Alps Touchpad on Dell: how do I install the DKMS driver to enable multitouch?

This one works beautifully.

Download the source from the link below and place psmouse-alps-dst-0.4 folder in /usr/src/ (you need root permission).

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzNsvDx_ae6bQnFLQkNFT0dWc3c

Run the install.sh with root permission (Ctrl+Alt+T)

sudo bash /usr/src/psmouse-alps-dst-0.4/install.sh

You can now configure the Touchpad in System Settings.

I had exact same problem on my Inspiron N5110 running Ubuntu 12.04 but was able to fix it using patch and instructions provided in these two links.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/606238/comments/144

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/606238/comments/147

Touchpad is now recognised as a AlpsPS/2 ALPS DualPoint TouchPad and Touchpad tab is enabled in System Settings. Unfortunately, scrolling is still not an option... :-(

At least touchpad is disabled while typing, which was the biggest problem for me resulting in cryptic writings! :-) Also Fn+F3 is working now (aka, touchpad toggle).

With the last update, multitouch has been enabled on Inspiron N5110. All you need to do is install this DKMS. I think it should work for all laptops with Alps touchpad. Here are more detailed instructions on installing this module than in links provided in the answer. You'll have to change any reference of "psmouse-alps-dst-0.1" to "psmouse-alps-alt-1.3" (the latest version).

How to successfully install the ALPS Touchpad DKMS driver

• Download and try to install the deb file from here as the question indicates, using sudo dpkg -i. It will fail with the error in the question, which is fine (see bottom of the answer if you want to know the technical reason why.)

• To build it, type/paste the following, line-by-line, in the terminal:

sudo sed -i -e '135d' /var/lib/dkms/psmouse-alps/0.10/source/src/alps.c
sudo dkms build -m psmouse-alps -v 0.10
sudo dkms install -m psmouse-alps -v 0.10
sudo modprobe psmouse
sudo sh -c "echo psmouse >> /etc/modules"
sudo update-initramfs -u

• The driver should work now; reboot just in case.
• DKMS should also automatically recompile whenever you upgrade/change kernels. DO NOT install the deb file again.

What was the problem?

• The build log shows that compiling the module fails because of an error at character 33 in line 135 of the alps.c source file.
• That line is module_param(alps_dump_packets, int, 0644);
• The compiler expects an argument (variable name) to follow the int, but there is none.
• Since the previous line 134 disables the alps_dump_packets feature (static int alps_dump_packets = 0;), we are probably safe simply deleting the offending line 135 with sed, which allows the module to successfully build.

I've bought a DELL Latitude E6430 with ubuntu preloaded, I found the glidepoint driver installed.. 2 fingers scroll ok, pinch zoom ok, everything working. I looked for it in the dell repos, but no luck, so I did:

apt-cache show glidepoint

and found this

Package: glidepoint
Status: install ok installedPriority: extra
Section: alien
Installed-Size: 2100
Maintainer: xmy <xmy@pod-desktop>
Architecture: amd64
Version: 3.6-13
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.4), libgconf2-4 (>= 2.27.0), libglib2.0-0 (>= 2.12.0)
Conffiles:
 /etc/pm/sleep.d/90GlidePoint 85d3fe435ff5e904812cb1a03461d456
 /etc/init.d/glidepoint 5427379c9470ae9c74cba849b35e7df1
 /etc/xdg/autostart/glideusd.desktop 1585732553ad2ea2c547c9989134000f
 /etc/glidepoint/config c1aefbbc5c4fa9cec9c61b2485237d37
 /etc/glidepoint/port 72f67e70f6b7cdc4cc893edaddf0c4c6
Description: GlidePoint 3.6 touchpad driver
 GlidePoint 3.6 touchpad driver for Linux.
 .
 (Converted from a rpm package by alien version 8.79ubuntu0.1.)

so I repacked it with

sudo dpkg-repack glidepoint

and now I have this to share:

glidepoint_3.6-13_amd64.deb

try on your ubuntu, let me know if works.