How to get 2-Finger (or 1-finger) scrolling working on MOST laptop trackpads, Works with most ALPS and Synaptics trackpads. Leo 10.5.2 compatible. Options

[ranova]

After going over 2 year old threads on the ALPS and synaptics "hack" that allowed 2-finger\1-finger "anywhere" scrolling and no one being much help on getting it to work on recent generation laptops and leopard, I decided to test it out myself. I feel that this feature has been overlooked and is one of the nice features of a macbook. After trial and error, I finally got it to "acceptable" speed and settings. This will allow you to scroll from anywhere on your trackpad ala macbook!

Preamble

- I highly recommend an external USB Mouse and Keyboard, just incase something goes wrong.
- This should work on most laptops, as they either have synaptics or an ALPS trackpad, I would do some research to find out which one you have.
- This operation was performed in Apple Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.2, I cannot guarantee it working with different OSX86 versions or different laptops. Please post your findings, your laptop model, and settings that you used.
- I take no responsibility for any damage done, it is pretty safe and easy to revert back to normal, be sure you backup your extensions. (Especially ApplePS2Controller.kext)
- The attached plist is currently "optimized" for the m1330. Other synaptics\alps trackpads will differ and you must edit the plist with trial and error. This is why I recommend AT LEAST an external mouse (USB\bluetooth), as these settings do not effect the external mouse\keyboard at all


How to enable 2-finger\1-finger "anywhere" scrolling on your laptop (synaptics or alps):

1) Backup "/System/Library/Extensions/ApplePS2Controller.kext" incase anything goes wrong

2) Download and extract the full install package:
http://rapidshare.com/files/93582903/2fingerscroll.zip.html

3) Run ALPS Glidepad Driver.pkg (thanks to deamobile for creating this driver package:
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...=47272&st=0) to install the driver and FFScroll.

4) After completing the install, it will ask you to reboot, do so. After rebooting you will get an error saying FFScroll is not working or somesort, Click "Fix" and reboot again.

5) Copy com.apple.driver.ApplePS2Trackpad.plist (found in the install package) to: /Users/[Your Username]/Library/Preferences AND /Library/Preferences. For some reason, if you do not place the plist file in both locations, FFScroll will not load.

6) Open terminal and type:
sudo killall -9 FFScrollDaemon
(Note: The first time I ran this, it didnt find anything of that sort running)
sudo /usr/local/bin/FFScrollDaemon
These commands will kill the FFScroll Process and restart it. You must do this everytime you edit that downloaded plist file.

7) Go into System Preferences, then FFScroll, you should see that 2-finger scrolling is enabled. You cant really edit the "Sample Accepts" as the highest threshold is 61 for some reason. All the other options you can edit.

8) Go back to System Preferences, go to keyboard & mouse, click the "Trackpad" tab. I believe you can uncheck "Use two fingers to scroll," as it still works without it. Set the tracking speed to midway.

9) Copy the FFScrollDaemon directory from the install package to /Library/StartupItems. Enter your password to authenticate. This will allow FFScrollDaemon to startup automatically when you start OSX. The next time you reboot, it will ask you to fix it, click Fix and then reboot your computer.


Tweaking the Settings

The attached plist is currently "optimized" for my m1330. Other synaptics\alps trackpads will differ and you must edit the plist with trial and error. This is why I recommend AT LEAST an external mouse (USB\bluetooth), as these settings do not effect the external mouse\keyboard at all. It seems that scrolling down is fine with one or two fingers, but scrolling up is a little bit more difficult with two fingers, but one finger is fine.

If, at first, you are not getting any scrolling, or you are scrolling all over the place even by lightly touching the touchpad, you need to edit Property: zAcceptThreshold in the plist file and restart the daemon. Don't do it within FFScroll because the highest you can enter in the GUI is 61 (which is too low for some trackpads).. right now the value is set at 80.

If you are scrolling all over the place and the trackpad doesnt move the mouse, make the value Higher (Try 90-130). However if you are not getting any scrolling at all, make it lower (Try 50-75).

