Installing a Wacom tablet on OpenSUSe 11.3, 32 or 64 bit

**n_hand** · 03-Oct-2010, 14:25

It took me a couple of months to figure out what Linux was doing behind the scenes and how to get my BambooFun tablet to work. Some of the directions, that are probably obvious to the more technically adept, are not that clear to the rest of us. These instructions don't assume you have a high level of technical knowledge.

Step 1: Discover your Linux kernel
On your Desktop Folder open the item marked My Computer. In the lower right corner is the header OS Information. Under this header you will find a line about which kernel your machine is running. The options might include one of the following: Linux 2.6.34-12-desktop, Linux 2.6.34-12-default, Linux 2.6.34-12-pae, and Linux 2.6.34-12-xen. If your system is running 64-bit you will see X86_64 at the end of the kernel name. Make note of this information.

Step 2: Load the Wacom drivers from OpenSUSe
Open YaST2 , go to the Search tab, type in �wacom�, and press enter. You should see 4 packages for Wacom, one for each of the four kernel types. Select one of the packages by matching the name of the package to your kernel type. For example: If your machine is running the kernel �Linux 2.6.34-12-desktop�, select to install the �wacom-kmp-desktop�. You only need to select one.

Click on the button to �Accept� the change and install the Wacom drivers.
You may need to restart your system to enable the drivers. If so, make sure your tablet is plugged into the system first.

If your tablet works, you don't need to read any further.

If your tablet didn't work using the OpenSUSe drivers, you need to compile a driver specifically for your machine.

These directions start from a base installation of the desktop, assuming you didn't install all of the development packages when you first installed the system.

Step 3: Prepare your system for compiling the new drivers
Open YaST2, select Software Management and go to the Patterns tab.
Scroll to the bottom of the list that appears on the left. Under the Development header, select to install Base Development and Tcl/TK Development.

Open the Search tab, type in �kernel�, and press enter. Select to install �kernel-source� and �kernel-syms�. Search again, this time for �xorg-x11-server-sdk� and select to install it.
Click on the Accept button to accept all the additions to your operating system.

Step 4: Get packages from the Linux Wacom project
Now you need to get two packages from the Linux Wacom project on SourceForge.net. You can either do this through your browser or from the command line.
The URL is: The Linux Wacom Project
You need the latest packages for linuxwacom and the X server. At this time (October 2010) linuxwacom-0.8.8-9 and xf86-input-wacom-0.10.8 are the current production packages. OpenSUSe 11.3 runs Xserver 1.8, and needs the newer X drivers, but if you are running an earlier version of OpenSUSe you may not need them.

To download the packages from the command line in a terminal window:

Code:

wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/linuxwacom/files/xf86-input-wacom/xf86-input-wacom-0.10.8.tar.bz2/download

wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/linuxwacom/files/linuxwacom/0.8.8-9/linuxwacom-0.8.8-8.tar.bz2/download

Step 5: Unpack the packages
The packages can be unpacked using Ark.
Open Dolphin and find the tar.bz2 file. When you left-click on the archive Ark should open automatically, showing you the list of files contained in the archive. Select to Extract the archive. You can unpack the archives in your home directory but be sure �Preserve paths when extracting� is checked under Options.

The archives can also be unpacked using the following commands in a terminal window:

Code:

tar xvjf xf86-input-wacom-0.10.8.tar.bz2
tar xvjf linuxwacom-0.8.8-9.tar.bz2

Step 6: Compile the drivers
You need to compile and install the X driver before you compile the linuxwacom driver or it won't work properly.

Open a terminal window and change to the directory where you unpacked the X driver. For example:

Code:

cd xf86-input-wacom-0.10.8
./configure 
(if your kernel is 64-bit use �./configure --libdir=/usr/lib64� instead)
make
make check
sudo make install

(if you opened the terminal window as root, you don't need to use �sudo�)
Enter the superuser password when prompted.

Change to the directory where you unpacked the Linux Wacom driver. For example:

Code:

cd linuxwacom-0.8.8-9
./configure --enable-wacom �prefix-/usr
(if your kernel is 64-bit use �./configure --enable-wacom --prefix-/usr �libdir=/usr/lib64� instead)

This produces a couple of pages/screens of output. The last few lines will include information as to whether the drivers compiled.

Code:

BUILD ENVIRONMENT:
       architecture - x86_64-suse-linux
       linux kernel - yes 2.6.30
      kernel source - yes /lib/modules/2.6.34-12-desktop/build
     XFree86 source - no 
           Xorg SDK - yes /usr/include/xorg
          XSERVER64 - yes
           dlloader - yes
               XLib - yes /usr/lib64
         xf86config - yes
                TCL - yes /usr/include
                 TK - yes /usr/include
            ncurses - yes

  BUILD OPTIONS:
            wacom.o - yes

Check for the line under build options to make sure wacom.o compiled and that you have a line similar to:
�Your wacom.ko is available under /tmp/linuxwacom-0.8.8-9/src/2.6.30�

The next two steps may be needed on your system if you've not installed a tablet before but may not be needed if you have.

