Since my wacom cintiq tablet, my desktop is completely messed up

[Gromm]

Good morning,

This is, I trust, a desktop issue but I am not really sure. Since a week I own a wacom cintiq tablet. It works like a charm on my laptop with Kubuntu, no problems whatsoever. However, I want to connect it to my desktop and there it goes wrong. There are already two screens connected to that machine but their configurations are completely messed up since the cintiq tablet is connected. The problem is that all my windows, icons and all are now massively big. I think certain desktop configurations are changed since the tablet is connected. I cannot seem to find any option though that might be it. There is also the problem that since the tablet is connected one of the background pictures are dissappeared and the screen is black. Altogether the tablet ruined a well ordered desktop. Who can help?

[TinyTim]

Are you using proprietary drivers, you will need that. Also are you using Kubuntu 22.04 on both systems? A tablet connected to a desktop that has two displays connected to it is confusing to me, because that would not work. There can be only one graphics driver/card running within a system. If you have plugged your laptop into the monitors that your desktop is plugged into, that would cause a conflict. I have a lot less experience than my peers, so I encourage you to add more information to your question, and wait for their advice. *mean while there is System Settings, Display and Monitor, Display Configuration.

[Gromm]

Are you using proprietary drivers, you will need that. Also are you using Kubuntu 22.04 on both systems? A tablet connected to a desktop that has two displays connected to it is confusing to me, because that would not work. There can be only one graphics driver/card running within a system. If you have plugged your laptop into the monitors that your desktop is plugged into, that would cause a conflict. I have a lot less experience than my peers, so I encourage you to add more information to your question, and wait for their advice. *mean while there is System Settings, Display and Monitor, Display Configuration.

Well, maybe this description is more clear: On my desktop are connected two screens and a tablet. They are all connected to the Nvidia GPU in my desktop. One screen connected through hdmi, the second screen is connected on Displayport using a displayport/dvi adapter, the tablet is connected to Displayport using a displayport/hdmi adapter. I don't really see the confusion to be honest. With the screens in itself are no real conflicts me thinks. "If you have plugged your laptop into the monitors that your desktop is plugged into, that would cause a conflict." This is not the situation.
I have tested the tablet both on a laptop and a desktop and the desktop gives the problems. As stated above: "It works like a charm on my laptop with Kubuntu, no problems whatsoever."

The problem is since the Wacom tablet is connected to my desktop, my screen/window/taskpanel/icons etc configurations are messed up. They have an unrealistic big size and I cannot find any option in the configuration settings that might repair that. As I stated above: "I think certain desktop configurations are changed since the tablet is connected. I cannot seem to find any option though that might be it"

[TinyTim]

"the tablet is connected to Displayport using a displayport/hdmi adapter." I have never attempted what you are doing, and have limited knowledge. In my mind the "tablet/notebook" or whatever would have it's own graphics chip and it's own graphics driver and that is what would conflict with the other systems graphics. You say it worked like a charm in a different arrangement, so I will follow this with great interest.

[Snowhog]

The problem is that all my windows, icons and all are now massively big.

To be clear, which display is the one where the "icons and all are now massively big."

[Gromm]

"the tablet is connected to Displayport using a displayport/hdmi adapter." I have never attempted what you are doing, and have limited knowledge. In my mind the "tablet/notebook" or whatever would have it's own graphics chip and it's own graphics driver and that is what would conflict with the other systems graphics. You say it worked like a charm in a different arrangement, so I will follow this with great interest.

Ok, I think I know where the communication goes wrong. The tablet I speak of is a Wacom Cintiq tablet or drawing pad. (As I stated in the title) That needs to be connected to a PC.

[Gromm]

To be clear, which display is the one where the "icons and all are now massively big."

All of them, the Wacom tablet included. My desktop is a triple-boot. Windows/Kubuntu/mint cinnamon. In the last one I do not have that problem and all works fine. But I want it to work in Kubuntu.

[Snowhog]

All of them, the Wacom tablet included. My desktop is a triple-boot. Windows/Kubuntu/mint cinnamon. In the last one I do not have that problem and all works fine. But I want it to work in Kubuntu.

