Copying a working .config --- what could go wrong?

[mounty1]

Hello, I'm trying to get the stylus/touchscreen working on a Toshiba Portege M700.

After many fruitless attempts to configure the kernel, I decided I just had to get the stylus working, by any means. So I booted from an Ubuntu 16.04 DVD and observed that the wacom_w8001 driver was loaded and the stylus worked. So I copied the kernel .config off the Ubuntu DVD and built my kernel against it. I'd forgotten just how long it takes to build a `full' kernel as opposed to one stripped-down for ones own hardware. Several hours later, install and go, and ... it still doesn't work !

This is not some post-boot configuration error. When booted from the Gentoo kernel built against the Ubuntu .config, no wacom* driver was loaded, leading me to conclude that the hardware was not detected. If I modprobe wacom_w8001, no new /dev/input/* device appears.

I made a few changes to the Ubuntu .config:

• make oldconfig and say no to all the new options
• 32 bits not 64
• Core2 CPU
• systemd init not openrc
• tweaks for Gentoo and portage (whatever they are)
• build my libata driver (Intel) into the kernel to avoid having an initrd

but otherwise it was .config as per Ubuntu. The .config now looks like this. Please note the CONFIG_HID_WACOM is for an external UISB-connected tablet so is not relevant (I did try it anyway, once).

Any ideas on where to go now?
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Michael Mounteney

[The Doctor]

check the version of the wacom x11 driver in Ubuntu. I suspect gentoo is using a new one in which wacom has dropped support for your device.

I have a wacom bamboo tablet and I needed the following mask >=x11-drivers/xf86-input-wacom-0.32.0 to keep it working. I believe it is a similar vintage to the hardware you are trying to use.
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First things first, but not necessarily in that order.

Apologies if I take a while to respond. I'm currently working on the dematerialization circuit for my blue box.

[mounty1]

OK, thanks for that. It seems reasonable but as I won't be able to try it for a few hours, can I ask: surely the xf86-input-wacom driver wouldn't affect the loading of the wacom_w8001 kernel driver? I mean, if the hardware were present, the wacom_w8001 would still be loaded, even if the x11 driver were unable to use it ?
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Michael Mounteney

[The Doctor]

Actually, I think the answer is no. Apparently the x11 driver has something to do with figuring out what driver to load. I experienced the same symptom when my wacom stopped working.
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First things first, but not necessarily in that order.

Apologies if I take a while to respond. I'm currently working on the dematerialization circuit for my blue box.

[mounty1]

Thanks for the suggestion but it didn't work. I even tried with a 4.4.6 kernel, as Ubuntu is based on 4.4.0, so as to minimise incompatibilities in the .config. I tried downgrading to =x11-drivers/xf86-input-wacom-0.30.0 as welll as 0.31.0.

Any other ideas?

Also, do you know how to get the 'nipple' mouse on the bezel to act like a mouse? Currently up/down/left/right just produce keystrokes 1--4, and a press produces a five. If it could act like a mouse instead, that would do until I can sort out the stylus. Ubuntu does the same on that point.

[Later] The Ubuntu kernel numbered 4.4.0 is not a stock 4.4 kernel; it contains at least one symbol (INTEL_TELEMETRY) that was only defined in 4.5ff so working out what Ubuntu have fixed will be difficult.
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Michael Mounteney