Graphic Tablet under GNU/Linux

[Poloch]

Hi everyone,

I am currently looking forward to buy a graphic tablet.
I am not at all a professionnal graphist, I just want to have fun with a tablet, and draw helped by the computer. Moreover I am a student, so I am not rich. Therefore I want a simple tablet, not too expensive. I have seen the wacom tablets seems supported -- for most of them -- thanks to the linuxwacom project: http://linuxwacom.sourceforge.net/
That's nice.

So I was hesitating between either a Graphire 3, and a Volito 2. The Volito 2 is very simple, but has the great advantage of being also cheap (around 40 euros), whereas the Graphire is around 80 euros (so the double), but is more precise, and has several nice things, as more buttons, and especially an "eraser", which is a very good tool I think (it should be very nice to spare time, so that one does not have to change the type of pen in order to erase...).
So several questions: has anyone tried these tools, and can give me any advice? Would the Volito -- even though a very cheap price -- be too bad? (I remind I don't need a professional tool!) Would you propose any other tablet working well under Linux, and with a big big maximum of 100 euros?

And also when the linuxwacom project say "supported", how far is it so? Are there big drawbacks? Maybe accuracy problems? Are some "gadgets" (as the eraser, or anything else) not (or not well) working?
Finally, are you -- user of a graphic tablet under a Gnu/Linux system -- encountering any issue while using it under Linux?
(it would be stupid to pay a more expensive tablet if most of its possibilities are not working)

Another important question is: which program are using tablets efficiently? I mean, not just as a mouse, but really using the possibilities, as the pen sensibility, the eraser (if any), the buttons available on the pen or the drawing area, and so on...
I know Gimp is supposed to do, according to what I read. But does it really do it well?
And what else? Sketch? Inkscape? Blender maybe? Any other multimedia software?
Or even some program not related to drawing but able to use a tablet possibility?
Because that's great if it works under Gnu/Linux, but if it is only to be useable by one and only one program...

Please I would like some really honest answers from you. I don't care to compare Gnu/Nux with any other system or whatever. The fact is even the opposite, I will never install a windows thing on my computer, for any reason (not even a graphic tablet), so if this works badly under Gnu/Linux, I would have thrown away my money in the worst case, or in the better, I would have payed a lot for something working randomly. And I will never have the chance to try this tablet on a win machine.
So be honest please, I prefer to know really and not to buy if there are big problems (if the companies were nicer and would do linux drivers, or give technical references of their products, it would never be a problem...).
And then if you say me "this is great, it works very well, and with many programs, the linux community did once again a great job", then I will be so happy, that I will pay it gladly!
Thanks.
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May the Holy Marmot be with me!!!

[TinheadNed]

I'm also curious, considering a purchase of the same stuff, same reasons.

[mark_alec]

I have used a wacom graphire3 tablet under gentoo with no difficulties. Following http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Wacom_Tablet was easy as pie

About applications: Gimp doesn't support the pressure sensitivity so you only get one thickness when using it. Also, pen nib and eraser do exactly the same thing. Inkscape is the same. Krita however performed the way it should, giving a full difference in pen thickness depending on the pressure used. It was also the only program that could successfully use the eraser as a different tool.

As a side note, I have heard that the graphire4 will come out so if you wait a bit longer you should be able to get a discounted graphire3.

[CNaylor]

For the record GIMP DOES support pressure sensitivity. You can adjust how it responds to pressure in the options for whichever tool you are using. I don't believe GIMP can do tilt, but that doesn't matter much in this case since the Graphire 3 doesn't either.

I only wish I could say me experience with the graphire had been as smooth in Linux.

[RiBBiT]

I got my Graphire 3 working with pressure sensitivity after reading some documentation on the web. It is far from obvious how it is done. However I experienced some odd behaviour when switching between the two ends of the pen and/or the mouse. I also got occasional hang-ups that could only be solved by hard reboot. I gave it up after a while since I don't use the tablet very often anyway. Perhaps I did something wrong, but my according to my experiences it was really a pain in the ass to use on Linux compared to Windows.
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Comix - GTK Comic Book Viewer [ http://comix.sourceforge.net ]

[konrad_ha]

Since I finally got my Intuos 3 working under gentoo I feel like I climbed one of the steepest hills in setup/configuration.

After endless reading and trying different appraoches I can only say it works like a charm.

I'll see how it behaves in the long rung, but it feels very smooth for now.
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www.konrad-haenel.de
Why have a smoothly running 32-bit system when you can have hours of joy trying to get things running on x86_64?

[Xaid]

I'm also interested in getting a Wacom Tablet (the 4x5 Graphire 4 is around a 100$ CAD right now).

I'm not a graphics designer or anything, but was thinking of trying to do some sketches using Inkscape/Gimp and wanted to try a different Input method than a mouse.

How is the pressure support for Inkscape/Gimp now? and is it possible to use the Pen instead of a regular mouse?

Edit: I searched a bit and it seems the Pen is usable as a mouse.