Joystick Configuration

Support knowledgebase (joystick)
Applies to

SuSE Linux: Versions since 6.1

Situation

You want to configure a joystick.

Notice

You cannot take advantage of SuSE's free installation support for the following instructions and the possible consequences! You do not need to compile a own kernel, because SuSE Kernels already support joysticks.

Preparatory work

Please make sure that your sound card's joystick port is activated (usually on port address 0x200).

At present, joysticks are supported by ALSA drivers only in a restricted number of cards (please refer to '/usr/share/doc/packages/alsa/INSTALL'). Use therefore in this case the kernel sound modules or OSS.

Install the package 'joystick' from series 'snd' and please read the instructions included: '/usr/share/doc/packages/joystick/joystick.txt'.

Procedure

The possibile joystick modules can be listed with:

ls /lib/modules/2.2.16/misc/joy-*

Begin with loading the modules manually as follows, first

insmod joystick

and then load the specific module for your joystick. It follows an example for an analogic joystick:

insmod joy-analog js_an=0x200,,

or

insmod joy-analog js_an=0x200,0x33,0xc

Please check that all modules have been loaded. This can be achieved with:

lsmod

After that the modules have been successfully loaded and that your joystick works, enter the call up along with the necessary options in '/etc/modules.conf':

alias char-major-15 joy-my_joystick
options joy-my_joystick js_??=x,x,...

The options for different joystick types are fully described in the file '/usr/share/doc/packages/joystick/joystick.txt'.

You can test and calibrate the joystick with the applications 'jstest' and 'jscal', which are in the package 'joystick':

jstest /dev/js0 jscal -c /dev/js0

Or you can use 'kcmjoy', a KDE control module for joystick configuration, in series 'kpa'.

Particularities with the Soundblaster Live

Load the module 'emu10k1-joy', before loading the other joystick modules (by the way, it works also with ALSA sound modules):

modprobe emu10k1-joy io=0x200

The entry in '/etc/modules.conf' could look like as follows:

alias char-major-15 emu10k1-joy
options emu10k1-joy io=0x200
post-install  emu10k1-joy /sbin/modprobe "-k" "joy-analog"
post-remove   emu10k1-joy  /sbin/modprobe "-r" "joy-analog"
options joy-analog js_an=0x200,,

Sources and interesting URLs:

  1. The Linux Joystick Driver, http://www.suse.cz/development/joystick/
  2. /usr/src/linux-2.x.xx.SuSE/Documentation/joystick.txt in the kernel sources
  3. Joystick Driver, http://www.trylinux.com/projects/joystick/
  4. In SuSE's Manual "Configuration", the chapter bearing the title "Joystick Configuration".

See also:
o Aureal Soundcards
o Sound configuration with ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture)
o Soundblaster 16, 64, or 128 PCI with Linux

Keywords: JOYSTICK, GAMEPORT, GAMEPAD, FLIGHTSTICK, THRUSTMASTER, WINGMAN, SIDEWINDER, POWERPAD, EMU10K1, SOUNDBLASTER

Categories: Hardware

SDB-joystick, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany - Version: 02. Jan 2002
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 03. Mai 2002 by glazzar (sdb_gen 1.40.0)