- Open up com.apple.driver.ApplePS2Trackpad.plist in textedit and find zAcceptThreshold (or any other value) under either <key>SynapticsPreferences</key>, if you have a synaptics trackpad, or <key>ALPSPreferences</key>, if you have an ALPS trackpad.

- Place that file in "/Users/[Your Username]/Library/Preferences" AND "/Library/Preferences"

(For info on other values you should edit, go to: http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?s=&...st&p=500058 (thanks to duplicity for researching these values))

- Open up terminal and type:
sudo killall -9 FFScrollDaemon
sudo /usr/local/bin/FFScrollDaemon

You should right away notice the changes.


Other Notes

At least on the m1330, it doesn't seem to matter whether you have 1 or 2 fingers on, but just how hard you press on the trackpad to start scrolling. I didn't have a lot of time to edit thresholds and all that. So if all of you can start editing the plist file to find out values that allow "true 2-finger" scrolling, that would be great! Other than that, One finger scrolling actually works well since the m1330's trackpad is pretty small. Use your tip of your finger to move your mouse around and the flat part of your finger to scroll around.

Clicking\double-clicking seems to be off also, again, we need to play with the plist settings.

If FFscroll stops loading, replace the plist file in both directories with a kosher plist that is attached in this post.

This does not really enable multi-touch that the macbook trackpads have (example from macbook: holding down one finger on trackpad and clicking the mouse button would open up the right mouse button menu)


Uninstalling

To revert back to regular trackpad\keyboard:
go into terminal, and type:
sudo -s
rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/ApplePS2Controller.kext

Now use kext Helper to install the backed up ApplePS2Controller.kext. Reboot and you should be back to normal. Note: if you dont reinstall this kext correctly, you will be without keyboard and trackpad and you will have to use an external mouse\keyboard to fix the problem. (In my case, all I had was a BT mouse, so I had to download an onscreen keyboard to enter my password in kext helper )

Help Out!

Sonotone has created a installer package that includes many kexts and configurations for Dell laptops.
Please go to:
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=97966
and post your working com.apple.driver.ApplePS2Trackpad.plist

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And there you have it, one step closer to even a truer macbook. Now all we need is 100% working sound kexts, sleep, shutdown, and restart!

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Here is a mirror for a zip containing everything that you need: ffscroll driver package, ffscrolldaemon startup, plist, kext (optional use) and kext helper(optional use for reinstalling kexts):
http://rapidshare.com/files/93582903/2fingerscroll.zip.html

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[munky]

wow, good skills!

stickied, as i think many people will find this useful.

[dankasfuk]

Didn't work for me on my inspiron 1420 (synaptics), but didn't hurt either...good to know there's a chance Thanks for your how-to!

Mike

[ranova]

Didn't work for me on my inspiron 1420 (synaptics), but didn't hurt either...good to know there's a chance Thanks for your how-to!

Mike

when you went into System prefs, did FFScroll load for you?

Try setting the Accept threshold to 55 and sample to 5 in the 2-Finger Scroll Tab (which made my trackpad pretty much scroll on any movement). Im not sure what trackpad the inspiron 1420 uses.

[dankasfuk]

Yeah, FFscroll loads and I tried setting the threshold much lower but still no luck. I'm not sure what trackpad model it is, but I know under linux xorg loads a 'synaptics' driver.

[esthetik]

hi, i got a xps m1330 too, but i copied another applePS2controller.kext when i did the 10.5.2 upgrade, and your alps glidepad driver didn't work (no mouse after the first or the second reboot...) that's why i was wondering if it was possible for you tou upload your applePS2 controler in order to see if it works better ? but great work thought, i was wondering if it was possible thoses days and you came with a solution just in time ^^ thanks a lot for you work then !

[cfactor07]

Hey, I have a toshiba a205-s4587 using a synaptics driver running 10.5.2. I followed the instructions and now i have tapping on the trackpad. However, scrolling absolutely doesn't work. I do not have the trackpad tab in the Keyboard and Mouse Pane either. Any suggestions?

