10-wacom.fdi only configure the stylus (no eraser, cursor, pad...)

[Kaihsu Tai]

Binary package hint: wacom-tools

The fdi file in /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty/10-wacom.fdi only has the stylus enabled; the cursor (mouse-like device) and the eraser (the other end of the stylus) are not enabled by default.

[Kaihsu Tai (kaihsu)]

See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wacom.fdi

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

that's right, because HAL can only configure the device once, and the driver does not allow to set up multiple instances of itself.

[Kaihsu Tai (kaihsu)]

So I gather it is impossible to add ‘cursor’ and ‘eraser’ in
the fdi file.... What is the suggested workaround please? Is
it to modify xorg.conf? If so, what lines should I add to
this latter file? Is there a reference xorg.conf for us to
look at?

Kiitti moi!

Timo Aaltonen, 2008-11-04 12:54:16-0000:
> that's right, because HAL can only configure the device once, and the
> driver does not allow to set up multiple instances of itself.
>
> --
> /etc/hal/fdi/policy/*wacom.fdi needs to exist and the ‘eraser’ and ‘cursor’ need to be enabled by default in addition to ‘stylus’
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/293564
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.

--
2008-11-16 Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims http://who.int/roadsafety

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hi kaihsu,

Please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn`, and attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log file from after reproducing this issue. If you've made any customizations to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf please attach that as well.

[Kaihsu Tai (kaihsu)]

Attached as requested.

[Kaihsu Tai (kaihsu)]

My /var/log/Xorg.0.log file is attached as requested.

[Kaihsu Tai (kaihsu)]

I don’t think I customized my /etc/X11/xorg.conf but just in case, I attach it for your reference.

[tommy (yobbobandana)]

To answer your question, the only way to get the eraser and cursor working like before, is to configure them in your xorg.conf. Instructions on doing this can be found at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wacom . The forum support thread for this howto is at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=967147 .

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Kaihsu Tai, the fdi file doesn't need to exist in /etc/hal/fdi/policy/, there's already one in /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty/ installed by the package xserver-xorg-input-wacom and it should already be enough for the stylus (unless you're affected by a bug in the 0.8.1.4 wacom drivers, see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wacom Option A).

The /etc/hal/fdi/policy/ is the place to copy it if you want to edit your stylus options (see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wacom.fdi ).

However, you only get stylus. If you want to get the eraser, cursor, pad... you need to edit your xorg.conf as in https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wacom option B) and https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WacomTroubleshooting ).

Come to the forum if you have questions.

However, part of your bug report is still true - there need to be a solution for eraser/cursor/etc, but that's not possible at the moment (adding the lines in the .fdi file won't work). Hopefully it can be solved for Jaunty (see the discussion there : https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-x/2008-November/000243.html and there : https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel-discuss/2008-November/006205.html ).

I had a look at your xorg.conf, and it's not a "default" one since apparently you upgraded. Remove the # (only one) at the beginning of the lines concerning wacom sections (stylus, eraser, cursor) and the ones concerning the same devices in "ServerLayout". But make sure you make sure you make a copy of your xorg.conf and can either copy it under a command line (CTRL-ALT-F1) or boot on a live CD, mount the / partition and copy it from there.

[Kaihsu Tai (kaihsu)]

Thanks Loïc for your detailed explanation. I have removed /etc/hal/fdi/policy/10-wacom.fdi and edited my /etc/X11/xorg.conf as you suggested, and it worked: now ‘cursor’, ‘eraser’, and ‘stylus’ are all working. For your reference, I attach my /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Happy to know you got it to work. I edited your bug description so it's more clear what the bug is (I'm assuming the stylus at least worked for you on a default Intrepid (final version) install since it did with the two tablets I tried.

If you want, you can install Intrepid again ;) from scratch on another partition and chack if the stylus also work by default with your model of tablet (and if not restore the first bug description).

[Kaihsu Tai (kaihsu)]

The workaround (editing xorg.conf) works for a while, but then the cursor and the eraser stop working after a while. I am not quite sure what makes them stop working; perhaps logging out and then logging back in? They recover after a total restart. Cheers.

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

It's already well known. Just check the file if you're not sure ;)

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Kaihsu, did you remove the wacom fdi file in /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty/ and any wacom file in /etc/hal/fdi/policy?

[Kaihsu Tai (kaihsu)]

clc:~ 10:32 $ ls /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty/
10-wacom.fdi 11-x11-synaptics.fdi 20-libgpod-sysinfo-extended.fdi
clc:~ 10:32 $ ls /etc/hal/fdi/policy
preferences.fdi

Should I have renamed/removed 10-wacom.fdi from
/usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty/ ?

Cheers.

Loïc Martin, 2008-11-16 22:57:01-0000:
> Kaihsu, did you remove the wacom fdi file in
> /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty/ and any wacom file in
> /etc/hal/fdi/policy?
>
> --
> 10-wacom.fdi only configure the stylus (no eraser, cursor, pad...)
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/293564
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.

--
2008-11-20 Universal Children's Day http://unicef.org/
1948-12-10 Universal Declaration of Human Rights http://everyhumanhasrights.org

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Just remove 10-wacom.fdi or move it to your home folder so it's not used any more. However, it might not even be necessary - before you do that, whenever only the stylus is picked up, try switching to a console and back (CTRL-ALT-F1 then CTRL-ALT-F7)

[Kaihsu Tai (kaihsu)]

Switching to-and-fro console works! Thanks.

Loïc Martin, 2008-11-17 10:50:54-0000:
> whenever only the stylus is picked up, try switching to a console and
> back (CTRL-ALT-F1 then CTRL-ALT-F7)

[Loïc Martin (loic-martin3)]

Timo, I don't think we should mark this bug as a duplicate, since Bug #215689: is definitely going towards xorg.conf, not -wacom.fdi

Since we still don't know 100% that the fdi method will not be used anymore for wacom devices, keeping at least this bug open might be a good place to track the changes (unless xorg confirms the fdi way is dropped).