GC controller doesn't work since change from SDL to evdev

[davidbrooke]

I use Gentoo linux and I upgraded Dolphin-4.0.2-r7 to Dolphin-9999 (which should be the latest git version) to overcome a game problem, which it did. But I now have a new issue. Dolphin changed from a SDL backend to a evdev backend, see url:
https://dolphin-emu.org/download/dev/8a50dc857bbfc86c41706a6f48770a6f78285628/?nocr=true
This causes my Retrolink gamecube controller not to work.
https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-retrolink-gamecube-controllers
Here is my earlier post about getting the Retrolink GC controller working:
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-1019974-highlight-sdl.html
Basically:
1. I load the correct kernel driver - dragonrise
2. Setup the Retrolink GC controller: Dolphin>Options>Controller settings>Gamecube Controllers>Port 1>Standard Controller>configure>device>SDL/0/Generic USB Joystick. I then map out the Retrolink GC controller. I select the field beside the button label and press the corresponding key on the Retrolink GC controller.
After this initial setup of steps 1 and 2, I just load the game and start playing.
Since the SDL to evdev backend change:
1. I load the correct kernel driver - dragonrise
2. Setup the Retrolink GC controller: Dolphin>Options>Controller settings>Gamecube Controllers>Port 1>Standard Controller>configure>device>evdev/0/Generic USB Joystick. I then map out the Retrolink GC controller. I select the field beside the button label and press the corresponding key on the Retrolink GC controller.
After this initial setup of steps 1 and 2, I load the game and the Retrolink GC controller does respond to any keypresses at all. So Dolphin recognizes the Retrolink GC controller during the configure/mapping phase but doesn't work with the game.

I don't really understand the SDL and evdev processes but I did try the following:
I found that the two inputs:
/dev/input/js0
/dev/input/event8
were created/removed when plugging/unplugging the usb connection.

I also verified the following info by two differnt ways:
/proc/bus/input/devices
I: Bus=0003 Vendor=0079 Product=0006 Version=0110
N: Name="Generic USB Joystick "
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:14.0-10/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-10/1-10:1.0/0003:0079:0006.0006/input/input11
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=js0 event8
B: PROP=0
B: EV=1b
B: KEY=fff00000000 0 0 0 0
B: ABS=30027
B: MSC=10
or
sudo emerge -av sys-apps/input-utils
sudo lsinput -v
/dev/input/event8
bustype : BUS_USB
vendor : 0x79
product : 0x6
version : 272
name : "Generic USB Joystick "
phys : "usb-0000:00:14.0-10/input0"
uniq : ""
bits ev : EV_SYN EV_KEY EV_ABS EV_MSC

I also added the following udev rule based on the prior info but it didn't help.
/etc/udev/rules.d/99-input-joystick.rules
KERNEL=="event8", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0006", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0079", MODE="0666"

Any help appreciated.
Thanks

[leolam]

When you say it doesn't work, does it mean that the game doesn't detect the controller and doesn't react to any button presses at all, while Dolphin detects those (and shows them in the controller config dialog)? That's pretty weird… if you enable "Movie => Show Input Display" and then press a button in the game with the window focused, does it show the button press or not?

[davidbrooke]

(12-12-2015, 02:41 AM)leolam Wrote: When you say it doesn't work, does it mean that the game doesn't detect the controller and doesn't react to any button presses at all

Yes that is what I mean. I use KDE and I can use the system setup and it see all the keys and joysticks working is real time, whether Dolphin is working or not.
But KDE sees it as /dev/input/js0.

Quote:while Dolphin detects those (and shows them in the controller config dialog)?

Yes exactly! Dolphin detects the keys of the GC controller during configuration and reflects each key that is pressed on the GC controller dialog.

Quote:if you enable "Movie => Show Input Display" and then press a button in the game with the window focused, does it show the button press or not?

Nothing happens, just like before. There is "P1:" in the upper left hand corner when Port 1 is set to Standard controller.

[davidbrooke]

Gentoo Dolphin-9999 has been changed. It now has more USE flags, which includes evdev and sdl. I was able to set -evdev and sdl which allowed the Retrolink GC controller to be used via SDL. I'm glad this works but I would still like to figure out how to use the Retrolink GC controller via evdev.

[theklap]

I am having the same issue. I can configure the joystick in the menu but joystick does not work in game.
I have noticed sometimes if I go back into the joystick config menu the joystick does not work.
I have to select the keyboard from the drop down list and then go back to my joystick for it to work again in the config menu.

Device = evdev/0/Gravis GamePad Pro USB
running evtest shows it as
/dev/input/event9: Gravis GamePad Pro USB

I built the kernel with the evbug module and the kernel is seeing all the joystick events.

Building with SDL support fixes the issue.