HOW-TO: Ubuntu Karmic 9.10 on HP TouchSmart tx2-1050el Notebook PC

[armandhr]

henry_k, if you don't mind trying this package. To extract the file:

tar -xvjf prebuilt.tar.bz2
cd prebuilt

One of the files is the README.txt. It contains the instructions on how to install it.

For others who would like to try it, it is only for the 2.6.31-16-generic kernel on 64-bit Ubuntu. It contains the pre-build hid-ntrig.ko kernel module, a pre-patched linuxwacom-0.8.5-8 source, and hid-ids.h so that the linuxwacom source will compile. The README.txt file also contains what I am currently using in my xorg.conf file for the wacom configuration.

If this works, I will create a new installation page that contains the instructions for the changes along with providing the patches for those who want to compile it manually. I have tested this on my tx2 1025-dx laptop on 64-bit and have been able to rotate the screen and been able to use the stylus also.

Ayuthia, I have tested this package, and I am pleased to say that I can now shutdown my computer just fine. I do have a few comments, however. First, there is a slight typo in the README:

sudo cp hid-ntrig.ko /lib/mdules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/hid/

should be

sudo cp hid-ntrig.ko /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/hid/

EDIT: It looks like I missed adding some .fdi files to the package. I have attached them at the end of this post. To extract this package:

tar -xvjf preprobe.tar.bz2

Now we need to create the folders in /etc/hal/fdi:

sudo mkdir /etc/hal/fdi/preprobe
sudo mkdir /etc/hal/fdi/preprobe/10osvendor
sudo mkdir /etc/hal/fdi/preprobe/20thirdparty

If the directories are already there, an error message will appear and that is ok.

I already had the /etc/hal/fdi/preprobe directory, but I needed to create the two subdirectories. Also, I am assuming that by

sudo cp preprobe/10osvendor/10-x11-input.fdi /etc/hal/fdi/policy/10osvendor/
sudo cp preprobe/20thirdparty/10-ntrig.fdi /etc/hal/fdi/policy/20thirdparty/

you meant

sudo cp preprobe/10osvendor/10-x11-input.fdi /etc/hal/fdi/preprobe/10osvendor/
sudo cp preprobe/20thirdparty/10-ntrig.fdi /etc/hal/fdi/preprobe/20thirdparty/

Is this correct? Or did you intend for the 10osvendor and 20thirdparty directories to be created in the policy directory rather than the preprobe directory?

Finally, everything (stylus, touchscreen, tap-to-click, rotation, shutdown, suspend & resume) seems to work perfectly, with one exception: when the screen is rotated (to anything other than normal orientation), the touch doesn't respond quite right. Namely, after touching the screen the mouse jumps to some point on the left side of the screen. However, stylus works fine, and whenever I have the screen rotated it usually means I want to use the stylus anyway, so it's not a big deal. I just thought I'd mention it.

Thanks for all the support.

[digitalchemystery]

Ayuthia,

I added the FDIs you attached, and the first time I tried, the system froze when I touched the screen. Now, it doesn't freeze -- it doesn't react at all to touch or pen.

I'll check again, but it seems like touching the screen at the login screen will cause it to freeze.

So what am I missing? I used the last bundle you posted to get the patched hid-ntrig.ko. I replaced a header file and compiled the patched wacom source you provided. I added the fdis to /etc/hal/fdi/preprobe/<locations>.

I read other posts about commenting out some lines in existing files, and I'm wondering if that's still required...

[digitalchemystery]

I have no idea what's causing the freezes. I thought it was hp-wmi, but it has frozen with and without that module loaded. I thought it was the FDIs, but it has frozen with/without them. I've tried combinations of each, and it really seems random.

I have the FDIs in the locations specified, and hp-wmi is loading. The screen is garbled when the display is rotated, so I've got some troubleshooting to do with autorotate.

With the FDIs, the cursor no longer appears for touch or pen....

