Aiptek graphics tablet not playing nice w/ X [SOLVED]

mgushee · 2008-12-28 06:42:25

Hello, all--

I am trying to use my new toy--an Adesso CyberTablet 6400 (which is apparently an Aiptek-2 under the hood) w/ my Arch Linux box. I've read the documentation at aiptektablet.sourceforge.net and a few relevant posts on this forum, and have put together a sort-of working X.org config, which has one ServerLayout section for use with the graphics tablet and one for just mouse and keyboard--but there are problems. I've tried a number of variations, but here are the major scenarios:

1) Using the "Graphics" ServerLayout, [PS/2] mouse unplugged:
The tablet is fully functional, but when I try to shut down X, either via the XFCE
interface or Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, the screen freezes and all input devices are disabled.
To be more exact, it looks as if the [Xf]WM shuts down, but the X session doesn't.

2) Using the basic ServerLayout, mouse and tablet plugged in:
Mouse works normally. Moving the stylus on the tablet moves the pointer onscreen,
but no other tablet events (button clicks, taps, etc.) are registered. X shuts down
normally.

3) Using the "Graphics" ServerLayout, mouse and tablet plugged in:
Mouse and tablet functionality is the same as in #2, but X freezes on shutdown as in
#1.

Obviously a frustrating situation. Here's some information that might help:

* Video "card": actually it's an onboard SiS 741GX chipset on my cheapass motherboard. So I am using the xf86-video-sis driver.

* Last 'pacman -Syu': today

* xorg.conf (minus comments)

Section "Module"

    Load        "dbe"      # Double buffer extension

    SubSection  "extmod"
      Option    "omit xfree86-dga"   # don't initialise the DGA extension
    EndSubSection

    Load        "freetype"
    Load       "glx"
    Load       "dri"

EndSection


Section "Files"

    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/misc"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/TTF"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"

EndSection


Section "ServerFlags"

EndSection


Section "InputDevice"

    Identifier    "Keyboard1"
    Driver    "kbd"
    Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
    Option "XkbRules"    "xorg"
    Option "XkbModel"    "pc104"
    Option "XkbLayout"    "us"

EndSection


Section "InputDevice"

    Identifier    "Mouse1"
    Driver    "mouse"
    Option "Protocol"    "Auto"    # Auto detect
    Option "Device"      "/dev/psaux"
    Option "ZAxisMapping"   "4 5 6 7"

EndSection


Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier    "pen"
    Driver        "aiptek"
    Option        "Device"    "/dev/tablet"
    Option        "Type"        "stylus"
    Option        "Mode"        "absolute"
    Option        "Cursor"    "stylus"
    Option        "USB"        "on"
    Option        "KeepShape"    "on"
    Option        "debuglevel"    "20"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier    "cursor"
    Driver        "aiptek"
    Option        "Device"    "/dev/tablet"
    Option        "Type"        "cursor"
    Option        "Mode"        "absolute"
    Option        "Cursor"    "puck"
    Option        "USB"        "on"
    Option        "KeepShape"    "on"
    Option        "debuglevel"    "20"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier    "eraser"
    Driver        "aiptek"
    Option        "Device"    "/dev/tablet"
    Option        "Type"        "eraser"
    Option        "Mode"        "absolute"
    Option        "Cursor"    "stylus"
    Option        "USB"        "on"
    Option        "KeepShape"    "on"
    Option        "debuglevel"    "20"
EndSection


Section "Monitor"

    Identifier  "ViewSonic LCD"
    HorizSync   30-80
    VertRefresh 50-85

EndSection


Section "Device"
    Identifier    "Standard VGA"
    VendorName    "Unknown"
    BoardName    "Unknown"

    Driver     "vga"

EndSection


Section "Device"
    Identifier  "SiS On-Board Video"
    Driver      "sis"
EndSection


Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Screen 1"
    Device      "SiS On-Board Video"
    Monitor     "ViewSonic LCD"
    DefaultDepth 24

    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
EndSection


Section "ServerLayout"

    Identifier  "Basic"
    Screen "Screen 1"
    InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

EndSection


Section "ServerLayout"

    Identifier  "Graphics"
    Screen "Screen 1"
    InputDevice "Mouse1" "AlwaysCore"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "pen"            "AlwaysCore"
    InputDevice    "cursor"    "CorePointer"
    InputDevice    "eraser"    "AlwaysCore"

EndSection

* Some X.org.log stuff:

xf86AiptekControlProc
xf86AiptekControlProc
xf86AiptekControlProc
xf86AiptekControlProc
xf86AiptekControlProc
xf86AiptekControlProc
xf86AiptekProc() type=stylus flags=193 request=2
xf86AiptekProc request=OFF
xf86AiptekProc Success request=2
xf86AiptekProc() type=stylus flags=193 request=3
xf86AiptekProc request=CLOSE
xf86AiptekProc Success request=3
xf86AiptekUninit

Backtrace:
0: /usr/bin/X(xorg_backtrace+0x3b) [0x813017b]
1: /usr/bin/X(xf86SigHandler+0x51) [0x80d8cb1]
2: [0xb8039400]
3: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input//aiptek_drv.so [0xb7b2085b]
4: /usr/bin/X(DeleteInputDeviceRequest+0x54) [0x80d0c04]
5: /usr/bin/X(CloseDownDevices+0x33) [0x8084f23]
6: /usr/bin/X(main+0x4c1) [0x8071cd1]
7: /lib/libc.so.6(__libc_start_main+0xe5) [0xb7c2f6c5]
8: /usr/bin/X [0x8071071]

Fatal server error:
Caught signal 11.  Server aborting

xf86AiptekProc() type=cursor flags=194 request=2
xf86AiptekProc request=OFF
xf86AiptekProc Success request=2
xf86AiptekProc() type=cursor flags=194 request=3
xf86AiptekProc request=CLOSE
xf86AiptekProc Success request=3
xf86AiptekUninit

Can anyone suggest causes or fixes for this?

Last edited by mgushee (2009-03-16 03:21:53)

mgushee · 2008-12-30 01:27:16

Hmm, no responses yet. Should I have posted this to a different section of the forum, maybe?

'Course, to know for sure where this problem fits, I would have to know the cause, in which case I probably wouldn't need to ask anyone about it

mgushee · 2009-03-16 03:21:15

Well, finally a solution!

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AiptekTablet

Works for me. Many thanks to johneb47 for pointing this out.

BTW, it would be nice to see clear and concise documentation about when to use Xorg.conf and when to use HAL FDIs. And please date it! All Linux documentation needs to be dated; much of it isn't

Arch Linux

#1 2008-12-28 06:42:25

Aiptek graphics tablet not playing nice w/ X [SOLVED]

#2 2008-12-30 01:27:16

Re: Aiptek graphics tablet not playing nice w/ X [SOLVED]

#3 2009-03-16 03:21:15

Re: Aiptek graphics tablet not playing nice w/ X [SOLVED]

Board footer