Wacom tablet

[Fred]

did you install the kernel source ?

[ludek]

I'm currently using wacom tablet on 3 different computers (me, wife, work - distributions: Slackware, Zenwalk) for some years. I consider I know to install it. On the same computer it worked with ubuntu and fedora too.

Now with Salix Os it doesn't function. That's all.

[Akuna]

Now with Salix Os it doesn't function. That's all.

Sorry to hear about that, which is why it will be very informative for us when you exactly find out why.

What exactly were you video problems with kernel-huge? Anything we could help with in that regard?

I think when Fred asked about the kernel source, he was referring more to the video problem than to the Wacom problem, since due to an issue with Slackware's kernel headers package, at the moment it is necessary to install the kernel source package to be able to install some proprietary video drivers (not sure if this may or may not be your situation)

[thenktor]

Sorry, but I think it's not good idea to have only SMP install version.

This should be no problem. The kernel detects if it should run SMP or not. Only for really old hardware (Pentium 1 and below) this doesn't work. I've never heard of problems with a SMP kernel on non SMP machines.
But if you are using another kernel in Slackware, then try this one instead

[tsuren]

i have a wacom tablet. i will try it tonight then.

[damNageHack]

I have a Wacom Bamboo One tablet here. Please stand by, I will try my best to get it working.

[maximus]

I have been using a Wacom Bamboo with Zenwalk and Salix without any problems really, unfortunately my main desktop rig and tablet are unavailable to me right now so I am unable to copy any config files or anything. I'm not too familiar with the way the Wacom tablets are working with the new Xorg (fdi rules and such) and was surprised to find on my first Salix install that xorg.conf was nowhere to be seen! (It was through xorg.conf that I had been configuring X and my tablet to work together which is the older method). As I use an Nvidia card in my desktop I installed the Nvidia binary drivers, during the process of which the installer installed an xorg.conf, which I used to set my tablet up with X as I had always done. As far as I can remember, the only thing I had to do that I didn't do on Zenwalk was copy over the linuxwacom kernel module as the module is not included in the default Salix kernel.

I should really learn how to use HAL fdi rules to set it all up, however the last time I looked the linuxwacom drivers weren't working the best in this way (only able to use the pointer - not the mouse or vice versa), but that was a few months ago so I'm sure driver development has caught up. Or it could have been me screwing up all along! I don't know, I only know I managed to get it working satisfactorily.

Sorry I couldn't be more help! Hope you figure it out.

[ludek]

Thanks, Maximus, for your information.

I have a Wacom Graphire 3.

As far as I can remember, the only thing I had to do that I didn't do on Zenwalk was copy over the linuxwacom kernel module as the module is not included in the default Salix kernel.

This is important indication for me.

Please, can you write - step by step - how you did your installation of tablet?

[maximus]

Well this is from memory so don't hate me if it doesn't work! The linuxwacom driver has since been updated, although the linuxwacom package referenced below should still work. Starting with a fresh install of Salix (after the install of Nvidia driver):

1. Compiled and packaged the latest linuxwacom driver package - at the time this was linuxwacom-0.8.4-1. I have uploaded the package I created then HERE. This package installs the linuxwacom driver for xorg and some udev rules.

2. After realising that the default kernel doesn't include the linuxwacom module, I went back to the source tree of the compiled linuxwacom source and dug out the the kernel module that was compiled but not moved into the package (I never had to worry about the kernel module before as with Zenwalk it was included in the default kernel, and therefore hadn't taken that into account when creating the package). I just created the kernel module directory directly and copied the module over to it. For your convenience, please find the wacom kernel module, compiled from the same source as above with the default Salix kernel HERE. Download to the directory of your choice, then in that same directory as root do:

Code: Select all

mkdir -p /lib/modules/2.6.29.6-smp/kernel/drivers/input/tablet
cp wacom.ko /lib/modules/2.6.29.6-smp/kernel/drivers/input/tablet/
chmod 644 /lib/modules/2.6.29.6-smp/kernel/drivers/input/tablet/wacom.ko

3. Edit the xorg.conf, modifying the "ServerLayout" and "InputDevice" sections as necessary for your tablet (see the linuxwacom page HERE for detailed instrutions). I already had this ready as I had kept the xorg.conf from my previous install so just had to copy/paste the sections in.

4. Plug in the tablet and reboot (you could also load the kernel module by hand using insmod before plugging in the tablet, and then restart x instead of rebooting, but I'm lazy and didn't mind waiting the minute or so for the reboot).

5. Cross your fingers....

So, as far as I can remember, these were the exact steps I took in configuring my Wacom Bamboo with Salix. As said before, the xorg.conf configuration method is now deprecated and the linuxwacom drivers have since been updated so the new HAL/fdi configuration may work OK - if I have the time I'll create a new package for testing using this new method. Theoretically, if I understand correctly, this should mean that all you have to do is install the new package, reboot and plug in the tablet, which would be easier all round. However as I also said before I don't have my tablet right now so I cannot test this.

Best of luck.