And if you disconnect the tablet, logout and reboot, do the other connected displays show things normally; as expected?

[Gromm]

And if you disconnect the tablet, logout and reboot, do the other connected displays show things normally; as expected?

No, nothing at all. Everything is bigger than it should be and I cannot find the right config-option. However, it was far worse than it is now. I have tried to start Kubuntu in an earlier kernel and now is everything a bit smaller, still too big but workable. Still irritating though.

Furthermore, when I try to draw with the tablet, there is distance between the pen and the pointer. Just a few minutes ago I tried to connect the tablet to my second desktop (Not that I am awfully rich, I just like to keep older pc's running ) also with Kubuntu installed. That one did not have the screen problems my "main machine" has with the tablet but it's having the same distance issue with the pen.

This could mean the problem with the big panels, icons, text etc is a specific problem for this Kubuntu installation. Or is it a problem with the GPU? Both desktops are having an nvidia gpu under the hood.

[TinyTim]

Ok, I think I know where the communication goes wrong. The tablet I speak of is a Wacom Cintiq tablet or drawing pad. (As I stated in the title) That needs to be connected to a PC.

May I ask, is this Wacom Cintiq resolution set to 1920 x 1080 ? Is it true that Wacom will span multiple monitors? Krita community uses Wacom https://krita-artists.org/t/wacom-ta...or-linux/28557. This guy on Youtube.

[Gromm]

May I ask, is this Wacom Cintiq resolution set to 1920 x 1080 ? Is it true that Wacom will span multiple monitors? Krita community uses Wacom https://krita-artists.org/t/wacom-ta...or-linux/28557. This guy on Youtube.

I would'nt know about multiple monitors. My tablet is set on 1920 * 1080.

[Gromm]

Anyway: Is there a solution or something that might lead to it?

[TinyTim]

Anyway: Is there a solution or something that might lead to it?

There is no simple solution, due to the millions of switches, contributions and marketing. The two links I provided above are from searches I did and they clue in about the problem. I would never be able to figure it out due to the extreme variables. Not having a Wacom tablet is a big handicap for me. It has something to do with the xset. Here is another clue.

[claydoh]

I would'nt know about multiple monitors. My tablet is set on 1920 * 1080.

but

There are already two screens connected to that machine

So now you actually have three monitors, perhaps. Hardware-wise, the tablet is a touchscreen monitor (pen-screen? ), so the display part will likely be seen as a monitor.

Show a screenshot of your monitor configuration, for each situation
so we can maybe see what is going on better
I will imagine that you will have to play with scaling and resolutions, etc, maybe even font dpi.
Xorg really sucks at multiple monitors with different refresh rates, and multiple resolutions can be a pita as well.

[Gromm]

but

So now you actually have three monitors, perhaps. Hardware-wise, the tablet is a touchscreen monitor (pen-screen? ), so the display part will likely be seen as a monitor.

Show a screenshot of your monitor configuration, for each situation
so we can maybe see what is going on better
I will imagine that you will have to play with scaling and resolutions, etc, maybe even font dpi.
Xorg really sucks at multiple monitors with different refresh rates, and multiple resolutions can be a pita as well.

Actually, just last night I deleted my Kubunt installation in favor of KDE neon. Although I do not know yet, that will solve my problems with a KDE installation and the wacom tablet. This means I can't send you a sceenshot about the former situation. It is indeed true that the wacom tablet is recognized as a monitor, and it therefor takes part in the monitor configuration section. Indeed I have searched in resolutions and font scaling but I could not find any option in the system configuration that solved this problem. I am afraid it might be a typical problem with Kubuntu / Wacom / Nvidia. Not specifically KDE since I do not have the problem on a Kubuntu laptop with the wacom installed. It might not even be a problem with the displayport/hdmi adapter either, since the whole bunch on the same desktop works well in a Mint Cinnamon installation. I think we have to let it go for now and I see what KDE neon or perhaps Debian KDE makes of it.