo type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s
    lanes: 1 bus-ID: 1-4:4 chip-ID: 0bda:5769 class-ID: 0e02 serial:
    Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.11 with: Xwayland v: 23.2.6 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: crocus gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
    Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1366x768 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 361x203mm (14.21x7.99") s-diag: 414mm (16.31")
    Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: BOE Display 0x0623 res: 1366x768 hz: 60 dpi: 136
    size: 256x144mm (10.08x5.67") diag: 300mm (11.8") modes: 1366x768
    API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: intel crocus platforms: device: 0 drv: crocus device: 1 drv: swrast
    gbm: drv: crocus surfaceless: drv: crocus x11: drv: crocus inactive: wayland
    API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: intel mesa v: 25.2.8-0ubuntu0.24.04.2 glx-v: 1.4
    direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 400 (BSW) device-ID: 8086:22b1
    Audio:
    Device-1: Intel Atom/Celeron/Pentium Processor x5-E8000/J3xxx/N3xxx Series High Definition Audio
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:2284 class-ID: 0403
    API: ALSA v: k6.8.0-124-generic status: kernel-api
    Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.5 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    Network:
    Device-1: Intel Wireless 7265 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel pcie: speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1
    bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:095a class-ID: 0280
    IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac:
    IF-ID-1: wg0-mullvad state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: N/A
    Bluetooth:
    Device-1: Intel Bluetooth wireless interface driver: btusb v: 0.8 type: USB rev: 2.0
    speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 1-5:5 chip-ID: 8087:0a2a class-ID: e001
    Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: down bt-service: enabled,running rfk-block:
    hardware: no software: yes address:
    Drives:
    Local Storage: total: 29.12 GiB used: 21.46 GiB (73.7%)
    ID-1: /dev/mmcblk0 vendor: HP model: DF4032 size: 29.12 GiB type: Removable tech: SSD
    serial: fw-rev: 0x8 scheme: GPT
    Partition:
    ID-1: / size: 28 GiB used: 21.45 GiB (76.6%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/mmcblk0p2
    ID-2: /boot/efi size: 511 MiB used: 6.1 MiB (1.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/mmcblk0p1
    Swap:
    ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 3.05 GiB used: 473.8 MiB (15.2%) priority: -2 file: /swapfile
    USB:
    Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 7 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1
    chip-ID: 1d6b:0002 class-ID: 0900
    Device-1: 1-1:6 info: Logitech M90/M100 Optical Mouse type: mouse driver: hid-generic,usbhid
    interfaces: 1 rev: 2.0 speed: 1.5 Mb/s lanes: 1 power: 100mA chip-ID: 046d:c05a class-ID: 0301
    Device-2: 1-3:3 info: Microchip Composite HID + CDC APP-ESS14-1
    type: HID,abstract (modem),CDC-data driver: cdc_acm,hid-generic,usbhid interfaces: 3 rev: 2.0
    speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 power: 500mA chip-ID: 04d8:0b28 class-ID: 0a00 serial:
    Device-3: 1-4:4 info: Realtek Integrated_Webcam_HD type: video driver: uvcvideo interfaces: 2
    rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 power: 500mA chip-ID: 0bda:5769 class-ID: 0e02 serial:
    Device-4: 1-5:5 info: Intel Bluetooth wireless interface type: bluetooth driver: btusb
    interfaces: 2 rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 power: 100mA chip-ID: 8087:0a2a class-ID: e001
    Hub-2: 2-0:1 info: super-speed hub ports: 6 rev: 3.0 speed: 5 Gb/s lanes: 1 chip-ID: 1d6b:0003
    class-ID: 0900
    Sensors:
    System Temperatures: cpu: 41.0 C mobo: N/A
    Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A
    Repos:
    Packages: 2077 pm: dpkg pkgs: 2070 pm: flatpak pkgs: 7
    No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
    Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
    1: deb http: //packages.linuxmint.com wilma main upstream import backport
    2: deb http: //mirror.pit.teraswitch.com/ubuntu noble main restricted universe multiverse
    3: deb http: //mirror.pit.teraswitch.com/ubuntu noble-updates main restricted universe multiverse
    4: deb http: //mirror.pit.teraswitch.com/ubuntu noble-backports main restricted universe multiverse
    5: deb http: //security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ noble-security main restricted universe multiverse
    Info:
    Memory: total: 4 GiB available: 3.77 GiB used: 2.21 GiB (58.7%)
    Processes: 265 Power: uptime: 15h 32m states: freeze,standby,mem,disk suspend: deep wakeups: 0
    hibernate: platform Init: systemd v: 255 target: graphical (5) default: graphical
    Compilers: gcc: 13.3.0 Client: Unknown python3.12 client inxi: 3.3.34
    [/code]

Summary of the Issue

Trackpad suddenly died. Mouse works fine.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Track dead.

  2. Expected Behavior

Tracks should work. It is turned on in settings.

Thanks for any help!

Update

Session type is X11.

Virtual Core Pointer - Device Enabled

easy solution is to live boot Ubuntu/Fedora etc from USB and see if it works there, to rule out a hardware issue. There’s a reason no one here recommends or supports Mint though (unless it’s DE)

Thank for the suggestion. I paid short money to get this Chromebook to experiment on and it has worked for 18 months.. In other words, the machine owes me nothing. I don’t like Ubuntu very much.. What is the best distro for an old machine like this? Gallium?

Gallium is DEAD.

I’m just saying to use another distro via live USB to test. LMDE is fine if you like Mint

I just tried Mint LMDE and, amazingly enough, the trackpad was still dead.I just ordered a replacement for $7 with free shipping. Looks like a easy fix. Chromebook parts are cheap. Thanks!

Update - Fixed

The root cause was a swollen battery, which was pressing on the underside of the touchpad. Amazingly, the battery still worked and had about 50% capacity. I replaced the touchpad with a used one and installed a battery from Amazon. It was an easy fix. Thanks!