Using the Wacom Bamboo in Ubuntu with widescreen monitor and portrait orientation

In this previous post I installed a kernel module for the Wacom Bamboo tablet under Ubuntu 10.10. With my laptop this was all working fine, but I now also have a separate monitor (a Samsung Syncmaster F2380 for anyone keeping track), it’s a widescreen monitor that allows landscape or portrait orientation by physically rotating the monitor screen.

A graphics tablet works by “mapping” the screen (or window) area to the tablet surface, so how does it work when the tablet and screen have a different aspect ratio? I set out to get this working, with a semi-elegant solution…

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Using the Wacom Bamboo in Ubuntu with widescreen monitor and portrait orientation

Hardware: Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch (CTH-460) on Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick) (and 11.04 Natty)

In a previous post I looked at the drivers for the Wacom Bamboo ‘Pen & Touch’ graphics tablet and installation on Ubuntu 9.10 which was quite a long-winded procedure to download and compile the drivers. Now I’ve updated to Maverick Meerkat 10.10 I’ve needed to go through the process again to get it working on my new installation! It’s better now though…

(Updated 30/04/2011: I’ve now installed 11.04 ‘Natty Narwhal’, more in a separate post, and it is working with the Bamboo with the same method as detailed below.)

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Hardware: Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch (CTH-460) on Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick) (and 11.04 Natty)

Experimenting: Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch (CTH-460) on Ubuntu 9.10 (karmic)

Updated 27/12/10: I’ve made another post about installing this tablet, this time under Maverick Meerkat 10.10 (which should also apply to 10.04 – I didn’t have 10.04 installed for very long!). The updated method is much easier as it no longer needs to be compiled by hand from the drivers as a developer has very kindly packaged up the required drivers. So if you are using 10.04 or later then have a look at that instead/as well.

(Original text:)

I’ve been after a graphics tablet for a while and chose the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch based on good reviews, previous good experience with a Wacom tablet (Volito 2) and assurance from the interwebs that this tablet can be used successfully under Ubuntu!

As a Linux user it is often the case that supplied driver CDs that come with hardware only support Windows and sometimes Mac, resulting in a little more ‘fiddling’ to get the device to work under Linux. I’ve now got the Pen and Touch working so it is possible – as some of the guides on the internet contradict each other and contain different steps I had some difficulty initially but following this method allowed me to install and use it successfully including pressure sensitivity with the pen, and the touch navigation.

If you have found this page through a search then you could try following the steps below and if there are any further problems check sources such as the Ubuntu forums.

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Experimenting: Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch (CTH-460) on Ubuntu 9.10 (karmic)


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