Unable to use "switch monitor" ExpressKey action with Wacom Cintiq display
Affected version
- Arch Linux (last update: 2020-04-14)
- Mutter 3.36.1-1
- Tested under Xorg (unable to test Wayland)
Bug summary
The GNOME Control Center allows me to choose "Switch monitor" as an ExpressKey action. Pressing an ExpressKey configured to trigger this action is expected to cause the pen to be mapped to the next monitor. This action works fine for an "opaque" tablet like the Intuos, but does nothing when assigned to an ExpressKey on a Cintiq display.
This feature is always near the top of the list for many artists and studios, and I expected it to work now that the GNOME Control Center allows you to manually "decouple" a Cintiq display.
Steps to reproduce
- Connect two or more monitors to a system, one of which is a Cintiq display
- Use the Wacom panel in the GNOME Control Center to map an ExpressKey on the Cintiq to "Switch monitor"
- Close the GNOME Control Center
- Move the pen over the Cintiq and observe the monitor it is mapped to (ideally: the Cintiq)
- Press the ExpressKey assigned to "Switch monitor"
- Move the pen over the Cintiq and observe the monitor it is mapped to (should be a different monitor than before)
What happened
Pressing the ExpressKey causes no change the monitor mapping for the Cintiq's pen.
What did you expect to happen
Pressing the ExpressKey should cause the Cintiq's pen to be mapped to another monitor.
Relevant logs, screenshots, screencasts etc.
This issue seems to be caused by a check of libwacom_get_integration_flags
in src/backends/meta-input-settings.c:meta_input_settings_cycle_tablet_output
(link to code).
The comment on this block of code states that "output rotation only makes sense on external tablets", but that is not correct. It can often be handy to quickly change the display mapping for display and system-integrated tablets in order to quickly interact with a window on a second monitor. Having to set down the pen, briefly switch to the mouse, and then switch back to the pen can quickly become annoying and isn't great for ergonomics.