Aiptek Hyperpen 12000u on Maverick

**naeddyr** · October 27th, 2010

Hello,

I am trying to get my Aiptek HyperPen 12000u tablet to work on Ubuntu 10.10 x64.

Before installing drivers it works minimally:

- Hovering the stylus works initially. Then, when you use the nib, hovering is lost, and you can move the cursor only by "clicking" and dragging.
- No pressure sensitivity.

I installed the xserver-xorg-input-aiptek package through Synaptic, and then followed what the wiki said for 10.04+10.10 ( https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AiptekTablet ); I created the udev and xorg config files (and I put the 10-aiptek.conf file in /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d etc.). I've rechecked these files several times, and they are verbatim to the stuff in the wiki (I even added newlines at the end, I have no idea if that's meaningful but hey).

After doing this, and rebooting (I do not know the black magic that is "restart udev"), it works just as well as it did before-hand.

I searched on the internet for people with the same problem, and someone on a thread on an Arch forum seems to have had the same problem (new Xorg version?). They posted a bit from their Xorg.0.log file where the word "Aiptek" is mentioned, and I'll do the same:

Code:

[    15.191] (II) config/udev: Adding input device Aiptek (/dev/input/event5)
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "pen"
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "evdev pointer catchall"
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "evdev keyboard catchall"
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "evdev tablet catchall"
[    15.191] (**) Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: always reports core events
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Device: "/dev/input/event5"
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: Found 3 mouse buttons
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: Found scroll wheel(s)
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: Found relative axes
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: Found x and y relative axes
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: Found absolute axes
[    15.200] (II) evdev-grail: failed to open grail, no gesture support
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: Found x and y absolute axes
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: Found absolute tablet.
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: Found keys
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: Configuring as tablet
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: Configuring as keyboard
[    15.200] (**) Aiptek: YAxisMapping: buttons 4 and 5
[    15.200] (**) Aiptek: EmulateWheelButton: 4, EmulateWheelInertia: 10, EmulateWheelTimeout: 200
[    15.200] (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Aiptek" (type: KEYBOARD)
[    15.200] (**) Option "xkb_rules" "evdev"
[    15.200] (**) Option "xkb_model" "pc105"
[    15.200] (**) Option "xkb_layout" "fi"
[    15.200] (WW) Aiptek: touchpads, tablets and touchscreens ignore relative axes.
[    15.200] (II) Aiptek: initialized for absolute axes.
[    15.200] (II) config/udev: Adding input device Aiptek (/dev/input/mouse1)
[    15.200] (II) No input driver/identifier specified (ignoring)

What I think I understand is that evdev is the fail-safe default (which allows the tablet to work at all?), and that the udev stuff fails when it's supposed to load the drivers?

In any case, I would be grateful if someone could help with this.

**Favux** · October 27th, 2010

Hi naeddyr,

What I think I understand is that evdev is the fail-safe default (which allows the tablet to work at all?), and that the udev stuff fails when it's supposed to load the drivers?

The evdev driver is the fail safe and it tries to pick up a device if nothing else claims it. But the Aiptek driver should be claiming your tablet, not the evdev driver. Running the tablet on the evdev driver is why it isn't working too well. So something isn't right, probably with a match line in the aiptek.conf.

Post the output of:

Code:

xinput --list

in a terminal. Also post your 50-aiptek.conf (I think it's 50).

**naeddyr** · October 27th, 2010

input --list:

Code:

⎡ Virtual core pointer                            	id=2	[master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer                    	id=4	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Logitech USB-PS/2 Optical Mouse                	id=8	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Microsoft Natural® Ergonomic Keyboard 4000	id=10	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ Aiptek                                      	id=11	[slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                         	id=3	[master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard                	id=5	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                               	id=6	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                               	id=7	[slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Microsoft Natural® Ergonomic Keyboard 4000	id=9	[slave  keyboard (3)]

And as I said, I copied what was written on the wik.. er, now that I look at it, the help section, where it was said to create /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-aiptek.conf, and the contents is:

Code:

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "pen"
        MatchProduct "Aiptek|AIPTEK|aiptek"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "aiptek"
        Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
        Option "USB" "on"
        Option "Type" "stylus"
        Option "Mode" "absolute"
        Option "zMin" "0"
        Option "zMax" "511"
EndSection

verbatim from the article.

**Favux** · October 27th, 2010

Everything looks right. Before we start messing with the .conf let's try to ensure the driver installed correctly. In Synaptic Package Manager verify that the xserver-xorg-input-aiptek driver package is installed. If it isn't install it; if it is reinstall it and reboot. You may need to reboot a few times for things to shake out.

**naeddyr** · October 27th, 2010

Yes, it was installed.

I reinstalled it, and rebooted twice. It's still stuck using the evdev drivers.

You thought the .conf file should be named 50-aiptek.conf. Is the number significant? In usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/ there are several .conf files, most of which are 50, some 51 and a 60, while the evdev catchall rules are in 10-evdev.conf (and the aiptek rules I copied are in 10-aiptek.conf). Does Xorg start with big numbers and go down the list?

**Favux** · October 27th, 2010

No the other way around. Lower numbers first and then up to larger numbers. I did have a WizardPen user tell me when he changed the .conf from 70 to 50 it stopped working. I don't know why. So something to think about. Say going from 10 to 50 like the Wacom .conf did.

We'll use baby steps. Try:

Code:

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "Aiptek class"
        MatchProduct "Aiptek|AIPTEK|aiptek"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "aiptek"
#        Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
        Option "USB" "on"
        Option "Type" "stylus"
        Option "Mode" "absolute"
        Option "zMin" "0"
        Option "zMax" "511"
EndSection

The wiki is wrong. "SendCoreEvents" is no longer needed for X servers 1.7 (Lucid) and up. Don't think it hurts, but... Also "pen" is not informative. You'll know it's working when in Xorg.0.log you see something like:

Code:

[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "evdev pointer catchall"
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "evdev keyboard catchall"
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "evdev tablet catchall"
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "Aiptek class"

instead of:

Code:

[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "pen"
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "evdev pointer catchall"
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "evdev keyboard catchall"
[    15.191] (**) Aiptek: Applying InputClass "evdev tablet catchall"

Last driver mentioned is the one that should have the tablet. So you can see why I'm wondering about the .conf number.