CF-28 Touch Screen Installation with Recent Linux Distributions

I am just wondering if anybody has managed to get the Panasonic Toughbook CF-28 or CF-29 touch screen working with recent distributions like SimplyMepis 8.0 or Jaunty Jackalope. From my recent attempts, the touch screen kinds of works from a normal install (you get a pointer that moves around the screen when you touch it) but you cannot seem to calibrate it properly to make it useful (or it is working in some type of relative mode). It seems as if the methods of modifying xorg.conf to get the touch screen working that have been discussed here for a couple years now, do not work with these latest distros. Also the calibrate that is accessible off of Jaunty's System Administration ->Calibrate Touchscreen menu does not seem to recognise it, even though it is kind of working.

Does anybody have any input on how to get it to work?

 

I use Debian 5.0 ("Lenny"), and this is something I've been working on as well. As soon as I make some notable progress, I'll post here.

Andy

 

http://www.toughbooktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=51

The instructions are for an 18, but should be very close to what you need for a 28. I suspect the 29 is similar, but haven't tried it yet.

I know that for the xorg.conf file, the device name will be different, so you will have to change the lines that look like:

Option "Device" "/dev/input/by-path/platform-i8042-serio-3-event-mouse"

to determine the proper device name, shut down X (sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop), change to the directory (cd /dev/input/by-path), and look for files with names ending in event-mouse. you should have at least two, one for the touchpad, and one for the screen. To determine which is which, run od <filename>, then touch the screen and trackpad. Whichever causes output from the od command is the one that file is associated with. ctrl-c will quit od. change the device line to point to the correct file, and restart X (sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start). Your touchscreen calibration will most likely be WAY off, so go through the process as described in the toughbook talk posting.

nine

 

The article below is the most recent information I can find from somebody that has got a new distro working on a Panasonic Toughbook. I think the psmouse module is already set correctly for a CF-28 so the first part may be able to be skipped. I tried his xorg settings but they still don't work for me.
http://elipticalpath.blogspot.com/2009/01/toughbook-cf-72-ubuntu-810.html

 

Actually I seem to have got it working now. I did play around with the xorg.conf from the article I linked to above and and changed things based on other information from previous posts that I could find - it may have actually taken a reboot in my case (instead of a reload of psmouse as was suggested in the article). Anyway here is the relevant part of my xorg.conf in case it helps anybody else. The calibrate from the System menu still does not work, but the values below seem to be right for my CF-28 so that will do. I also added an option for Mode absolute to the file as shown below.

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "touchscreen"
Driver "evtouch"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/by-path/platform-i8042-serio-1-event-mouse"
Option "DeviceName" "touchscreen"
Option "MinX" "160"
Option "MinY" "360"
Option "MaxX" "3870"
Option "MaxY" "3880"
Option "Mode" "absolute"
Option "MoveLimit" "5"
Option "ReportingMode" "Raw"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "Emulate3Timeout" "40"
EndSection

 

I've got it working for my 29 for Mint 6 and Ubuntu 8.10

I did not have to recompile my mouse driver as it already had the needed syntax.
But I did check it for the correct lifebook.c sytax and it matched the
syntax from the link nobles provided.

Also, I did not need to remove the fglrx driver that interferes with the touchscreen as it was not installed but YMMV.
If you do, just type this in Terminal:
sudo apt-get remove xorg-driver-fglrx

I did however, made sure that the evtouch module was installed.
in Terminal type:
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-input-evtouch linux-source linux-headers-`uname -r`

Heres a copy and paste from my xorg.conf , it should work on any 29.
Tomarrow I'll do it to a couple of 28's and see how it goes.
They are on Ubuntu 8.04 ALT right now but it should work just the same.
Of course the cal menu still not working but with a little fenagling by
manual guessing I was able to get it quite close.
I am not sure how relevent the first "Module" section is, but I included it anyway.

But, Man.. Its good to have to touchscreen working correct in Linux
Thanks guys for the pointers and links, just what the doctor ordered.

In terminal
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

copy and paste - xorg.conf
---------------------------
Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "GLcore"
Load "int10"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
Option "XkbOptions" "1v3:ralt_switch"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "touchscreen"
Driver "evtouch"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/by-path/platform-i8042-serio-1-event-mouse"
Option "DeviceName" "touchscreen"
Option "MinX" "320" #"320"
Option "MinY" "300" #"300"
Option "MaxX" "4000" #"4000"
Option "MaxY" "3800" #"3800"
#Option "Mode" "absolute"
Option "MoveLimit" "5"
Option "ReportingMode" "Raw"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "Emulate3Timeout" "40"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Mode" "Relative"
Option "CorePointer" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
#Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "touchscreen" "SendCoreEvents"
EndSection
---------------------------------------

Remember the following while doing the manual touchscreen calibration:
MinX is the left part of the screen
MinY is the top of the screen
MaxX is the right part of the screen
MaxY is the bottom
Change numbers in small increments of 50 till its very close.
Save after each change then ctrl-alt-backspace to restart the X server between changes so the you wont have to continuosly reset the pc everytime ...saves some time.

Maybe someone should send a report to get the HAL rewritten .
Maybe then the ev calibration menu will work.

NOW, to get the hotkeys working...
Chuck

 

Well...
I've spent most of the evening trying to get the 28 touchscreen to work.

Heres my progress so far.

First off, this is using Ubuntu 8.04
as 8.10 just wont work for me.
After correcting a few typing mistakes because ones and zero's look the same as so do
1's and l's , depending on font.
This was keeping my HOTKEYS from working, so now I have F2,F3,F5,F6 and F12
working for the most part but find the mouse curser disappears (invisable) but working ~
I have to reset X to see it again.

I've managed to get the touchscreen working perfectly, however.
I lose the touchpad mouse, Looks like I am going to have to change some mouse/dev
events and build a new mouse/touchscreen file.
If I use serio-1-mouse , I have touchscreen., no mouse/touchpad.
If I use serio-3-mouse , touchscreen is unstable but I have a good mouse/touchpad.

I am trying to make heads or tales of the verbage given so that I can understand
all the editing.

So far on the 29 on Mint 6 / Ubuntu 8.10
I still have a good touchscreen and touchpad
Hotkeys mostly working , No screen brightness control yet.
Not tested thoroughly yet.
But, no disappearing curser.

More testing and editing to follow......

 

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! We've all been exposed to raw, unfiltered COMMAND LINE INTERFACE!!!! MY EYES, it BURNS!!!

*RunsAwayScreaming*

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

mnem
Linux is like Bud Ice; you can have one whenever you feel like it, but uh... watch out for the penguins...

 

WTH?!?!? Where do you come up with this crap!?!?!? You crazy guy!!

 

Who wants to know?

Did the penguins send you?

*Slinks away into the shadows*

mnem
Sneak... Sneak... SNEAK...

 

I would say instead that Linux is awesome and thoroughly capable, but usually a fair amount of work when it comes to "advanced functionality."

Lots of things are a hassle to do (that shouldn't be a hassle), like enabling the touchscreen, but it's still my OS of choice. I've been dual-booting XP and Debian or Ubuntu on most of my laptops so I have both at my disposal at all times.