Please backport wacom-tools 0.8.6 from Jaunty to Intrepid (replaces Intrepid's 0.8.4)

[Loïc Martin]

The 0.8.6 linuxwacom are needed to fix a bug in the 0.8.4 drivers in the Intrepid repositories, where the input freeze for some users (most TabletPC users and a few Wacom tablet users).

The patches would be hard to track (see Bryce Harrington's opinion in ubuntu-x, last two paragraphs at https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-x/2008-November/000253.html for the reasons an SRU wouldn't be accepted), and since the 0.8.4 drivers are still ok for Wacom tablet users, a backport looks like a good solution.

At the moment, many users have to compile the drivers and install them by hand, and that encourages the idea that all Wacom users have to do so in Intrepid to get their tablet working - which can often be harmful for inexperienced users.

The backported packages build without source modifications and work on my Intrepid amd64 install.

Please test these packages and report if they work for you too (remember you still need wacom configuration in xorg.conf, which still has to be done manually.

Instructions on how to install the packages and configure your /etc/xorg.conf are available at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wacom and https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WacomTroubleshooting

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Tested and reported to work for a Wacom Cintiq 12wx on Intrepid amd64.

[tommy (yobbobandana)]

For some reason with this version the wheel on my mouse doesn't work properly :/.

I checked wacdump and the relwheel events are being reported correctly. However xidump reports that "button 241" is permanently down if I use the wheel.

The wheel works normally when compiling using the linuxwacom-0.8.1-6 source.

Wacom Graphire Bluetooth, Intrepid amd64

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

tommy, can you check if this behavior was not in the 0.8.4 packages that are default in Ubuntu 8.10 repositories?

[tommy (yobbobandana)]

Yes, I just reverted to the version provided by intrepid (1:0.8.1.4-0ubuntu3) and the mouse wheel works normally with this version.

[Magnes (magnesus2)]

No problem with mouse wheel but the tablet doesn't work as it should:
Right now I can draw but cursor jumps from point to point (like there was some grid) and when I take the pen away it still behaves like I'm pressing (for example if I start selecting a region in Nautilus and then take the pen away, selecting doesn't end).
I use Acecad Flair tablet not a Wacom one, but it's compatible and wacom drivers worked for it PERFECTLY in every other Ubuntu edition.

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Magnes, since the 0.8.1.6 drivers from linuxwacom works for you, but not 0.8.1.4 or 0.8.1.6 from Ubuntu, could you check if you also have the same problem in Jaunty (Ubuntu 9.04) if you have enough space for a spare partition (don't upgrade, Jaunty will still a bit unstable)? That way you can help so Jaunty works for you when it's released.

I've got an Intuos 3 and a Cintiq 12wx, and never had any problem with Ubuntu's wacom drivers, so I can't really test for the bugs that affect some people in Intrepid (I can test, but i can only report it works flawlessly).

[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

Marking back to incomplete because of regression reports. If you can come up with a change to fix these problems, we can upload a patched version to intrepid-backports.

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Scott Kitterman: I've put it to confirmed because of what's in the doc (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuBackports)

"If a test build has succeeded, the bug ticket should be marked CONFIRMED and a comment should be added asking for testing feedback. "

The only regression at the moment is the loss of mouse wheel between 0.8.1.4 and 0.8.1.6 - and it's not an SRU where the package is replaced, but a backport.
Magnes problem have been there since 0.8.1.4 and do not constitute a regression (he encounter the same problems with the packages already in Intrepid) - they must also be there in 0.8.1.6 Jaunty since it's an Ubuntu/Debian packaging problem.

I'm all for fixing this bug (both 0.8.1.4 in Intrepid or 0.8.1.6 in Jaunty or any future backport) though.

We indeed need more testing, but if 0.8.1.6 would already fix most TabletPC problems I'm not sure it wouldn't deserve a backport (at the moment people compile the drivers from linuxwacom).

[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

I'm not approving a backport known to cause regressions unless it's clear
the overall benifit is significantly positive and we've reasonably tried to
correct the regression.

[sam tygier (samtygier)]

seemed to help with a trust tb-3100. it is now working fully with this update. beforehand the cursor would stop moving while the pen was down. (also need to follow some bits in the wiki to configure it)

[Magnes (magnesus2)]

My problem is probably unique, so I think backport should be done if the mouse wheel problem some experienced is fixed. I'll test my tablet on Jaunty but I don't know when.

