tablet not working any more since upgrade to 9.04

[Bernard François]

Binary package hint: wacom-tools

Since I upgraded from 8.04 to 9.04 (with an upgrade to 8.10 in between), my wacom volito tablet (model CTF-420/G(A)) is not working any more.

I never installed anything special for it when I was using it in 8.04, so I had no pressure sensitivity support (I could just use it as a mouse).

After the upgrade, I don't have any functionality left. It just doesn't work.

I found two related bug reports:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/wacom-tools/+bug/151902
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/wacom-tools/+bug/224928

Note that I do not have the package named 'mouseemu' installed (that one breaks wacom support, according to the 2nd bug report).

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.04
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: xserver-xorg-input-wacom 1:0.8.2.2-0ubuntu2
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=C
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersion: Linux version 2.6.28-6-386 (buildd@rothera) (gcc version 4.3.3 (Ubuntu 4.3.3-5hostname4) ) #20-Ubuntu Fri Apr 17 08:32:39 UTC 2009
SourcePackage: wacom-tools
Uname: Linux 2.6.28-6-386 i686

[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 82G33/G31/P35/P31 Express DRAM Controller [8086:29c0] (rev 02)
     Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:020d]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation GeForce 8600 GT [10de:0402] (rev a1)
     Subsystem: nVidia Corporation Device [10de:0505]

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Bernard François, there has been change to how Wacom tablets are set up in Ubuntu since Hardy. Did you try after installing the package wacom-tools?

[Bernard François (bernardfrancois-gmail)]

I installed wacom-tools and rebooted. Nothing changed, the tablet still doesn't work.

After doing that, I used the following information to try to make it work:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wacom

I created a file custom_wacom.fdi, with the content from the following page (the file contained the first xml file, under the title 'Ubuntu 9.04'):
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wacom.fdi
I unplugged/plugged the usb tablet, and it didn't work, so I reverted the change.

I also tried the other method suggested; editing xorg.conf. However, the device that I had to use according to the community docs was /dev/input/wacom, but as I don't have this file, I didn't continue.

By the way, in xorg.conf, there were some lines like this above the wacom sections:
# commented out by update-manager, HAL is now used

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Bernard, your tablet seems to be recognized by HAL. What could be the problem is that some old 8.04 (or earlier) configuration is preventing your tablet to work with the way 9.04 configures it. Even though you said you didn't configure anything for your tablet, your xorg.conf says it has been configured, maybe by Ubuntu 8.04 or earlier. For example, I've already seen that commented lines (maybe when there's double # like the "Tablet PC" lines in your /etc/X11/xorg.conf, but not sure) in xorg.conf prevented my Intuos 3 from working on an upgraded system.

You could download a Jaunty Live CD, boot it, and in the Live session install wacom-tools, then plug your USB Wacom tablet and try if it works (and also have a look at /dev/input/ and /dev/input/by-id). Same with a Karmic Live CD in the event the Jaunty one didn't recognize your tablet. However, I doubt there'll be any problem, since AFAIK your tablet model has been supported for a while.

Then if it works, backup your /etc/X11/xorg.conf and then edit it, removing all commented lines. Or, better, if you don't mind switching to a virtual terminal and using the command line, delete it (after you made a backup), then "sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop", recreate xorg.conf with "sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg".

There might also be a conflict with an old/custom HAL .fdi file in /etc/hal/fdi/policy/ (should have no file containing the name wacom). Check you also have /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty/10-linuxwacom.fdi and no /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/10osvendor/ one. For example, go to the root directory and run "sudo find | grep acom | grep fdi"

[Bernard François (bernardfrancois-gmail)]

I ran the 9.04 live CD, and the tablet works. I didn't have to install wacom-tools, and I verified that it was not installed. After setting it up in the gimp I could even use pressure sensitivity!

Now that I'm back in my installed version of 9.04, the tablet still doesn't work.

This is what I did:
- I removed all commented out lines in xorg.conf and restarted gdm. It didn't fix it.
- I verified that there is no file containing the name wacom in /etc/hal/fdi/policy (this was the case for both the live session and my current session - the ony file in this folder was preferences.fdi in both cases).
- I verified that there is a file 10-linuxwacom.fdi (this was the case for both sessions).
- I verified that there is no file with wacom in it in the 10osvendor folder (there was no such file in either session).

I also had a look in the /dev folders. This is the output I got for the live session:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ ls /dev/input/
by-id event1 event4 event7 mouse0 mouse3
by-path event2 event5 event8 mouse1 tablet-volito2-4x5
event0 event3 event6 mice mouse2 wacom
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ ls /dev/input/by-id/
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00076194C6D9-event-kbd
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00076194C6D9-event-mouse
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00076194C6D9-mouse
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00197EDB43D2-event-kbd
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00197EDB43D2-event-mouse
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00197EDB43D2-mouse
usb-WACOM_CTF-420_V2.0-0-event-mouse
usb-WACOM_CTF-420_V2.0-0-mouse
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

I did the same for my current session:

ber@ubuntu:~$ ls /dev/input
by-id event0 event2 event4 event6 mice mouse1
by-path event1 event3 event5 event7 mouse0 mouse2
ber@ubuntu:~$ ls /dev/input/by-id
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00076194C6D9-event-kbd
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00076194C6D9-event-mouse
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00076194C6D9-mouse
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00197EDB43D2-event-kbd
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00197EDB43D2-event-mouse
usb-Logitech_BT_Mini-Receiver_00197EDB43D2-mouse
ber@ubuntu:~$

[Bernard François (bernardfrancois-gmail)]

I finally found what was the issue. I was still running kernel 2.6.28-6-386. Now I'm using 2.6.28-15-generic and everything is fine.

So the upgrade process from 8.04 to 9.04 somehow failed to install the latest kernel, which broke the wacom support.

Could that be because I once manually edited /boot/etc/menu.lst? The changes I once made were under the line '### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST', while the outdated kernel I was using was mentioned above that line.

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Thanks for the update Bernard.

Marking this as invalid then, since it shouldn't appear on an up-to-date Jaunty.