[ubuntu] Smart Notebook and Drivers for Linux

[localzuk]

Just started work on a demo machine, for a teacher to play with Ubuntu and see what's what, so I downloaded the Linux version of the Smart tools.

 

What I can say about it so far is this - it works really quite well! Installing it was a simple case of running the .package file as a super user, and letting it install. It nicely puts menu items in, creates a toolbar item with links to things like calibration and the like and plugging the board in just works (exactly like in Windows).

 

The only thing I've found which doesn't seem to work is pressing the 2 buttons on the board to get it to calibrate from the board - you have to choose calibrate on the computer instead.

 

Has anyone else got any experience of Smart on Linux?

[OllieC]

No experience of smart in linux but here's something to try... in the terminal run "xev". Then press the buttons on the smartboard, if they register as events in linux then they should show some information in the terminal. With that information you can assign those buttons to actually do something.

 

I'm afraid I don't know know how to do this but there's plenty of stuff out there that should help:

How to get special keys to work - ThinkWiki

[localzuk]

No experience of smart in linux but here's something to try... in the terminal run "xev". Then press the buttons on the smartboard, if they register as events in linux then they should show some information in the terminal. With that information you can assign those buttons to actually do something.

 

I'm afraid I don't know know how to do this but there's plenty of stuff out there that should help:

How to get special keys to work - ThinkWiki

 

The buttons work for their individual functions, they just don't mimic the 'press both for orientation' functionality of the windows drivers - so probably down to Smart not implementing it.

[TwoZeroAlpha]

I've got one running here as a project for the incoming DT teacher (she wanted Dual booting Windows and *nix). Couldn't make it work in the Mint 9 install she requested but seems happy enough in Lucid Lynx. The pens and eraser work beautifully, but for some reason it grabs the mouse and chucks it top left of the screen, can't regain mouse control without unplugging the board. Very odd.

[KermEd]

Hey TwoZeroAlpha,

 

Just a heads up - it was a problem with a change made to the Kernel and how it handles mouse events. It has been fixed in the latest update on my machines (from SMART).

[TwoZeroAlpha]

Cheers KermEd, up and running properly now.