Jon Bee

(I'm not sure if this is relevant or helpful but it isn't intended to be destructive either B)... When 2006 was originally released, there was a stable 1.1.5 as well as a Beta 2.0 included. Both could be installed together. (I installed only the unstable Beta 2.0 (foolishly, because it couldn't output vector graphics in a PDF, right when I needed to do so --stick with the stable versions for important work!!)) Anyway.... when the stable release of 2.02 came out, I wasn't certain which version it would be linked to as an upgrade, (the old stable 1.1.5 or the old 2.0 beta). So... before installing 2.02, I first un-installed the beta version and deleted any icons that pointed to it (one remained in my dock) (and if I had installed the old stable version, perhaps I would have un-installed it too). Then, after installing stable 2.02, I re-put a fresh icon into the dock. And... I haven't found any problems with 2.02, including its desktop integration. (Even vector graphics in a PDF work properly.) I don't know if my clumsy routine was actually related to the good functioning, but everything now works as expected.)

Okay, that sounded like a good idea, so I thought I tried it, but after I thought I'd made it non-writable, it was rewritten again. I tried by launching Konqueror from the Konsole logged in as the super user, and then entered the Xorg.conf "Properties" and switched off anything that looked like "write permissions". I realise that probably sounds a little corny, but that's the only way I know how to do anything. Is there a better way? By the way, some extra detail: it appears the Xorg.conf file is rewritten if one attempts a hot-plug. Could this be a hint to why the wacom module doesn't work straight off the bat? By the other way, I haven't written anything in a while because I've immersed myself in graphics tablet world lately. I won't post any of my "art" though because it still looks terrible, but at least now that is purely an artist-related-error, not a hardware one! ;)

Hi there, I found in my trials (thanks again Devries and everybody else) a couple steps that you didn't mention: - a complete system reboot seemed to be a necessary step, and not just an X reboot. - You may also need to remove the usbmouse driver (type: modprobe -r usbmouse ) (and reboot again) I hope this helps. (BTW, please refer to my latest post in Distro for Arts for a couple of other relevant issues I've come across.)

Anyone still reading this? Well whatever. For the record at least, I've discovered a few more answers to things that I thought it would be responsible to add: - I booted once without the Wacom connected, and on subsequent boots it stopped working again. I catted the events again, and found that the tablet was responding on event2, right where I would have expected it, but I couldn't budge the mouse cursor once again. So I went back into Xorg.config, and discovered that somehow it had managed to edit itself! Where I had previously typed "event2", it had mysteriously become "event0"! So after re-editing (back to event2) and re-booting, it worked again. If anyone knows how to avoid this dynamic hardware address syndrome, help clue me in please! (This is not so critical, I guess, but tiresome. I just have to be prepared to re-edit Xorg.config every time I want to connect the tablet. :dry: ) It is still far better than not being able to use it at all! (Thanks again, Devries and everyone. ) - Regarding Krita, Devries is absolutely correct that the on-line handbook refers to a tablet settings configuration dialogue. However that is pertaining to version 1.5 (and presumably higher), which is just yet unreleased. The version I have installed on my machine (the latest available from Mandriva official repositories as of 29 March 2006) is 1.42. This will hopefully be the last stable release which does not include tablet settings. Obviously this is not a problem I expect to be ongoing, and it is not only for this reason that I am hugely anticipating v.1.5+. (the "painterly" version!):woot_jump:

I realise that I'm a bit late to add anything here either, but I just have to say that I really like CrossOver Office. I use native Linux software for absolutely everything possible, but basically just to use the excellent clean energy simulation spreadsheets from RETScreen International (Shameless plug, I know. Please sign up with them and help kindly urging them toward OASIS! :deal: Already free as in beer, BTW.) I needed to install MS Excel (although I installed MSO 2000 complete, I have only ever used Excel much). I did try importing the spreadsheets directly into KOffice and OOo, but neither would touch them. I then tried Wine, but I'm just not very good at configuring things, so I didn't get far. For this task, Cross Over is just perfect. I didn't need to be an expert at anything, and an Excel icon is nicely available in the kicker. It just works, with Excel windows side by side with my favourite Linux apps. I've installed a few other things (iTunes, Quicktime, others) which work seemingly well, but I don't bother using them, and I don't usually play games at all, so I can't really advise beyond MSO, but if there happens to be one MSO item you need to use, I can't help but reccommend XOver.

That sounds very cool. Any reccommendations for how to shop for a projector? Actually I didn't give up the mouse for the tablet only, my computer also has a touch pad, which is more convenient but even less accurate than a mouse. I'll use the tablet only for precision work, and mostly pixel oriented at that. I'll use the touch pad for everything else.