Code:

make
sudo make install

Step 6: Copy files to the necessary directories
Copying these files requires super user rights and can be done either from the terminal window or using Dolphin. To copy using Dolphin, navigate to the folder above the one where the file is required, right click the desired folder, select �Open with�, and select �File Manager � Super User Mode�

"uname -r" is a variable referencing the name of your kernel so it might mean �2.6.34-12-desktop�. The following directory -

/lib/modules/'uname -r'/kernel/drivers/input/tablet/

would then be read by the system as:

/lib/modules/2.6.34-12-desktop/kernel/drivers/input/tablet/

The file �wacom.ko� you created in Step 5 needs to be copied into the following location, replacing the file already there:
/lib/modules/'uname -r'/kernel/drivers/input/tablet/
If there have been any updates to your system's kernel, you will also need to copy wacom.ko to:
/lib/modules/'uname -r'/updates/

and possibly:
/lib/modules/'uname -r'/weakupdates/updates

A file or directory with an arrow on it means the object is linked to a file. There is no need to overwrite such objects, they will be automatically updated when the linked
file is updated.

To copy the file using the terminal window:

Code:

cd src/2.6.30 
sudo cp wacom.ko /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/input/tablet/
sudo cp wacom.ko /lib/modules/`uname -r`/updates/

Four more files need to be copied from the same directory as wacom.ko (for example: linuxwacom-0.8.8-9/src/2.6.30).
wacom.h, wacom_wac.c, wacom_wac.h, and wacom_sys.c need to be copied to: /usr/src/linux-'uname -r'/drivers/input/tablet/ overwriting the files there.

Code:

sudo cp  wacom.h  wacom_wac.c  wacom_wac.h  wacom_sys.c /usr/src/linux-'uname -r'/drivers/input/tablet

Step 7: Load the drivers
In the terminal window enter:

Code:

sudo /sbin/modprobe wacom

Try the tablet. If it works, great. If it doesn't, you need to take a few more steps.

Step 8: Get the macro utilities
This is a set of auto-configuration macros to update configure.ac scripts. The following commands are run from the terminal window.

Code:

wget http://xorg.freedesktop.org/archive/individual/util/util-macros-1.10.0.tar.bz2 
tar xvfj util-macros-1.10.0.tar.bz2 
cd util-macros 
./configure --prefix=/usr 
     ( if your system is 64-bit use  ./configure --prefix=/usr  --libdir=/usr/lib64 instead)
sudo make install

Step 9: 60-Wacom.rules
60-wacom.rules is a file used to tell the operating system to identify your tablet. A copy of it is in the linuxwacom-0.8.8-9/src/util directory. Open the file in KWrite and add the following lines at the bottom of the file, above the line LABEL="wacom_end".

BUS=="usb", KERNEL=="event*", SYSFS{bInterfaceNumber}=="00", ENV{WACOM_TYPE}="stylus"
BUS=="usb", KERNEL=="event*", SYSFS{bInterfaceNumber}=="01", ENV{WACOM_TYPE}="touch"
BUS=="usb", KERNEL=="event*", SYSFS{idVendor}=="056a", ENV{WACOM_TYPE}!="touch", SYMLINK+="input/wacom"
BUS=="usb", KERNEL=="event*", SYSFS{idVendor}=="056a", ENV{WACOM_TYPE}=="touch", SYMLINK+="input/wacom-touch"

Save the file after adding the lines. In Dolphin open /etc/udev/rules.d as the super user. Copy the 60-wacom.rules to: /etc/udev/rules.d.

Step 10: Create Symbolic Links
Symbolic links allow programs to find files that are in an unexpected location without having to create a second copy of the file. A symbolic link points the program from the �expected� location to the real location of the necessary file.

Code:

cd /usr/src/linux-`uname -r | cut -d- -f1,2`  (for example linux-2.6.34.7-0.3)
sudo make oldconfig && make modules_prepare
sudo ln -s /usr/include/dbus-1.0/dbus /usr/include/dbus
cd /lib
   (if your system is 64 bit use: cd /lib64)
sudo ln -s libncurses.so.5.7 libtinfo.so.5

Step 11: Create xorg.conf
OpenSUSe 11.3 no longer requires an xorg.conf file. Instead it uses the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) to identify system hardware. However, some items still look for an xorg.conf file.

