Linux Joystick Calibration

[Lethe]

I have a MS sidewinder JS (why is it MS peripherals are great, yet their software is pants??) and always had an issue with the crosshair being off-centre.

I used to fix this up using jscal, but the original doesn't build on 2.6.x kernels. But the Ubuntu version does.

https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/edgy/+sour ... u2/+files/

Just download the tarball (i.e. wget) and decompress:

tar zxvf joystick_20051019.orig.tar.gz

(I think the Ubuntu diff is for a fix for some joysticks - I don't think it's needed unless you know it's needed).

cd into the directory and issue:

make

jscal is then built (BTW, you need running kernel source tree).

At this stage you can just run it from source:

./jscal -c /dev/js0 (or whatever your JS device is).

Once done, JS is perfectly calibrated.

You can then/also save the results to a script file to be called from rc.local, or (as I do using Fluxbox) in a script when I launch Oolite.

My jscal.sh file:

Code: Select all

jscal -s 6,1,0,128,128,4194176,4227201,1,0,128,128,4194176,4227201,1,0,128,128,4194176,4227201,1,0,128,128,4194176,4227210,1,0,0,0,536854528,536854528,1,0,0,0,536854528,536854528 /dev/js0

If happy, just mv the jscal binary to /usr/bin/ nothing else is required.

Nick

[Super Jamie]

you can also use jscalibrator if you're looking for something with a gui

looks like the original webpage for it is dead, and is likely a package the debian team maintain now

binary - https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/intrepid/i386/jscalibrator
source - https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libjsw


and yeah, i know what you mean about microsoft. i really love my comfort curve 2000 keyboard, and wheel optical mouse. the zune's a good player too, the software absolutely blows though

[Cmdr Wyvern]

you can also use jscalibrator if you're looking for something with a gui

looks like the original webpage for it is dead, and is likely a package the debian team maintain now

binary - https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/intrepid/i386/jscalibrator
source - https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libjsw

There's a gui control center module in KDE that does a great job with joysticks. Though it seems to work only with USB sticks.

and yeah, i know what you mean about microsoft. i really love my comfort curve 2000 keyboard, and wheel optical mouse. the zune's a good player too, the software absolutely blows though

MS don't make the hardware. They get someone else to make the hardware, while they (try) to code the software and drivers for it. Toshiba makes the Zune, for instance, and I've seen a couple of MS mice that I could swear were knockoffs of Logitech mice.

Sometimes it's not good, or even passable hardware that bears the MS brand. 360, 'nuff said.

[DaddyHoggy]

When I worked for the UK MOD I was seconded to CALCE (Computer Aided Lifecycle Engineering) based at the U of MD. M$ joined CALCE because it had started to put its name onto Hardware as well as software, in particular the Barney interactive/PC controlled toys that were coming back in their droves as "failed shortly after first use" - CALCE tested a series of the units both for real and in simulation - M$ had clearly gone for lowest cost when having the PCBs manufactured - a bit of a beating from a toddler would have had most of the soldering cracking off the flimsy PCBs only a few scant minutes after getting them out of the box...

And now we're officially way off topic - to vaguely steer it back on course, I use Ubuntu Gutsy and a Thrustmaster Firestorm Dual Power 2 Gamepad USB and have never had to calibrate it - wouldn't know how to!

[Cmdr Wyvern]

I use Ubuntu Gutsy and a Thrustmaster Firestorm Dual Power 2 Gamepad USB and have never had to calibrate it - wouldn't know how to!

An X52 on a Mepis/Debian testing/unstable hybrid.

Most USB game controllers & joysticks autocalibrate. That's a good thing in your case, eh DH?

[DaddyHoggy]

Given the issues seen here - yes! Apparently so!

[kcallis]

I am having issues with proper configuration of my joystick. Is there a file with the configuration sit? I figured I could figure out the appropriate values and plug them into the configuration file.