[sam tygier (samtygier)]

i had a go with a wacom bamboo fun.
with 0.8.1.4 versions everything works fine.
with the 0.8.1.6 versions i cannot get the scroll pad to function.

i have the tablet configured in xorg.conf, otherwise i only get the pen (not the eraser)

[Magnes (magnesus2)]

I tested my tablet on Jaunty Alpha LiveCD. It doesn't look good.
1. Tablet is not autodetected. I can't even move the cursor using the tablet.
2. After configuring it as in Ubuntu 7.10 (where it worked):
a) adding /dev/tablet-event on "USB Graphics Tablet" input device using this guide:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/TabletSetupWizardpenDapper
b) and adding lines to xorg.conf for my tablet:

# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
Section "InputDevice"
 Driver "wacom"
 Identifier "stylus"
 Option "Device" "/dev/tablet-event"
 Option "Type" "stylus"
 Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
 Option "USB" "on"
 Option "Mode" "Absolute"
 Option "Threshold" "1"
 #Option "Model" "Flair"
EndSection

# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
Section "InputDevice"
 Driver "wacom"
 Identifier "cursor"
 Option "Device" "/dev/tablet-event"
 Option "Type" "cursor"
 Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
 Option "USB" "on"
 Option "Mode" "Absolute"
 Option "Threshold" "1"
 #Option "Model" "Flair"
EndSection

# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
Section "InputDevice"
 Driver "wacom"
 Identifier "eraser"
 Option "Device" "/dev/tablet-event"
 Option "Type" "eraser"
 Option "!ForceDevice" "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
 Option "USB" "on"
 Option "Mode" "Absolute"
 Option "Threshold" "1"
 #Option "Model" "Flair"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
 Identifier "Default Layout"
  screen 0 "Default Screen" 0 0
# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
# Inputdevice "Generic Keyboard"
# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
# Inputdevice "Configured Mouse"
# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
 Inputdevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
 Inputdevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used
 Inputdevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
EndSection

c) and restarting xorg
the tablet works like that:
- I can move the cursor but its moves are eradic (it jumps from place to place) - very similar effect as I have right know on Intrepid when I use it
- after using the tablet my left mouse button stops functioning
- I can't click using the tablet, so I can't check if the pressure is working

[Magnes (magnesus2)]

PS. Should I file this as a bug for Jaunty?

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Yes, please file a bug against Jaunty's 0.8.1.6 wacom tools (and maybe post a link to it here once you're done, so people can have a look at it).

Thanks for testing Jaunty, that's really helpful.

Would it be possible for you to also test the 0.8.1.6 drivers from linuxwacom and confirm they work in Jaunty whereas the 0.8.1.6 from Ubuntu Jaunty don't (in the bug report you'll open)? That would help troubleshooting the error, since it will confirm the error is in the patch Ubuntu (and possibly Debian apply)? If you can, you could try before to install the packages from Debian unstable since they're also 0.8.1.6 and some patches in Ubuntu aren't applied in Debian.

It's asking a lot, but I don't think any Ubuntu developer face this particular bug, so they're a bit in the dark (even though it affect other TabletPC users, not just you).

Linuxwacom also has 0.8.2.1 drivers, but testing those wouldn't help since neither Debian nor Ubuntu package them at the moment.

[Magnes (magnesus2)]

At the bottom of Xorg.0.log I have lines like that:

wacom: rel event recv'd (0)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (0)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (3)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (3)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (0)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (0)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (0)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (3)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (3)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (3)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (3)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (0)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (0)!
wacom: rel event recv'd (0)!

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/wacom-tools/+bug/318669 - I created a bug report for Jaunty, but I don't know if I did it ok. I'll probably test 0.8.2.1 if they aren't to hard to compile.
I'll probably try also the wacomtools from linuxwacom but on Intrepid. Testing on Jaunty is hard and time consuming for now.

[Magnes (magnesus2)]

My problem was caused by my stupidity :) I had uncommented lines in xorg.conf that should remain commented out for USB tablet. My tablet works fine on: 0.8.2.1, 0.8.2.2 and probably 0.8.1.6.

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Considering Jaunty has been released, and Intrepid not being an LTS, there's no reason to think suddenly we'd get this bug solved. Also, Jaunty no longer has 0.8.1.6, but 0.8.2.2, which is a different beast (support for Xserver 1.6 won't apply to Intrepid).