This kind of touchpad from ALPS is causing trouble far and wide. There are half a dozen bug threads on RedHat and Ubuntu, and a couple on the kernel bug list. It appears this problem cannot be fixed without information from the manufacturer or Dell, but ALPS says I need to talk to Dell, and Dell says, well, "we don't know our ass from a hole in the ground." That's almost literally true, if you read below in this chat session I had with them on July 11, 2011.
I Swear to God this exactly how the chat session transpired. I've cut out the personal identifying stuff, but otherwise it is verbatim. Look down to the part where I put "***" for my favorite part.
07/10/2011 04:13:59PM Agent: "Hello Paul. Thank you for contacting Dell Technical Support. My name is David. While I am bringing up your information, how may I assist you today?"
07/10/2011 04:14:35PM Paul Johnson: "Need to get programming info on this "multi-touch" thing in the Precision M4600. I can't get it to work right in Linux"
07/10/2011 04:15:25PM Agent: "I'm sorry to hear about this problem Paul, we'll work towards a resolution."
07/10/2011 04:17:02PM Agent: "Since we didn't ship the computer with Linux Paul this isn't something we can support. We only provide support and drivers for Windows."
07/10/2011 04:18:18PM Paul Johnson: "Yes, that's why I need the programming information, because you don't support Linux. I got this laptop by mistake, but I'm stuck with it. So I have to make the best of it. Can you help me find out who has the API information. Even same API you give to windows programmers would be fine
07/10/2011 04:19:27PM Agent: "I would help you if I knew how but we don't have contact with Windows programmers or have anything to do with API information."
07/10/2011 04:19:50PM Agent: "I don't know what API is."
07/10/2011 04:20:36PM Agent: "You might be able to find this out from our customer care department, their number is 1.877.671.3355."
07/10/2011 04:20:42PM Paul Johnson: "OK, I've heard that before. But if that device is a "Dell Multitouch touchpad", there must be somebody in the company who knows what it is and how the system communicates with it. API=Applications Programming Interface."
07/10/2011 04:21:48PM Paul Johnson: "Here's another way to ask. Dell just released a new windows driver for the touchpad for Windows. Who wrote that driver, how can I find him/her?"
(***)
07/10/2011 04:22:27PM Agent: "I'm sure there is but I don't have any way of getting information to them. We don't have any contact with Dell internal departments but you could try emailing the request in. I don't have any way of contacting anyone outside our building."
07/10/2011 04:23:02PM Paul Johnson: "Who would I email to? I've been trying to contact them for a month."
07/10/2011 04:23:01PM Agent: "I'll forward the request to my manager but I'm sure he won't have anything either. None of our departments actually talk with other departments."
07/10/2011 04:23:27PM Paul Johnson: "That's kinda funny, really. If you look at what you wrote"
07/10/2011 04:24:21PM Agent: "I'll ask a manager that's here but I'm certain that no one is going to be able to get this info. for you. I'll be right back."
07/10/2011 04:28:54PM Agent: "We have some kind of Linux support department. I'm looking up their number now."
07/10/2011 04:29:08PM Paul Johnson: "In MS Windows, the touchpad shows as an ALPS brand device. Can you confirm they are the manufacturer? Can you get a model number or such for the touchpad?"
07/10/2011 04:30:20PM Agent: "I do know that Alps is always the provider for our touchpads but they don't give us any kind of model number. We really only get the basic info. we need to do our jobs and if we need anything else, it's Google."
07/10/2011 04:30:50PM Agent: "The Linux number is 1-866-622-1947."
07/10/2011 04:32:02PM Paul Johnson: "Someone in your company writes the driver for windows. That person will have the required data. I've already contacted ALPS, they say Dell is free to release the info on the device. But I can't find who at dell has the info"
07/10/2011 04:34:46PM Agent: "Most of Dell's drivers are provided from the individual makers of the drivers but either way we don't have any direct control over where that comes from or any way to process what you're needing. I don't have any other ideas in this aside from the Linux support queue.
07/10/2011 04:36:02PM Paul Johnson: "OK, I'll keep trying. ALPS insists that Dell did write the driver. You can't even tell me the name of the department that has the job of putting the drivers up on your web page? If I could find them, I would be one step closer to the source."
07/10/2011 04:37:33PM Agent: "Honestly, we're a separate department with little actual contact between us and Dell. We just support hardware breakdowns and basic Windows support. If I knew of anything to help you I would tell you."
07/10/2011 04:38:32PM Paul Johnson: "Ah. I thought I was chatting with Dell. Thanks anyway. Bye"
WOW!
Here are some links to bug reported on this.
Trackpad on Dell Inspiron E6410 not recognized
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=590880
Alps touchpad is recognized but synaptics clients and scrolling do not work
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/550625
ALPS Touchpad not recognized
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=14660
ALPS touchpad in Dell Latitude E6510 not recognized by kernel 2.6.33
https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=318567
Dell Inspiron N Series, Touchpad recognised as generic PS/2 mouse
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/678103
Touchpad does not work properly in Ubuntu 11.04
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/784965
https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/582809
Synaptics Clickpad touchpad buttons are not working
Multitouch support not available for Synaptics touchpads v7.2
https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/308191