[macgirl]

thanks ranova

[Ridicule]

So with this, you cannot use the trackpad to double click and drag?

[vivavn]

I tired this with my m1330, after all said and done, the whole trackpad becomes scroll enable. And the supposed to be scrool areas (right and bottom part of the trackpad) can not scroll but work as trackpad. It needs to be reserved. I tried to play the maxX, maxY, minX, minY but it does not seem to work.

[ranova]

hi, i got a xps m1330 too, but i copied another applePS2controller.kext when i did the 10.5.2 upgrade, and your alps glidepad driver didn't work (no mouse after the first or the second reboot...) that's why i was wondering if it was possible for you tou upload your applePS2 controler in order to see if it works better ? but great work thought, i was wondering if it was possible thoses days and you came with a solution just in time ^^ thanks a lot for you work then !

So you applied the driver and then updated to 10.5.2, and then copied over an applied applePS2controller.kext to fix the PS2 problems (http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=87139&st=20)? If so, then it wont work because this "hack" is based off of that kext and FFScroll. If you reinstalled and followed the guide after updating to 10.5.2, it should work (if it worked before) again. My applePS2controller.kext is from the driver package found in the guide.

Hey, I have a toshiba a205-s4587 using a synaptics driver running 10.5.2. I followed the instructions and now i have tapping on the trackpad. However, scrolling absolutely doesn't work. I do not have the trackpad tab in the Keyboard and Mouse Pane either. Any suggestions?

I will attach the applePS2controller.kext that was included in the driver package. Use Kext Helper to install it, and reboot.Did you run sudo /usr/local/bin/FFScrollDaemon in terminal after restarting the 2nd time? Its bugged (at least for me, in leopard) and does not load at all even after rebooting.

So with this, you cannot use the trackpad to double click and drag?

You can still do it, however its a little bit more tougher. You can change values around to make scrolling require a lot of pressure OR try to setup the side scrolling ( I couldnt get it to work offhand)Most of the laptops you guys are using come with two buttons, so its a good trade off to use that and have scroll enabled. All depends on your needs!

I tired this with my m1330, after all said and done, the whole trackpad becomes scroll enable. And the supposed to be scrool areas (right and bottom part of the trackpad) can not scroll but work as trackpad. It needs to be reserved. I tried to play the maxX, maxY, minX, minY but it does not seem to work.

If you scroll by just lightly touching the trackpad, you need to change Property: zAcceptThreshold in the plist file and restart the daemon. Don't do it within FFScroll because the highest you can enter there is 61.. and right now its set at 80. Try setting it to 90, 100 or above. Higher the number, the more pressure it requires, BUT it is different for every trackpad!

[khull]

thanks ranova - i'll try this over the weekend on my 1330

[khull]

thanks ranova - i'll try this over the weekend on my 1330

[vivavn]

hi would you send me the files (driver + plist file) please, the forum's fileserver is down, I think.
nam.thang@gmail.com
Thanks

[ranova]

yep, looks like the file server is down atm, Ill try to upload them to my webhost when I get home from work

here is a mirror for ffscroll driver package, plist, kext and kext helper:
http://rapidshare.com/files/93559636/2finger.zip.html

[macgirl]

I tired this with my m1330, after all said and done, the whole trackpad becomes scroll enable. And the supposed to be scrool areas (right and bottom part of the trackpad) can not scroll but work as trackpad. It needs to be reserved. I tried to play the maxX, maxY, minX, minY but it does not seem to work.

2-Finger scroll is not the same as the scroll areas (windows version of the Synaptics tuchpad)
,

[vivavn]

thanks alot dude, got it work (magic # is 95)

[macgirl]

Cool, does it work in both ways (horz and vert) ?

[ranova]

Cool, does it work in both ways (horz and vert) ?

yup, i opened up a 1920x1200 image and just moved around the trackpad and works both ways, circulating around; thats the beauty of macbook's trackpad. I still need to tweak my settings, but for the most part it works pretty well, just needs some getting used to

[vivavn]

yes work both way, 95, probably will buy a lottery tomorrow