Tablet PC
From ArchWiki
Here are some hints for getting Arch Linux working on your tablet PC. These instructions contain information for getting the stylus and screen rotation to work properly on a tablet PC.
Contents |
Stylus
First install the linuxwacom package. You can get this package from the AUR.
Then add the following lines to the ServerLayout section of your Xorg configuration file (/etc/X11/xorg.conf).
InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents" InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents" InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
And add the following sections to the file:
Section "InputDevice" Identifier "stylus" Driver "wacom" Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0" Option "Type" "stylus" Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" Option "Button2" "3" EndSection Section "InputDevice" Identifier "eraser" Driver "wacom" Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0" Option "Type" "eraser" Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" Option "Button2" "3" EndSection Section "InputDevice" Identifier "cursor" Driver "wacom" Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0" Option "Type" "cursor" Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" EndSection
Screen Rotation
To enable rotation capabilities (xrandr), add the following option to the Screen section of the xorg.conf file.
Option "RandRRotation" "on"
Save the file and restart the xserver for changes to take effect.
Script for Screen Rotation
The following script will rotate the display 90 degrees clockwise every time it is executed.
Create a new file called rotate.sh:
#!/bin/bash #### rotate.sh - A script for tablet PCs to rotate the display. ## This software is licensed under the CC-GNU GPL. ## http://creativecommons.org/licenses/GPL/2.0/ ## http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Tablet_PC ## REQUIRES: linuxwacom (http://linuxwacom.sourceforge.net/) #### Function(s) function set_normal { xrandr -o normal xsetwacom set "stylus" Rotate 0 xsetwacom set "cursor" Rotate 0 xsetwacom set "eraser" Rotate 0 orientation="normal" } function set_right { xrandr -o right xsetwacom set "stylus" Rotate 1 xsetwacom set "cursor" Rotate 1 xsetwacom set "eraser" Rotate 1 orientation="right" } function set_left { xrandr -o left xsetwacom set "stylus" Rotate 2 xsetwacom set "cursor" Rotate 2 xsetwacom set "eraser" Rotate 2 orientation="left" } function set_inverted { xrandr -o inverted xsetwacom set "stylus" Rotate 3 xsetwacom set "cursor" Rotate 3 xsetwacom set "eraser" Rotate 3 orientation="inverted" } #### Variable(s) orientation="$(xrandr --query --verbose | grep '(normal left inverted right)' | awk '{print $5}')" #### Main if [ "$orientation" = "normal" ]; then set_right elif [ "$orientation" = "right" ]; then set_inverted elif [ "$orientation" = "inverted" ]; then set_left elif [ "$orientation" = "left" ]; then set_normal fi #### EOF
Save the file and make it executable (chmod +x rotate.sh). You can create a link to it on your desktop or panel, or link it to a keyboard shortcut or special button on your tablet.
Tablet PC Tips
Here are some extra tips for setting up your Tablet PC.
CellWriter
CellWriter is a grid-entry natural handwriting input panel. As you write characters into the cells, your writing is instantly recognized at the character level. CellWriter is available in the AUR.
Xournal
Xournal is an application for notetaking, sketching, and keeping a journal using a stylus. Xournal aims to provide superior graphical quality (subpixel resolution) and overall functionality. Xournal can be installed from the extra repository.
Disable gksu Grab Mode
If you are using gksu/gksudo, you may want to disable grab mode so that you can authenticate by using the stylus to enter the password. In a terminal, run the following command:
$ gksu-properties
Change the Grab Mode to disable.
Gnome-screensaver
To unlock your gnome-screensaver using Cellwriter to enter your password, first start Gconf-editor:
$ gconf-editor
Under /apps/gnome-screensaver, set embedded_keyboard_command to cellwriter --xid --keyboard-only, and check the embedded_keyboard_enabled checkbox.
GDM
You can also use CellWriter with GDM. First open /etc/gdm/Init/Default as root with a text editor. Then near the bottom of the file, add the lines in bold as shown
fi cellwriter --keyboard-only & exit 0
You can add --window-x and --window-y to adjust the position of CellWriter accordingly. For example:
cellwriter --keyboard-only --window-x=512 --window-y=768 &
Trouble-shooting
Some tips on trouble-shooting:
Wacom Drivers
These commands are useful in troubleshooting:
wacdump -f tpc /dev/ttyS0 xidump -l xidump -u stylus
If xidump shows that your tablet's max resolution is the same as screen resolution, then your wacom driver has rescaled your wacom coordinates to the X server's resolution. To fix this, try recompiling you linuxwacom driver with:
./configure --disable-quirk-tablet-rescale
Screen Rotation
Some video drivers do not support rotation. To check if your driver supports rotation, check the output of xrandr for the list orientations:
normal left inverted right