Just wondering if anyone has has difficulties with the touchpad being sensitive to palm taps that place the cursor far from where I’m working. I have reduced touchpad sensitivity, but is there a plan to have palm rejection as an option? I seem to remember that in other Windows laptops.
Thank you.
Hello,
I have this too. When typing quickly, just touch the touchpad with your palm slightly is enough to trigger a click wherever your cursor is right now. Super annoying, as most of the time, this throws me in a random place of my document.
Lowering the touchpad sensitivity doesn’t seem to make a difference here.
System: Framework 13 - 13th gen
OS: Windows 10
Keyboard: Standard, as shipped - German QWERTZ Layout
The palm clicks are driving me crazy. It’s much worse than the Macbook Air I was previously using. I can’t seem to cause the palm click happen on purpose, though.
Framework 13 AMD Ryzen 5 7640U (DIY)
AMD Ryzen 5 7640U
OS: Fedora Linux 39 (KDE Plasma) x86_64
Kernel: 6.6.2-201.fc39.x86_64
DE: Plasma 5.27.9
In the KDE settings, “disable while typing” and “tap to click” are enabled. Is this an issue with the hardware, since it’s happening in Windows and Linux?
Yeah, it’s pretty bad. I can’t find any kind of “palm rejection” setting in Windows 11 for this thing. Anyone have any thoughts about how to solve this or is it a hardware issue?
I also have problems with unintended click all the time. (it’s why I prefer the thinkpad nipple as i can usually disable the touch pads). Curious if there will be some sort of a workaround.
Could it be as simple as a software update that enables palm rejection? I recall that being the solution on a previous machine (not a Framework) back in the day.
It isn’t specifically a Framework issue. I’ve had this issue on many laptop touchpads going back many years. Some are worse than others. Hardware may play a part, (the size of the touchpad, whether it’s recessed slightly or not, etc.). But I think it’s primarily down to software/driver tuning. Palm rejection while typing is one of the reasons why I was frustrated with the push for larger and larger touchpads. Fix palm rejection first! My Framework isn’t perfect, but I had a Samsung laptop once upon a time that was so bad it was nearly unusable.
Apple isn’t perfect, but they have the most consistent touchpads I’ve ever used.
I don’t think it’s purely a sensitivity issue. I think it’s more a matter of tuning to tell the difference between a palm and a finger, and rejecting “taps” when typing.
For what it’s worth, I was trying out Manjaro KDE, installed on a microSD in the expansion card. The palm rejection was considerably worse than Fedora KDE. The box to disable touchpad while typing was checked just like on Fedora.
Do we think it’s sounding like this is a combination of hardware, distro, and maybe desktop environment?
It’s always a frustrating thing with Linux. Should I also bring this up on KDE and Fedora forums? I’m wondering if the fact that Manjaro is worse, if Fedora has optimized this as much as possible.
I’m on Windows and seeing the same, so it’s likely a hardware issue. Well, I do wish there was a palm rejection feature in the software too.
Hate to be “that guy”, but I just hold my palms an inch or so above the trackpad 
No, I get it. I’m thinking of either cutting off most of my fingers or covering the track pad in wax paper. Either way, can’t lose, right?
I too wish there was some official setting. I just turned down the sensitivity to very low and it’s pretty much serving as my work around until an official setting is released, if ever.
It can be pretty bad. I’m always wondering what is happening with my typing before realizing that it must have been a lack of palm rejection.
On any MS Windows laptop with a PrecisionTouchpad, if you are an administrator user and comfortable with regedit, then customizing PrecisionTouchpad registry settings for your hands might reduce palm clicks:
“Create a restore point” to backup the Windows Registry with the original settings, and then
In regedit, try adjusting PrecisionTouchpad settings for your hands. Start by adding or increasing “Super Curtain” DWord value(s) for the edge(s) where your palm(s) cause clicks, and then restart MS Windows. Repeat until satisfied.
The settings are documented here:
I think the “himetric” unit is 1/100 of a millimeter, i.e., 10 microns, so 1cm would be 1000.
I generally only boot into my Windows partition if I need to check out an ebook from my library and transfer it to my e-reader. (It requires a Windows-only Adobe app). I’m not at all knowledgeable about the Registry, so I don’t plan to attempt your suggestion. (Thanks though)
I have played around enough at this point to say the palm rejection problem is equally prevalent in Windows, Fedora GNOME, Ubuntu GNOME, Ubuntu Cinnamon, and Fedora KDE. I can’t tell that the KDE option to disable the touchpad while typing does anything.
This seems like a hardware issue but I admit that keeping the computer on my lap while reclining on a couch is worse compared to sitting at a desk.
On Linux, libinput might be relevant, particularly for touchpads by PixArt (not using a driver for touchpads by Synaptics).
libinput offers some local customization of matched touchpad device settings via /etc/libinput/local-overrides.quirks, including settings used for palm rejection like AttrPressureRange xor AttrTouchSizeRange.
A procedure to debug these settings for your touchpad and hands is documented here:
https://wayland.freedesktop.org/libinput/doc/latest/touchpad-pressure-debugging.html#debugging-touchpad-pressure-size-ranges
I appreciate the link, but I’m not sure it’s going to be helpful
matt@mattlappy ~/Downloads> sudo libinput measure touchpad-pressure
Using PIXA3854:00 093A:0274 Touchpad: /dev/input/event12
This device does not have the capabilities for pressure-based touch detection.
Details: Device does not have ABS_PRESSURE or ABS_MT_PRESSURE
matt@mattlappy ~/Downloads> sudo libinput measure touch-size
Using PIXA3854:00 093A:0274 Touchpad: /dev/input/event12
This device does not have the capabilities for size-based touch detection.
Details: Device does not have ABS_MT_TOUCH_MAJOR
This implies to me that palm rejection is not happening at all (which is what it feels like). It’s pretty disappointing. I’ve have to deal with a palm click about once per typed paragraph. It’s a definite step down from my 2017 Macbook Air.
FWIW, I tried out
sudo cat /dev/input/event19
Just to see what happens. It prints out the crazy text with even just a tiny touch from my palm. I have neuropathy and I’m pretty used to the fact that my fingers can touch my smartphone screen without feeling it. I apparently have less sensation in my palms than I thought.
Yeah I’m another of those, that in 30 years, never had an Apple, or Thinkpad, yet using Win 95 to Win 11 an Ubuntu 8 to 23 I’ve never had such an issue.
Maybe my simple one finger of each hand typing means my palms are way off the touchpad.
That’s called pick and peck!
Another reason why I prefer laptops with physical buttons for heavy typing. You just turn tap to click off completely and the problem is gone.