How to use PS3 six axis joystick in Puppy?

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wacossusca34
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Joined: Sun 29 May 2011, 15:41

How to use PS3 six axis joystick in Puppy?

#1 Post by wacossusca34 »

I read about using the PS3 controller after experimentally popping it into my little puppy Linux laptop. I was attempting to multi-task, Managing my Java based server, while playing PS3. It was on my lap, and the wireless controller needed charging so i popped it into my puppy. It actually started flashing before i even turned it on, so i unplugged it, turned it on until one light lit, connecting to the PS3. Then I plugged it back into puppy, and found it still worked with the PS3, and was charging, except the one single light was flashing

A thought popped into my head though, Was it trying to connect to the computer? As i read on it, It was supposed to be reconized as a joystick by default on the Linux Kernel. It showed that the controller could simply reconized as a gamepad or joystick

It also occurred to me that there is no joystick configuration interface in puppy either, so even if the controller was being reconized, there was no way of interacting with it.

Is there a driver to get this working as a normal joystick or gamepad, or just a drive for a gamepad/joystick by itself?

That would be AMAZING. I'm starting to get used to gaming on my PS3 and some of my games on Linux would be pretty cool with a controller.

Thanks guys - May puppy linux live on...

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Aitch
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#2 Post by Aitch »


tempestuous
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Location: Australia

#3 Post by tempestuous »

The PS3 Sixaxis controller is a non-standard game controller, which requires a bit of hacking to work with Linux.
Apparently it only communicates via bluetooth, but the pairing is done over USB. Refer here -
http://www.pabr.org/sixlinux/sixlinux.en.html
and updated instructions here -
http://www.wiredrevolution.com/ubuntu/s ... n-ubuntu/3

Puppy-friendly translation:
you need to have a bluetooth dongle connected to your Puppy computer (obviously!) and the Linux bluetooth libraries (BlueZ) installed. One particular component of the BlueZ utilities, hidd, needs to be patched, and this utility needs to be explicitly enabled during compilation, with -

Code: Select all

./configure ..... --enable hidd
You also need a unique utility called "sixpair" from the first link I provided.

The controller should be connected via USB to your Puppy computer, and the bluetooth daemon (bluetoothd) needs to be up and running on Puppy. Then you run the "sixpair" utility - this will pair the controller to Puppy. At this point the USB cable can be disconnected.
Now you need to stop the normal bluetoothd daemon on Puppy, and start the (patched) hidd daemon instead.
Then you press the "PS" button on the controller to establish the connection with Puppy. The hidd daemon should confirm this connection.

In summary: do-able, but not particularly easy.

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darkcity
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#4 Post by darkcity »

there's also qtSixA
http://qtsixa.sourceforge.net/

also could be difficult to implement on Puppy.

Added links wiki, please add any more info if known
http://puppylinux.org/wikka/InputDevices

Regards Jon ; -)

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