To create the file:
In Dolphin, open /etc/X11 as the superuser.
Select the file xorg.conf.install and copy it.
Click in the folder and select to Paste the file into /etc/X11.
When prompted, change the name of the file to xorg.conf.
Open xorg.conf in KWrite.
The following changes in bold are for a BambooFun Tablet:

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
  Identifier "Layout"
  Screen  "vboxvideo"
  Screen  "vmware"
  Screen  "cirrus"
  Screen  "fbdev"
  Screen  "vesa"
  InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents" 
  InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents" 
  InputDevice "pad" # For Intuos3/CintiqV5/Graphire4/Bamboo tablets 
EndSection

Section "InputDevice" 
  Driver "wacom" 
  Identifier "stylus" 
  Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom" # USB ONLY 
  Option "Type" "stylus" 
  Option "USB" "on" # USB ONLY 
EndSection 

Section "InputDevice" 
  Driver "wacom" 
  Identifier "eraser" 
  Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom" # USB ONLY 
  Option "Type" "eraser" 
  Option "USB" "on" # USB ONLY 
EndSection 

# This section is for USB Bamboo with touch 
Section "InputDevice" 
  Driver "wacom" 
  Identifier "pad" 
  Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom-touch" # USB ONLY 
  Option "Type" "pad" 
  Option "USB" "on" # USB ONLY 
EndSection

For other tablets, these pages offer full details:
Server Layout: The Linux Wacom Project
Input Device sections: The Linux Wacom Project

Save xorg.conf.
Reboot the system or logout and back in to restart the X server and activate xorg.conf.

Step 11: If the tablet still doesn't work
There is a chance the tablet won't work right after the system comes up. If so, open a terminal window and enter:

Code:

sudo /sbin/modprobe wacom

Then enter:

Code:

xsetwacom --list dev

you should see something similar to:
Wacom BambooFun 2FG 6x8 Finger pad PAD
Wacom BambooFun 2FG 6x8 Finger touch TOUCH
Wacom BambooFun 2FG 6x8 Pen eraser ERASER
Wacom BambooFun 2FG 6x8 Pen stylus STYLUS

At this point you should have at least partial function of your tablet. To get full function you need to restart the Xserver.

Do not restart your system. This will mean you have to reload the Wacom driver (sudo /sbin/modprobe wacom).

Instead, if you boot into the graphical interface (run level 5), select Logout from the shutdown menu. This will take you back to a login window where you enter your user name and password.

Warning: If you update the system kernel � from 2.6.34-12 to 2.6.34.7-0.3 for example - you will need to rebuild wacom.ko and copy it into the /usr/src/linux-'uname -r'/drivers/input/tablet/ directory.

There's a tablet utility on the OpenSUSe download site you might want to install called �kcm_tablet�. The kcm_tablet module implements a GUI for the Wacom Linux Drivers and extends it with profile support to handle button and pen layouts. You may find kcm_tablet easier to use than xsetwacom.

See Also
For a more technical discussion of installing the LinuxWacom drivers, please see the LinuxWacom Project on SourceForge.net. Linux Wacom Tablet Project | Download Linux Wacom Tablet Project software for free at SourceForge.net
Their Mini HowTo directions can be found at: The Linux Wacom Project
The full explanation of how to install the drivers can be found at: The Linux Wacom Project

Other helpful threads include: [all variants] HOW TO: Install a LinuxWacom Kernel Driver for Tablet PC's - Ubuntu Forums

**n_hand** · 12-Oct-2010, 12:36

a couple of corrections/additions that were pointed out to me...

In step 6 (and perhaps, step 8):

Code:

cd linuxwacom-0.8.8-9
./configure --enable-wacom �prefix-/usr
(if your kernel is 64-bit use �./configure --enable-wacom --prefix-/usr �libdir=/usr/lib64� instead)

the single dash "-" (�prefix-/usr) and (�libdir=/usr) should be a double-dash "--"

Some systems may not take the dashes in front of LIBDIR. My system did, others have had it fail.

When you're looking for other copies of "wacom.ko" on your system, depending on what kernel updates you've done, you may have multiple links pointing to different directories. You can either overwrite the links, or try and track the link to an "original" file and overwrite that copy. (Example: linux-2.6.34.7-0.3/weak-updates may hold a link to linux-2.6.34.7-0.2/drivers/input/tablet/wacom.ko.) It's better to replace the file instead of the link.

I used "Find Files/Folders" from the Applications menu to locate all the copies & links of wacom.ko. When you open the containing folder (right click on the filename in the finder) an arrow on the filename indicates a link. It won't tell you where it points.

Also, I ran into problems when I tried replacing the 0-byte files named wacom.ko. It seems necessary for them to remain there at zero bytes so don't overwrite them.

**Uranzu** · 21-Oct-2010, 11:23

Hello!

