# joystick hell

## limeman

Hi

I'm running 2.6.5 for some time now. Almost no problems until today:

I tried to get my joystick working and it won't work I have my gameport loaded for my soundcard loaded.  Ihave the analog moduled loaded and my gravis-mp loaded and it still won't work.  If I try to cat /dev/input/js0 I get no such device.  I am stuck please help

FATAL: Error inserting ns558 (/lib/modules/2.6.2/kernel/drivers/input/gameport/ns558.ko): No such device

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## blueworm

Build all that joystick stuff straight into the kernel.

Post what your hardware is.

(Perhaps since this is not amd_64 specific you would be better off posting in gamers and players.)

Use the search engine there are zillions of of posts on joysticks.

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## limeman

My hardware is as follows...

sound card sblive xgamer 5.1

joystick gravis grip xterminator.

I not using usb it plugs in striaght to the gameport

Let me know if you need more info..

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## blueworm

You must configure these in your kernel.

Device Drivers --->

Input device support --->

<*> Joystick interface

<*> Gameport support

<*> SB Live and Audigy gameport support (NEW)

[*] Joysticks

<*> Gravis GrIP joystick and gamepads (NEW)

All of these should load no problem compilled straight into the kernel.

Make sure to disable all unused mother board ports in your BIOS. 

Serial, parallel, gameport etc...

This will avoid any IRQ conflicts.

All i can forsee that may give trouble to load is the grip driver.

If this is the case compile as a module.

<m> Gravis GrIP joystick and gamepads (NEW)

 and add it to /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel.2.6

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## limeman

I have all that stuff complied as modules and I load them.  I however don't see anything when I dmesg grep joystick.  Also if I try to cat /input/js0 or any of the others it says no such device.

O also.  If I /cat/proc/pci I get this output

  Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 (rev 7).

    Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! MIDI/Game Port (rev 7).

Do I need ns558?? Could that be the problem?

Also if I cat /proc/input/event1 I get some output... but if I press buttons on the joystick it doesn't do anything

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## blueworm

Build them straight into the kernel...

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## limeman

I think my joystick is broken....  That might be the problem cuz I tried it in windowz and it couldn't find it

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## pjp

Moved from Gentoo on AMD64 at limeman's request.

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## the_bard

I just ran through pretty much the same problem. The solution I found was to have all the previously mentioned drivers compiled directly into the kernel. Then emerge alsa-utils. In the /etc/modules.d/alsa file, the last copy lines ought to look like:

```
# Set this to the correct number of cards.

options snd cards_limit=1
```

.

Add 'joystick=1' to the end, like this:

```

# Set this to the correct number of cards and joysticks.

options snd cards_limit=1 joystick=1
```

Seems to be working for me.

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## Googolplex

Im having similar trouble. Its hard to imagine that compiling into the kernel is necessary however. The modules load fine, and I tried adding that "joystick=1" item as well, but it doesn't solve the main problem, and that is that I have no /dev/js0 or /dev/input/js0 or anything else that looks anything like the joystick in /dev.

My question is: How can I add such an item in /dev? How can I associate it with my joystick? Dmesg output shows the sidewinder module loading and it lists some info that appears to be a PCI id number of some sort and I/O info, but I don't know how to use that.

Im not looking for a cut-n-paste magic command, I just need someone to help my find what I need to learn to do this myself.

Thanks for any help!

[EDIT] Whoa, nevermind! It turns out I hadn't loaded joydev. For future reference, I loaded the following modules in the order they appear:

gameport

emu10k1_gp

joydev

sidewinder

Note that emu10k1_gp and sidewinder should be the specific driver for your gameport and joystick respectivly.

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## the_bard

Ok... I had it working, and now I don't   :Twisted Evil: .

It's been a while since I've last used the stick, too, so I don't know what changed.

Anyway, I've got all the above drivers compiled into the kernel. The 'joystick=1' setting is appended to my options line in the /etc/modules.d/alsa file.

According to dmesg, the sidewinder driver is seeing the joystick, but can't recognize it. I'll post the output again when I get home.

Got the alsa start up script set up in the boot script, too...

The stick works fine in WinXP (I dual boot). which is what's really irritating me.

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## the_bard

Couple of boots before, it was working fine. WIthout changing anything software-wise, I rebooted into Windows to play FFXI a bit.

On reboot into Gentoo, the stick can't be picked up. Only thing that changed was the stick's physical orientation... the stick was off-center (being a forcefeedback stick, it doesn't automatically center unless the little light sensor is covered up, presumably by a hand).

I'm recompiling my sidewinder driver as a module, so I can remove/insert it at will, and test my theory out. If the stick's off center, will the driver recognize the stick? And if it's centered properly, will the driver pick it up?

Update:

Got it now. Apparently the joystick will not be recognized if it's centered. Off center, the driver picks it up fine. Far be it for me to understand *shrug*.

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## b0fh_

 *the_bard wrote:*   

> Update:
> 
> Got it now. Apparently the joystick will not be recognized if it's centered. Off center, the driver picks it up fine. Far be it for me to understand *shrug*.

 

LOL mine (oldass M$ sidewinder force feedback pro) only gets detected if I leave the power cord unplugged while loading the driver... if it is connected ig gives me the 'unknown joystick detected' bullshit. It's fine to plug the power cord afterwards... go figure. The most amazing thing is that I used this joystick for YEARS under 2.4.s without a hiccup... surely there is new detection code in the 2.6 driver, and it is a bit dodgy, for sure  :Wink: 

cheers

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## donmartio

In my case i had to switch the pad to 'grip' on the back and everthing was working.

(I have (now) compiled everything as module (joystick stuff not alsa) and the line

options snd cards_limit=1 joystick=1

in the /etc/modules.d/alsa...

and kernel 2.6.9-r14...

just in case somebody else is stumbling like me).

Greetings DonMartio

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## dtor

 *b0fh_ wrote:*   

>  *the_bard wrote:*   Update:
> 
> Got it now. Apparently the joystick will not be recognized if it's centered. Off center, the driver picks it up fine. Far be it for me to understand *shrug*. 
> 
> LOL mine (oldass M$ sidewinder force feedback pro) only gets detected if I leave the power cord unplugged while loading the driver... if it is connected ig gives me the 'unknown joystick detected' bullshit. It's fine to plug the power cord afterwards... go figure. The most amazing thing is that I used this joystick for YEARS under 2.4.s without a hiccup... surely there is new detection code in the 2.6 driver, and it is a bit dodgy, for sure 
> ...

 

In case sidewinder driver does not detect joystick try increasing SW_TIMEOUT in driver/input/joystick/sidewinder.c to 6000 (6 ms).

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