[Ayuthia]

Which graphics driver are you using and which version? For the touch and pen, are you using xorg.conf?

If you can, can you post the results of lshal, /var/log/Xorg.0.log, and xorg.conf? It sounds like hal has been blocked off but it does not like something in xorg.conf.

[henry_k]

To digitalchemystery.

To be sure that we are all on the same page, I consider it important that we clearly state what version of N-trig driver we are using. A few posts ago, Ayuthia pointed out that there possibly is a difference between versions 2.153 and 2.184. It may well be that it is also important what version firmware we have.

I found, after upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 on my tx2z 1244ca, that I had N-trig version 2.153 and had to go to the Hewlett-Packard website to obtain version 2.184 which I understand Ayuthia to be using. The firmware version became 4.5.31.8.5.

A number of posts refer to what Windows version there exist on the tx2 as well as a model number of the tx2. But it seems to me that the most relevant info is the version of the firmware and of the N-trig driver. That information is found via the Windows control panel.

It looks like we shall be going through some months of turmoil with changing versions not only of N-trig firmware and N-trig driver, but also upgrades of the kernel used in Ubuntu. The risk is that we keep on confusing apples with oranges. It seems to me advisable that each post on this forum states at the outside these parameters.

H.

Aside to Ayuthia. I am about to give your latest package (post #75) a try. Just want to find out first about .fdi files and evdev. Talk about lifelong learning!

[henry_k]

To Nicolaasuni, re your post #1.

I just did a fresh install and upgrade of Ubuntu 9.10. Going back to your post #1, you installed these hardware drivers:
Broadcom STA wireless
Software modem
ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX.

After that you had no sound and so you did some work on getting sound going.

I have simply left out the driver for the software modem and my sound is working fine. I am wondering if in my ignorance I am overlooking something of some importance here.

H.

[henry_k]

Ayuthia

Re your post #75 (& notes by armandhr's post #81), things are just about where they should be and I am pleased as Punch.

As you know, I am using N-trig version 2.184; firmware package version 4.5.31.8.3 .
My computer is a tx2s 1244ca and upon buying I was entitled to an upgrade from Vista to Windows 7.

For the benefit for all lurkers on this forum, this is what I did before following Ayuthia's post #75:

a. I redid the opgrade. First I reinstalled Windows 7 from my 2-disk set and found it did not contain any reference to the N-trig tablet at all. Nor was I able to rotate the screen and use the buttons on the right side of the screen's bezel. Not surprising, of course.

b. I then ran the HP Upgrade Manager disk (which officially should be run first). That installed specific HP stuff, to wit:
- driver for HP QuickLaunch Buttons (v. 6.50.3.1)
- driver for Radeon HD3200 Graphics Video (v. 1.00)
- driver for Realtek High Definition Audio (v. 1.00)
- application: HP Wireless Assistant (v. 3.50.7.2) (Not sure why we need that.)
- application: HP Support Assistant (v. 4.1.11.3) (Still have to figure out the benefit of that one.)
- application: Digital Personal Fingerprint Reader for Consumer NB (v. 4.1.11.3) (I haven't dared yet to use fingerprint recognition for fear that if something is wrong I cannot get at my harddrive. Probably an overdose of paranoia on my part.)
- application: Muvee Reveal (v. 7.0.40.10061) (Another goodie I haven't tasted yet.)
- application: Recovery Manager Installation Patch for Windows 7 (v.1.00) (Well, I had already installed Windows 7 and so it could take a day off.)
- application: Patch for DOT4 Runtime Drivers (v. 1.0) (Not a clue what this is about.)
- application: N-Trig DuoSense Digital Sofware/Driver (v. 2.1.5.3)

c. Subsequently I reinstalled the root part of Ubuntu 9.10 AMD64 and updated it. I then installed the Broadcom STA wireless driver and after rebooting installed also ATI's fglrx driver. As for not installing the proprietary Software Modem driver, see my post #86.

