HOW TO: Install Ubuntu on a HP TC1100 tablet pc

[popch]

Since Gutsy (7.10) three important lines in /etc/X11/xorg.conf have been commented out. The HowTo (first post) should mention that at least one of them (stylus and cursor?) need to be uncommented. Otherwise, the pen will not work:

# Uncomment if you have a wacom tablet
InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
# InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"

(Near the end of the file, in
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
screen "Default Screen"

Since the TC1100's pen does not have an eraser, the third line can remain commented out.

The OSK (on-screen keyboard) seems to be working. Still no luck in the login screen. The login screen hides the virtual keyboard. Perhaps I have not understood all the settings properly. Will look again later.

Later (under 'Rotation' for Gutsy), the new script mentions xsetwacom. Does the HowTo mention that wacom-tools must be installed?

I am terribly pleased so far. Rotation works on first trial. The TC1100 is much more useful when rotated.

OK, time for bed. More tomorrow or some days after.

[phenest]

Good point. In fact, I only have Stylus uncommented. I left Cursor and Eraser commented out.

[popch]

Good point. In fact, I only have Stylus uncommented. I left Cursor and Eraser commented out.

I just edited the post you replied to. Thanks for the useful information.

[phenest]

The OSK (on-screen keyboard) seems to be working. Still no luck in the login screen. The login screen hides the virtual keyboard. Perhaps I have not understood all the settings properly. Will look again later.

Later (under 'Rotation' for Gutsy), the new script mentions xsetwacom. Does the HowTo mention that wacom-tools must be installed?

Yep, I forgot a couple of things there:

To see the OSK during login, set the login style to Plain instead of Themed.

And yes, wacom-tools needs to be installed.

[popch]

Practically everything now works.


/etc/X11/gdm/Init/Default
appears to have been moved to
/etc/gdm/Init/Default

btw, the pcmcia slot works for me in gutsy.
sd slot does not work, but then, in XP it does detect my SD card but says it is not formatted.

[phenest]

/etc/X11/gdm/Init/Default
appears to have been moved to
/etc/gdm/Init/Default

I'm glad you verified that. I thought I'd made a mistake.

btw, the pcmcia slot works for me in gutsy.

I never had anything to test it with.

sd slot does not work, but then, in XP it does detect my SD card but says it is not formatted.

Mine works perfectly in Windows, as it does on my Dell laptop with Ubuntu. I think it's always worth spending a bit extra on memory cards to get reliability.

Now I know the PCMCIA slot works, I'm going to try and get a memory card reader for it.

[popch]

Now I know the PCMCIA slot works, I'm going to try and get a memory card reader for it.

I use mine with a SanDisk CompactFlash PC Card adapter. I do not have any other PCMCIA cards to test it with.

[timnicholson]

Thanks for all the great info!

Then edit the InputDevice section- Driver wacom - Identifier stylus add:

Option    "Button2"    "3"

This enables right-clicking with the pen button.

I have a Fujitsu Stylistic Tablet PC and have xubuntu v7.10 installed, have the screen settings all set and have a script for screen rotation that works. However, I've added the above line for the "right click" and it doesn't seem to work. My pen has a rocker button on it where if you press the bottom I think its supposed to right click and if you press the top its supposed to erase. I don't care as much about the erase function, but I need to be able to right click since unlike in Windows you can't press-and-hold to pull up the context menu.

Is there documentation anywhere on this? Is this related to the wacom drivers or something else?

Rotation
You will need a script and map it to a key.
<SNIP>
Save it as rotate.sh and put into the /usr/bin/ directory.

BTW, I needed to modify the one posted here to grep for "current 768 x 1024". The word current is needed because the 1024 x 768 string also exists in the output. Notice the space in front of and behind the x as well.

The TC1100 has a 'Q' key on its edge. In Windows, this activates a popup menu, but the menu doesn't exist in Ubuntu. So we will use it for screen rotation. To map the key, open the Configuration Editor and browse to /apps/metacity/keybindings_commands. Edit command_1 (or the 1st available command) enter: sh /usr/bin/rotate.sh . Then browse to /apps/metacity/global_keybindings and edit the run_command_1 with 0x9f (or press the 'Q' button.

I have researched this and found that what you are referring to is probably the gconf-editor. I've installed that successfully by typing

sudo apt-get install gconf-editor

However, I don't see a menu option for it. I thought this was a program that let me changes things with a graphical UI, similar to Windows regedit function.

I obviously want to be able to assign the screen rotation to a button and also would like to get the up/down/left/right arrows working and assign things the web browser to a button.

OSK: On Screen Keyboard

I haven't installed an onscreen keyboard yet. It looks like there is cellwriter and xvkbd. What's the consensus on which one is the best for me to try?

Suspend, hibernate, and sleep

Did anyone ever figure out how to get suspend and hibernation working properly in Gutsy 7.10? I'll want to get that working next as the whole reason I'm doing all this is to get this tablet where its quick enough that the kids can hop on quickly and not bellyache about how slow Windows is. So I'd like it to remain in suspend or hibernation mode all the time.

[popch]

Configuration Editor :
I have researched this and found that what you are referring to is probably the gconf-editor. I've installed that successfully by typing

sudo apt-get install gconf-editor

That had me stumped, at first, too. I later found out about it and forget to mention it in my feedback.

In Ubuntu 7.10, the Configuration Editor apparently is installed by default. In order to make it visible, use System/Settings/Main Menu (or equivalent; I do not know what terms they use in the English language menues).

In the Menu editor, scroll to the System tools group. On the right hand side you should find an entry called Configuration Editor. Activate that.

Lo and behold! you can access it in the applications menu.

[phenest]

I would like to say you are wandering off-topic here. This thread is for a Hewlett Packard/Compaq TC1100 tablet pc. I also have a Fujitsu Stylistic ST4110 tablet pc, and all the things you mention can be made to work. There are other threads already in discussion about those.

Also, please note that this thread is for installing Ubuntu. Although it will work for Xubuntu and Kubuntu, you may have to make adjustments. Again, there is already information on this forum for you. But please stay on-topic here.

Many thanks.

P.S. I will make amendments to my tutorial for Kubuntu and Xubuntu users but only for Compaq TC1100 owners. I will be starting a tutorial for Fujitsu Stylistic ST4110 owners (unless someone beats me to it).