Dell Touchpad Not Working in Ubuntu

Is your touchpad, mouse, or touchscreen not responding on your Dell computer running Ubuntu? Don't worry, this guide walks you through every fix, step by step. When the touchpad stops working, it could be due to a problem with the hardware itself, such as a loose connection, or a software-related issue, like a driver conflict or incorrect configuration. We'll help you figure out which one it is, and then fix it.

Before You Begin

Connect a temporary mouse first.

Most steps in this guide require you to open a Terminal or navigate menus. If your touchpad isn't working, plug in a USB mouse before you start so you can follow along. If you don't have one available, you can use keyboard shortcuts (Tab, Arrow Keys, Enter) to navigate Ubuntu's menus.

Quick Checklist: Try These First

Before diving into detailed fixes, run through this quick checklist. These simple steps resolve most touchpad issues in seconds.

1. Check the keyboard shortcut.
Many Dell laptops have a dedicated key or function key combination to toggle the touchpad on or off. To re-enable the touchpad, use keyboard shortcuts like Fn + F3, F7, or F9 (this varies by model) to toggle it. Look for a touchpad icon printed on one of your function keys (F1–F12). Depending on the system model, you can perform key combinations to enable or disable the touchpad. Some systems have a separate key to the right of the F12 key with a picture of a touchpad and an X on it, which enables and disables the touchpad.

2. Check if the touchpad is disabled in Ubuntu Settings.
If your touchpad is not working and you are connected to an external mouse, check in your System Settings to make sure you have not enabled the "disable touchpad when mouse is connected" option.

• Go to Settings > Mouse & Touchpad.
• Make sure the touchpad toggle is turned On.
• Check to see that the scrolling speed is set high enough to register. If it's too low, your touchpad won't work properly.

3. Restart your computer.
A simple reboot can often clear temporary glitches and allow Ubuntu to re-initialize hardware correctly.

Step 1: Test the Touchpad in the BIOS

The first thing to do is find out whether the problem is with the hardware or the software. Testing your touchpad in the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), which runs before Ubuntu loads, tells you exactly that.

1. Restart your Dell computer.
2. At the Dell logo screen, repeatedly tap the F2 key to access the BIOS.
3. Once inside the BIOS, try moving the cursor with your touchpad or using the mouse or touchscreen you want to test.
4. Look for settings related to "Internal Pointing Device," "Touchpad," or "Keyboard/Mouse," and ensure that the touchpad is enabled.

What does the result mean?

• Touchpad does NOT work in the BIOS → This is likely a hardware problem. Contact Dell Support if your computer is in warranty to get further help.
• Touchpad WORKS in the BIOS → The issue is with the operating system or the software for the device. Continue with this guide to further troubleshoot.

Step 2: Check if Ubuntu Detects Your Touchpad

This step tells you whether Ubuntu's kernel (the core of the operating system) can "see" your touchpad at all.

1. Open a Terminal window. Press Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
2. In the Terminal, type the following command and then press Enter: less /proc/bus/input/devices
3. Look through the list that appears. You should see your touchpad listed, often as something like SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad or ELAN Touchpad.

• If the touchpad is detected, the problem is software-related, not hardware. Move on to Step 3.
• If the touchpad is not listed at all, it may not be recognized by the Linux kernel. Skip to Step 6.

You can also run this command to get more detail: xinput list

This gives you the hardware ID of your touchpad. Each computer displays a different number.

Step 3: Update Your System

A fully updated Ubuntu system often includes updated drivers and kernel modules that can resolve hardware compatibility issues. This is always a great starting point.

1. Open a Terminal window. Press Ctrl + Alt + T.
2. Run the following commands one at a time. Press Enter after each one:
   

   sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade -y

   Note:sudo is a command in Ubuntu that gives administrator rights to the command that follows it. You must have administrator-level access to the computer for these commands to work.
3. Once the update finishes, restart your computer.
4. Test your touchpad to see if it now works.

Step 4: Adjust Touchpad Settings (For Erratic or Jumpy Cursor)

The following fix is a best practice for troubleshooting the touchpad or mouse configuration in Ubuntu. This is a modification to your Ubuntu operating system that has had great success in resolving issues such as an erratic or jumping cursor.

What do these settings do?

Here's a plain-English explanation of the most useful options:

• Tapping: This allows you to use your finger and tap to click. If you leave this option out, you have to physically press the touchpad to activate a click. Once enabled, a two-finger tap activates a right-click.
• DisableWhileTyping: This is enabled by default and prevents accidental cursor movement while you type.
• AccelProfile adaptive: This enables the mouse acceleration profile, which helps make the speed of your pointer feel more natural and less sluggish. The adaptive setting is recommended as it changes based on your input.
• SendEventsMode disabled-on-external-mouse: When a USB mouse is detected, it automatically disables the touchpad.

To apply these settings permanently on an X11 session, follow these steps:

1. Open a Terminal window. Press Ctrl + Alt + T.
2. Run the following command and press Enter: sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-libinput.conf
   
   Note: If the folder doesn't exist yet, create it first with: sudo mkdir -p /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/
3. Add the following block of text to the file:
   

   Section "InputClass"
   Identifier "touchpad configuration"
   MatchIsTouchpad "on"
   MatchDriver "libinput"
   Option "Tapping" "on"
   Option "TappingDrag" "true"
   Option "DisableWhileTyping" "true"
   Option "AccelProfile" "adaptive"
   Option "AccelSpeed" "0.4"
   Option "SendEventsMode" "disabled-on-external-mouse"
   Option "NaturalScrolling" "false"
   EndSection
   

4. Press Ctrl + O to save, then press Enter to confirm. Press Ctrl + X to exit.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Test your touchpad to see if the issue is resolved.