d. I still had on my computer the scripts for rotate.sh and autorotate.sh, but I had to do
henry@hp:~$ sudo gedit /etc/modules
in order to add hp-wmi and wacom. They are both needed.

e. I then followed the instructions found in Ayuthia;s post #75 with the corrections by armandhr (post #81). As for the xorg.conf file, I simply added to the existing file the lines provided by Ayuthia.

f. I made rotate.sh and authorotate.sh (which I keep in a folder I named HPtx2 ) executable:
henry@hp:~/HPtx2$ chmod +x rotate.sh
henry@hp:~/HPtx2$ chmod +x autorotate.sh
and made sure the autorotate.sh application runs at start up as per Nicolaasuni's post #1 by adding the autorotate.sh script to System > Preferences > Startup Applications.
I found it convenient to add the application rotate.sh to the right side of the bottom panel. One tick wit the stylus does the trick.

If you were to restart, like I did out of curiosity, with N-trig version 2.153 then you will be disappointed because the pointing devices go haywire. Therefore:

g. Upgrade, via Windows, the N-trig driver to version 2.184.

I got fine results. Even the button on the stylus worked as it should. There is only one little item to be solved: the pointer (mouse, stylus, touch) points in the direction of the last screen orientation. For now, I solved the problem by placing an empty textfile on the desktop. Once I move my pointer over that file, the pointer behaves properly.

And so, a small step by Ayuthia, a big step for tx2/Ubuntu fans.

H.

P.S. Obviously, I need some time to check out all the nooks and crannies in my tablet setup and its uses.

[henry_k]

In the previous post I wrote (near the end), "For now, I solved the problem by placing an empty textfile on the desktop. Once I move my pointer over that file, the pointer behaves properly."

Silly me. All I do now is click on any application button in a panel and then click that application away again.

Not very elegant yet, but fine for now.

I may further note as an aside that I got myself a small keyboard for use if and when needed when I work in tablet mode.

H.

[digitalchemystery]

Which graphics driver are you using and which version? For the touch and pen, are you using xorg.conf?

If you can, can you post the results of lshal, /var/log/Xorg.0.log, and xorg.conf? It sounds like hal has been blocked off but it does not like something in xorg.conf.

I'm using fglrx. It's the 9.11 version from ATI. I just tried updating to 9.12, but it breaks Compiz Blur in a very horrible way.

I've attached the output of lshal, Xorg.0.log, and xorg.conf. This forum software is annoying. It refused to attach unless the '.txt' extension was on the files. Then it sets the textfile max at 19k ... so it had to be a tar.gz archive.

(per henry_k, I'm using whichever firmware is the most recent one from HP's Windows 7 64-bit driver downloads. I think it was released in late October, and nothing has been released since then. I can't check in Windows, as I don't have it installed any more. I'd rather do this without any involvement of Windows).

[Ayuthia]

I'm using fglrx. It's the 9.11 version from ATI. I just tried updating to 9.12, but it breaks Compiz Blur in a very horrible way.

I've attached the output of lshal, Xorg.0.log, and xorg.conf. This forum software is annoying. It refused to attach unless the '.txt' extension was on the files. Then it sets the textfile max at 19k ... so it had to be a tar.gz archive.

(per henry_k, I'm using whichever firmware is the most recent one from HP's Windows 7 64-bit driver downloads. I think it was released in late October, and nothing has been released since then. I can't check in Windows, as I don't have it installed any more. I'd rather do this without any involvement of Windows).

If I recall correctly, 9.10 was the last time I remember the fglrx driver working with rotation. I have not confirmed it yet, but I get the garbled screen currently with 9.11 and a 2.6.32.1 kernel in Gentoo.

From your lshal, it looks like evdev is trying to use event9 and event7 for your N-Trig device, but I am not convinced that it is causing your screen to freeze. Does the screen only freeze when logging in or does it freeze also when you are running applications? I have seen issues where X will restart when fingers are on the screen only when logging in.