How to Update OpenTablet Driver: A Complete Guide

OpenTablet Driver (OTD) is an open-source, cross-platform tablet driver that supports a wide range of drawing tablets — particularly useful for users who want more control than manufacturer drivers offer, or whose tablets aren't well-supported on Linux or macOS. Keeping it updated ensures compatibility with newer tablets, fixes bugs, and unlocks new features. Here's how the update process works and what shapes the experience depending on your setup.

What Is OpenTablet Driver and Why Updates Matter

OpenTablet Driver acts as the software layer between your graphics tablet hardware and your operating system. Unlike proprietary drivers from Wacom, Huion, or XP-Pen, OTD is maintained by the community and updated frequently on GitHub.

Updates typically include:

• New tablet support — community-submitted configurations for recently released tablets
• Bug fixes — resolving pressure curve issues, connection drops, or input latency
• Feature additions — new interpolation modes, plugin support, UI improvements
• OS compatibility patches — addressing changes in Windows, Linux kernel updates, or macOS security policies

Because OTD is actively developed, running an outdated version can mean missing support for a tablet you just purchased, or dealing with bugs that have already been resolved upstream.

How to Check Your Current Version

Before updating, it helps to know what version you're running.

Open the OTD interface (the GUI application), and look in the About section or the title bar — the version number is usually displayed there. You can also check via the command line:

otd --version 

Compare this against the latest release listed on the OpenTablet Driver GitHub releases page.

Updating OpenTablet Driver on Windows 🖥️

The most straightforward update path on Windows:

1. Download the latest release from the GitHub releases page — look for the .zip file labeled for Windows (typically OpenTabletDriver.win-x64.zip)
2. Close the currently running OTD instance — right-click the system tray icon and exit
3. Extract the new files to the same folder as your existing installation, overwriting the old files
4. Restart OpenTabletDriver.UX.exe

Your settings and tablet profiles are stored separately in the configuration folder (%localappdata%OpenTabletDriver), so they typically survive an overwrite update. That said, it's good practice to back up your profiles beforehand, especially if you've done heavy customization.

Some users install OTD as a service using the OTD Daemon setup. If you're running it this way, you'll also need to restart or re-register the service after updating.

Updating on Linux 🐧

On Linux, the update process varies depending on how OTD was originally installed.

If installed via a package manager (such as AUR on Arch Linux):

yay -Syu opentabletdriver 

or via other AUR helpers. Most package managers handle dependency resolution and service restarts automatically.

If installed manually from the binary release:

1. Stop the running daemon: systemctl --user stop opentabletdriver
2. Download the new Linux binary from GitHub
3. Replace the existing files
4. Restart the daemon: systemctl --user start opentabletdriver

The udev rules that allow OTD to communicate with your tablet hardware may also need to be updated if the new version adds hardware support. Check the release notes — they'll typically note when this is necessary and provide the relevant command.

If using Flatpak, updates come through:

flatpak update 

though Flatpak packaging sometimes lags slightly behind the official GitHub release.

Updating on macOS

macOS introduces additional steps due to system security policies.

1. Download the macOS build from the GitHub releases page
2. Quit OTD if running
3. Replace the existing app bundle
4. On first launch, you may need to approve the app in System Preferences → Security & Privacy due to Gatekeeper restrictions, particularly if the new build isn't code-signed through Apple's notarization process

This Gatekeeper friction is a known point of friction for OTD on macOS and varies depending on the specific build and your macOS version.

Updating Tablet Configurations Separately

One important distinction: OpenTablet Driver separates the core application from tablet configuration files. The configuration repository (which defines how specific tablets are recognized) can be updated independently.

Within the OTD interface, go to Tablets → Open Tablet Configuration Folder, or check the repository tab if available in your version. Pulling fresh configurations from the OTD configurations repository means your tablet might be recognized correctly even without a full application update — useful if you've added a new device and your application version is recent enough.

Variables That Shape the Update Experience

What Can Go Wrong — and How to Recover

Updating usually goes smoothly, but a few scenarios are worth knowing:

• Settings don't carry over: This typically means the config path changed or files were placed in a new location. Check the OTD GitHub wiki for your OS's config directory.
• Tablet no longer recognized: The new version may require updated udev rules (Linux) or different USB permissions. The release notes usually document this.
• Plugin breaks after update: Third-party plugins like those for cursor smoothing or pressure remapping may not be immediately compatible with a new OTD version. Check the plugin's own repository for compatibility notes.

Rolling back is always possible by keeping the previous version's files in an archived folder — a simple habit that saves significant troubleshooting time.

The Part That Depends on Your Setup

Whether a straightforward overwrite, a package manager command, or a manual binary swap is right for you depends on how you originally installed OTD, which OS you're running, how much you've customized your configuration, and whether you're running the daemon as a user service or a system service. Each of those variables changes the exact steps — and the order they should happen in.