(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Previously I used an old-style RS232 serial com port Wacom, which I had working with Puppy after a lot of futzing around and helped by trailblazing done by others here on the Puppy forum. With recent changes to the Linux Kernel I have been unsuccessful in getting the Wacom tablet to work anymore so I'd been considering going out and buying a new USB Wacom tablet, but had been putting it off as I never seem to have enough money (starving artist syndrome).

Recently I was wandering around in a Jaycar electronics shop (geek, yes) and saw a surprisingly cheap (about $50 if my memory serves me correctly) Varexx graphics tablet. I bought it because I figured that if I couldn't get it working on Puppy I could donate it to my artistic niece who misguidedly uses Microsoft Windows. It comes with MSWindows and Macintosh installers (they're the only two operating systems on the planet aren't they? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_operating_systems -- a bit of a sore point with me).

The Varexx is one of a whole class of cheap tablets called "Wizardpen" tablets. I found that there is a healthy amount of ongoing development concerned with getting them to work under Linux. It was a little complicated getting it to work, but I finally did manage it. It works perfectly. It doesn't have the resolution of a Wacom tablet, but for $50 it is amazing.

One thing you have to be careful of is the setting in Gimp. In Gimp's Preferences >> Input Settings >> Configure Extended Input Devices, you need to disable all pointers except the tablet. (Can't remember off-hand what it's called -- Tablet WP5540U perhaps. If you get one that may be different.) Anyway disabling other input devices lets you use the tablet, otherwise Gimp gets confused.

Here is some of the stuff I found:

https://launchpad.net/wizardpen
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/TabletSetupWizardpen
http://www.serkey.com/ubuntu-wizardpen- ... ecf68.html
http://digitalbluewave.blogspot.com.au/ ... -ibex.html
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.p ... 04537.html

google searches:
download wizardpen driver ubuntu
ubuntu graphics tablet drivers

Good luck with whatever you choose. If you want some more useful detail on getting it to work, please feel free to ask me. It would be nice to save someone else some of the frustration I went through.

Miriam, what version of Puppy Linux did you have the serial graphics tablet working on? I'm using Puppy Lucid 5.2.8 and have a Wacom Digitizer II serial unit. Although I've read that 18-page forum topic started by Pizzasgood and the WacomLinux project material several times, I decided that the X Server (1.7.6) used in Puppy 5.2.8 made it impossible. I sure would like to be wrong on that.

Sounds like yours might be the same or similar to mine. I think I last had it working in Puppy 4.3.1
On my main desktop machine machine I have partitions for Puppy 2.1.4, Puppy 4.3.1, and Puppy Lupu 528.

I'm pretty sure I had it working in Puppy 2.1.4 and almost certain I had it working in Puppy 4.3.1, but was never able to get it working in Lupu 528. That doesn't mean it's not possible, of course. I may have been simply overlooking some tiny detail -- that's all it takes, unfortunately. I tried for quite a while to get the WizardTablet drivers to work with my cheap little Varexx tablet on Puppy 528 and almost gave up, but luckily I tried again another day and solved it. Normally I keep notes, but unfortunately I didn't that day, so I'm not quite sure what I did right.

One thing I would definitely advise. Try to note down everything you do, both the things that work and those that don't -- don't just trust your memory. The notes help you zero in on the solution, and it is incredibly useful later on when you want to install on another machine or version of Puppy.

I should really have another shot at trying to install my Wacom on Puppy 528, as it is a much better tablet. Now that I've had some success with the other tablet...

If I succeed I'll post here with details.

Miriam,

Thanks for the reply. The old Walcom Digitizer II, also known as the UD-Series, has a drawing surface of 8.5 x 6.5 inches with a row of soft keys across the top. It is a real pleasure to use. Just cannot make myself discard it.

I'm not giving up, even partial success would be welcome. Obviously, the demise of the serial port minimizes the interest level.

Yep, same as my Wacom tablet. It is a pleasure to use, as you say. I have some visitors coming today and had to go out yesterday (this is no kind of lifestyle for a hermit!), but hopefully tomorrow I can reserve the day for the Wacom. Such efforts proceed best if uninterrupted.

If I can get it working I expect it will be pretty complete. One of the things I found very useful when using it on earlier Puppies was that I could reverse the stylus and use it as an eraser. So convenient when deeply involved in working on a picture! The driver was able to detect the angle of the stylus, but I don't think I ever made use of it when drawing and painting in Gimp. I never bothered looking into using the soft keys on the pad.