Yeah, now that it works, I can say it was a lot easier than I thought, but I tried back with Mdk10.1 and I gave up as I was practically ready to throw my computer off my balcony. A screen projector you say? Hmmmmn. Just when I thought I had everything I wanted... That's strange, I can't seem to find anything like that in the version I'm running. <double checking> By the way, I made a very interesting discovery today: after thinking I would be able to replace my USB mouse with my tablet, I unplugged it and gave it to my wife for her notebook. Then the tablet stopped working. Then I catted the events again and found that the tablet's input had been reassigned from event3 to event2. I re-edited the XOrg.config file accordingly and it works again. I wonder if there's a way to get around that, should I add/remove the mouse again.

It works! Thanks soooo much! Actually it just started working, on event3, just like yours, when I tried it again this morning. I suspect that after doing modprobe -r usbmouse I needed to have done a complete reboot, rather than just rebooting X. Then I went ahead to your step 3, and voila! I can use my tablet with Mandriva! I also went into GIMP and switched on tilt and pressure, although I was somewhat disappointed to see Krita not take those settings. GIMP did work fine with them though. Do you happen to know how to activate tilt and pressure in Krita 1.42? By the way, I no longer feel any need to switch distros, as if that wasn't obvious. Mandriva rocks again!

Thanks for the help, scarecrow. I have looked at the linuxwacom site, and my poor artsy heart almost stopped. I don't have the slightest clue how to compile anything! I just wish Mandriva would include linuxwacom in the cooker, and everything would magically work immediately after install. By the way, I tried Ubuntu once, and straight out of booting, the tablet sortof worked (with zeroing issues and no pressure or tilt sensitivity), so I know it's not a hardware problem. For better or worse though, I didn't like much else about Ubuntu, but it just pained me that this is the only thing that I don't like about Mandriva. I don't blame Mandriva for this though. Really it's Wacom's fault, for not giving a driver to the community in the first place (stupid company). But I happen to have one, and they're probably as close to standard as tablets get, so... I'll have another look at the HOWTO though, and get back to you. Thanks again.

Thanks for the help. I tried step 1, and it gave me this: wacom 13888 0 usbcore 108348 6 usbhid,wacom,usb_storage,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd It looks something like what you suggested should happen, which was a relief, although I note that there are differences. Are they important? I then tried step 2, and the problems started. ...event1, ...event2, ...event3 all produced nothing when I moved the stylus across the tablet. ...event0 however produced some gobledygook when I pressed keys on the keyboard, but again nothing when I manipulated the stylus. ...event4 and higher (up to 15, I think) instantly produced the message: cat: /dev/input/event5: No such file or directory and returned the [root]# prompt immediately. Next I tried "chmod 666 /dev/input/event1,2,3..." and then catted everything again and I accidentally discovered that my USB mouse was on event4, yet still, the tablet seemed to produce completely undetectable input on those events. I then tried "modprobe -r usbmouse" which may or may not have done anything (there was no acknowledgement), rebooted X, and tried "cat"ing the eventXs again, with no different results. Happily however, as you said, my USB mouse still works. :D Should I proceed to steps 3 and 4? Or am I right to assume that it would still be fruitless? Thanks again.

I want to use my computer for artistic creativity, or more specifically, I need to use: Software - Inkscape - Krita - Cinelerra - Blender and Yafray - Rosegarden or Ardour and Audacity - Maybe GIMP and Scribus Hardware - Minolta A1 digital camera - Samsung Kenox "#1" digital camera - Epson Pixus A3 sized printer - SJ (Steinberg Jones) MIDI interface - Roland Synth AND - Wacom Intuos 2 graphics tablet. Problem 1: with Mandriva, everything works together wonderfully (as well as other media tools, Office and Internet software and so on) EXCEPT the Wacom graphics tablet! Unfortunately however, I don't consider this a minor problem. Honestly, for any serious pixel oriented graphics like GIMP or Krita, a tablet isn't a luxury at all, but a bare necessity! It's like a word processor without a keyboard. Problem 2: I'm exasperated trying to edit XOrg.config and other config options to make it work, as I've tried pretty much everything out there, and still cannot but budge the cursor with my tablet, and as often as not end up needing to reinstall everything from the Powerpack DVD and reconfiguring URPMI and downloading all my preferred packages again. I give up. I just want to use my tablet! Does anyone know of a distro that supports Wacom, with pressure sensitivity out of the box? Or, is there a way to get Linux Wacom into the Mandriva Cooker? (I have voted my heart out for it on the Club with no effect.) Or is there another way? :mellow: [moved from Other Linux Distros by spinynorman]

I know this is a bit late in the game, but I can tell you that Cross Over works really well on my system. It basically is wine, and they are one of the biggest supporters (THE biggest?) of the Wine Project, but they made it much easier to install and use things. I also tried getting things done with pure wine, but I'm just not that advanced at command line stuff or have the time to become so. It doesn't cost that much. (BTW, I still use CX4.1, and it worked on Mdk 10.1 and now on Mdv2006 with no problems. I've installed Office 2000, ITunes, Quicktime, and RETScreen Excel worksheets ( http://www.retscreen.net/ ) and everything works perfectly, as far as I can tell. Still haven't tried freecell...)