At the step 6, when input "./configure --enable-wacom �prefix-/usr", console gives:

Code:

configure: WARNING: you should use --build, --host, --target
configure: WARNING: invalid host type: �prefix-/usr
checking for a BSD-compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c
checking whether build environment is sane... yes
checking for a thread-safe mkdir -p... /bin/mkdir -p
checking for gawk... gawk
checking whether make sets $(MAKE)... yes
checking whether to enable maintainer-specific portions of Makefiles... no
checking for �prefix-/usr-gcc... no
checking for gcc... gcc
checking for C compiler default output file name... a.out
checking whether the C compiler works... yes
checking whether we are cross compiling... no
checking for suffix of executables... 
checking for suffix of object files... o
checking whether we are using the GNU C compiler... yes
checking whether gcc accepts -g... yes
checking for gcc option to accept ISO C89... none needed
checking for style of include used by make... GNU
checking dependency style of gcc... gcc3
checking for gawk... (cached) gawk
checking build system type... Invalid configuration `�prefix-/usr': machine `�prefix' not recognized
configure: error: /bin/sh ./config.sub �prefix-/usr failed

What did I do wrong??

Thanks a lot!

**Uranzu** · 21-Oct-2010, 11:34

Hi! It is me again...
I tried with double dash (./configure --enable-wacom -�prefix-/usr) but I get:

Code:

configure: error: unrecognized option: -�prefix-/usr
Try `./configure --help' for more information.

**martin_helm** · 21-Oct-2010, 12:04

**Uranzu** · 23-Oct-2010, 10:25

Thank you Martin.
It worked with:
./configure --enable-wacom -prefix=/usr
(with simple dash).

Well, I reached step 10: Create Symbolic Links. But when imput in Console:

Code:

make oldconfig && make modules_prepare

I get:

Code:

make: *** There is no rule tu build the objective `oldconfig'.  Stop.

(this is a translation from Spanish).

Any hint?
Thank you

**martin_helm** · 23-Oct-2010, 10:54

Uranzu wrote:

> Code:
> --------------------
>
> make oldconfig && make modules_prepare
> --------------------
>
>
> I get:
>
> Code:
> --------------------
> make: *** There is no rule tu build the objective `oldconfig'. Stop.
> --------------------
> (this is a translation from Spanish).
>
> Any hint?
> Thank you
>
That simply means what it says: That oldconfig is not a valid build target.
You have to check the build documentation for the version of wacom.

From the sourceforge page I only can see
"To build the driver, just run make. " and nothing about oldconfig as
parameter or is rthis a make command for something else? Where did you get
that command "make oldconfig" from?

--
openSUSE 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Quad Q8300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.5 | GeForce
9600 GT | 4GB Ram
openSUSE 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Duo T9300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.5 | Quadro FX
3600M | 4GB Ram

**Uranzu** · 23-Oct-2010, 12:00

Martin, I know almost nothing about console commands...
I am just trying to make work may Wacom tablet following step by step the instructions in the first post.

Step 10: Create Symbolic Links
Symbolic links allow programs to find files that are in an unexpected location without having to create a second copy of the file. A symbolic link points the program from the �expected� location to the real location of the necessary file.

Code:

cd /usr/src/linux-`uname -r | cut -d- -f1,2` (for example linux-2.6.34.7-0.3)
sudo make oldconfig && make modules_prepare
sudo ln -s /usr/include/dbus-1.0/dbus /usr/include/dbus
cd /lib
(if your system is 64 bit use: cd /lib64)
sudo ln -s libncurses.so.5.7 libtinfo.so.5

Thank you

**martin_helm** · 23-Oct-2010, 12:21

My problem is I do not have wacom and I never compiled this software (but I
regularly compile a lot of software) so my help can only be very general,
for example seeing that your configure command was simply syntactically not
correct (but meanwhile you succeeded and so there is hope to solve your
problem step by step).

What happens if you simply type

make

without anything else instead of the command line you posted? Does it give
you errors? If yes, which ones?
The command with the oldconfig looks like a kernel compile command, I simply
think you mixed here two things which are in the first place somewhat
unrelated. As far as I understood the docs a have seen now you only need
that kernel compilation step in special cases (and if you have luck you will
simply not need it at all).

--
openSUSE 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Quad Q8300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.5 | GeForce
9600 GT | 4GB Ram
openSUSE 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Duo T9300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.5 | Quadro FX
3600M | 4GB Ram

**Wildcat4Ever** · 23-Oct-2010, 12:30

Originally Posted by Uranzu

Thank you Martin.
It worked with:
./configure --enable-wacom -prefix=/usr
(with simple dash).

Well, I reached step 10: Create Symbolic Links. But when imput in Console:

Code:

make oldconfig && make modules_prepare

Hello! It looks like you are leaving out the "sudo" that leads the command:

Code:

sudo make oldconfig && make modules_prepare

You have gotten this far, so you already know that this means you need root priveleges to properly run this command, and the one that follows. :) No worries, this is an easy thing to miss!

Give it a try, then let us know what happens!

W4E