Step 5: Fix the Right-Click Not Working

Starting with Ubuntu 18.04, the right-click behavior for the touchpad was changed. This change was made in GNOME 3.28 and impacts any distribution that uses the GNOME desktop environment.

If your right-click isn't working on a GNOME desktop, follow these steps:

1. Open a Terminal window. Press Ctrl + Alt + T.
2. Run the following command and press Enter: gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.touchpad click-method areas

This enables the bottom area of the touchpad for clicking. Pressing the bottom-left of the touchpad results in a left-click, and pressing the bottom-right results in a right-click.

To go back to the two-finger right-click method, run: gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.touchpad click-method fingers

Step 6: Reinstall or Switch Touchpad Drivers

Modern Linux distributions ship with libinput as the default touchpad driver. The older Synaptics driver is deprecated and no longer maintained in most distributions. If you are still running Synaptics, switching to libinput resolves many issues on its own.

Option A: Install the libinput driver

1. Open a Terminal window. Press Ctrl + Alt + T.
2. Run the following commands one at a time and press Enter after each: sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-input-libinput libinput-tools
3. Restart your computer.

Option B: Reinstall the Synaptics driver (if your touchpad requires it)

Common touchpad suppliers include Synaptics, ALPS, and Elantech. If your touchpad requires the Synaptics driver specifically, run the following:

• sudo apt-get remove xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
• sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-input-synaptics

Then restart your computer.

Option C: Resolve conflicts when Ubuntu detects two touchpads

Sometimes Ubuntu detects a duplicate touchpad entry, which causes erratic behavior. To check for this:

1. Open a Terminal window. Press Ctrl + Alt + T.
2. Run the following command and press Enter: xinput list
   

   The Synaptics touchpad should not appear if you have already switched to libinput. If you still see the extra touchpad listed, you may need to disable the old Synaptics configuration.

3. To disable the conflicting Synaptics configuration, run the following command and press Enter: sudo nano /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/70-synaptics.conf
4. Find the Touchpad catchall section, and add a # symbol at the start of every line in that section to comment it out (disable it).
5. Press Ctrl + O to save, then Enter to confirm. Press Ctrl + X to exit.
6. Restart your computer and test the touchpad.

Step 7: Fix Touchpad Not Working After Sleep or Suspend

If your touchpad stops working after it has been left unused for a while, it may be due to runtime power management. Disable runtime power management of the touchpad device and check if the issue persists.

Quick fix: Reload the input module:

For laptops where the touchpad stops responding after suspend or resume, reloading the input module often helps.

1. Open a Terminal window. Press Ctrl + Alt + T.
2. Try each of the following commands one at a time and press Enter after each. Test your touchpad after each one to see if it helps:
   
   • sudo rmmod psmouse && sudo modprobe psmouse
   • sudo rmmod i2c_hid_acpi && sudo modprobe i2c_hid_acpi
   • sudo rmmod i2c_hid && sudo modprobe i2c_hid
   • sudo rmmod i2c_hid && sudo modprobe i2c_hid
3. Once you find the command that works, you can verify the touchpad is back by running: xinput list

Step 8: Verify Touchpad Detection and Driver Details

Running the command sudo libinput debug-events shows real-time input events. Move your finger on the touchpad: if nothing appears, the issue is at the kernel driver level and you may need a newer kernel or firmware package.

You can also run the following commands to gather more information about what's happening with your touchpad: xinput list-props <ID>

Replace <ID> with your touchpad's hardware ID number from the xinput list output. This shows you all the options that are enabled and disabled, and also verifies that libinput is working correctly.

Step 9: Last Resort: Reinstall Ubuntu

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, reinstalling Ubuntu can give you a fresh, clean start with all the latest drivers and kernel modules.

Ubuntu ISO files are available for download for supported systems on the Dell Drivers & Downloads website. Visit Dell.com/support/drivers and enter your Service Tag or Express Service Code to find the right version for your computer.

Still Need Help?

If you've tried everything in this guide and your touchpad still isn't working, we're here to help.

• Dell Community Forums: Get answers from other Dell users and experts.
• Find your Service Tag: Look on the bottom of your laptop or go to Dell.com/support to check your warranty status.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Why did my Dell touchpad stop working after a Ubuntu update?
A: Ubuntu regularly releases updates that include bug fixes and driver improvements. If the system is not updated, it may be using an old version of the touchpad driver that has known issues. Occasionally, a new kernel update can introduce a compatibility issue with a specific touchpad model. Running sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y and restarting usually resolves this.

Q: Why does my touchpad work in Windows but not in Ubuntu?
A: Ubuntu relies on its kernel to interface with hardware. If your Dell laptop's touchpad model requires a newer driver than what's included in your current Ubuntu kernel version, you might encounter issues. Switching to the libinput driver (Step 6) or updating your kernel usually helps.

Q: My cursor jumps around randomly. What should I do?
A: This is a common issue that a libinput configuration change can resolve. It has had great success in fixing erratic or jumping cursor behavior and should improve your overall touchpad experience. Follow Step 4 in this guide.

Q: My right-click doesn't work on Ubuntu. How do I fix it?
A: This behavior was introduced with changes made in GNOME 3.28. Follow Step 5 in this guide to restore right-click functionality.

Q: How do I know if my touchpad is a hardware or software problem?
A: Test it in the BIOS (Step 1). If it works there but not in Ubuntu, it's a software issue. If it doesn't work in the BIOS either, it's likely a hardware problem and you should contact Dell Support.

Q: Which touchpad driver should I use: libinput or Synaptics?
A: Modern Linux distributions ship with libinput as the default touchpad driver. The older Synaptics driver is deprecated and no longer maintained in most distributions. We recommend libinput for all current Ubuntu versions.