Left-Click Randomly Not Working

We use Ubuntu-Mate 18.04 on the computers in my school. It is installed in a lab of 22 computers with standard mice and on 8 computers running Promethean ActivPanels (with Promethean's drivers installed).

In both situations, the left-click function will randomly stop working. In the lab, the cursor will move across the screen as the physical mouse is moved. On the ActivPanels, you can tap the screen and the cursor will jump to that spot, but no action (e.g. a button) occurs. The only (quick) fix is to log out or restart using the keyboard.

What would be the best way to troubleshoot this?

Hi

as its been one day I will offer some advice but claim no expertise.

first what do you mean by standard mice?

are they wired mouse connecting to PS/2 ports
are they PS/2 mice with an adapter to connect to usb port
are they wireless mice with a dongle in usb port?

Got the idea?

Now we can do some commands to help in that area....depending on my early request
post the output to

dmesg | grep PS/2
my result no ps/2
[ 0.984274] i8042: PNP: No PS/2 controller found.

dmesg | grep Mouse
my result
[ 1.753448] usb 1-4: Product: USB Optical Mouse
[ 1.756108] input: Logitech USB Optical Mouse as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-4/1-4:1.0/0003:046D:C05A.0003/input/input7
[ 1.756207] hid-generic 0003:046D:C05A.0003: input,hidraw2: USB HID v1.11 Mouse [Logitech USB Optical Mouse] on usb-0000:00:14.0-4/input0
[ 0.984372] mousedev: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice

Next Menu -> Preferences -> Mouse (I am on 19.04 YMMV)
the GUI says you can test double click and you will get a nice light if it works properly
BUT you can use it to single click it as well.

the forum truncates the image so shown as clickable link but I could not time the light for a single click
https://imgur.com/YdAVCLk

Next try inserting the mouse into different ports if not PS/2

Next, try asking the students to report if mouse issues occur after using touch screen.
If so .....ask not to use touch screen?

2 Likes

Thank you for the reply. For 'standard mice', I meant usb wired mice. And the desktops in the lab don't have touch screens. The Promethean ActivPanels are big touch screens which connect to the computer via USB. It's curious that the same symptom is occurring for two very different (physical) setups.

Output to the commands:
dmesg | grep PS/2:
Lab Desktop:
[ 1.084620] i8042: PNP: No PS/2 controller found.
[ 1.084809] mousedev: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice
ActivPanel:

dmesg | grep Mouse:
Lab Desktop:
[ 1.875569] usb 1-6: Product: Lenovo USB Optical Mouse
[ 2.220092] input: PixArt Lenovo USB Optical Mouse as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-6/1-6:1.0/0003:17EF:6019.0002/input/input5
[ 2.220141] hid-generic 0003:17EF:6019.0002: input,hidraw1: USB HID v1.11 Mouse [PixArt Lenovo USB Optical Mouse] on usb-0000:00:14.0-6/input0
ActivPanel:
[ 6.625690] hid-generic 0003:0D48:0012.0005: input,hidraw3: USB HID v1.11 Mouse [TimeLink Inc. Multitouch TN75XX-AFSA0-r4 FW-v6.4.39.42 20 Po] on usb-0000:00:14.0-1.1.3.3.2/input1

Of course it hasn't happened since I asked, so we'll have to wait and see.

Hi :slight_smile:
If this occures again, do not hesitate to run this commands to see if xinput is detecting the action :

┌─[✗]─[olek@lenovo_apbook04u]─[/opt]
└──╼ $xinput list
⎡ Virtual core pointer                    	id=2	[master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer              	id=4	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ FTSC1000:00 2808:1015                   	id=15	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ HAILUCK CO.,LTD Lenovo HID Device Mouse 	id=13	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ HAILUCK CO.,LTD Lenovo HID Device Touchpad	id=14	[slave  point]

For me its HAILUCK CO.,LTD Lenovo HID Device Touchpad id=14 [slave pointer (2)] so I use ID 14.

Grab the ID of your mouse and next use it in this command :

┌─[olek@lenovo_apbook04u]─[/opt]
└──╼ $xinput test 14
button press   3 (left click)
button release 3 
button press   1 
button release 1 
motion a[0]=221 a[1]=552 
motion a[0]=220 a[1]=550 
motion a[0]=218 a[1]=547 
motion a[1]=546