using gameport joypad in emc2

Dear all,

I have try to install my sidewinder (gameport joypad) in ubuntu 8.04 and verify the function by jstest. However when I follow the wiki
wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?Simple_Remote_Pendant
to config the .hal and .ini file, EMC2 cannot be run and has following error msg

do I need to switch the joypad from gameport to usb in order for emc2 to config easily?

Print file information:
RUN_IN_PLACE=no
EMC2_DIR=
EMC2_BIN_DIR=/usr/bin
EMC2_TCL_DIR=/usr/share/emc/tcl
EMC2_SCRIPT_DIR=
EMC2_RTLIB_DIR=/usr/realtime-2.6.24-16-rtai/modules/emc2
EMC2_CONFIG_DIR=
EMC2_LANG_DIR=/usr/share/emc/tcl/msgs
INIVAR=inivar
HALCMD=halcmd
EMC2_EMCSH=/usr/bin/wish8.4
EMC2 - 2.4.6
Machine configuration directory is '/home/cnc/emc2/configs/my-mill-pcb1'
Machine configuration file is 'my-mill-pcb1.ini'
INIFILE=/home/cnc/emc2/configs/my-mill-pcb1/my-mill-pcb1.ini
PARAMETER_FILE=emc.var
EMCMOT=motmod
EMCIO=io
TASK=milltask
HALUI=halui
DISPLAY=axis
NML_FILE=
Starting EMC2...
Starting EMC2 server program: emcsvr
Loading Real Time OS, RTAPI, and HAL_LIB modules
Starting EMC2 IO program: io
Starting HAL User Interface program: halui
Shutting down and cleaning up EMC2...
Killing task emcsvr, PID=6533
Removing HAL_LIB, RTAPI, and Real Time OS modules
Removing NML shared memory segments
Cleanup done

Debug file information:
No input devices could be opened. This usually indicates a misconfigured
system. Please read the section 'PERMISSIONS AND UDEV' in the hal_input
manpage
custom.hal:5: hal_input exited without becoming ready
6533
PID TTY STAT TIME COMMAND
Stopping realtime threads
Unloading hal components

Kernel message information:
[ 1349.274508] I-pipe: Domain RTAI registered.
[ 1349.274533] RTAI[hal]: <3.6.1> mounted over IPIPE-NOTHREADS 2.0-04.
[ 1349.274539] RTAI[hal]: compiled with gcc version 4.2.4 (Ubuntu 4.2.4-1ubuntu3).
[ 1349.274550] RTAI[hal]: mounted (IPIPE-NOTHREADS, IMMEDIATE (INTERNAL IRQs DISPATCHED), ISOL_CPUS_MASK: 0).
[ 1349.274556] PIPELINE layers:
[ 1349.274561] f8b24000 9ac15d93 RTAI 200
[ 1349.274565] c0383180 0 Linux 100
[ 1349.307806] RTAI[malloc]: global heap size = 2097152 bytes, <BSD>.
[ 1349.308696] RTAI[sched]: loaded (IMMEDIATE, UP, USER/KERNEL SPACE: <with RTAI OWN KTASKs>, kstacks pool size = 524288 bytes.
[ 1349.308712] RTAI[sched]: hard timer type/freq = 8254-PIT/1193180(Hz); default timing: periodic; linear timed lists.
[ 1349.308721] RTAI[sched]: Linux timer freq = 250 (Hz), CPU freq = 995790000 hz.
[ 1349.308727] RTAI[sched]: timer setup = 2010 ns, resched latency = 2689 ns.
[ 1349.458373] RTAI[math]: loaded.
[ 1349.763617] config string '0x378 out '
[ 1351.357972] RTAI[math]: unloaded.
[ 1351.435812] SCHED releases registered named ALIEN RTGLBH
[ 1351.455229] RTAI[malloc]: unloaded.
[ 1351.554583] RTAI[sched]: unloaded (forced hard/soft/hard transitions: traps 0, syscalls 0).
[ 1351.561268] I-pipe: Domain RTAI unregistered.
[ 1351.561286] RTAI[hal]: unmounted.

step 2 identify your joypad

I: Bus=0014 Vendor=0007 Product=0001 Version=0100
N: Name="Microsoft SideWinder GamePad"
P: Phys=isa0201/gameport0/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/gameport0/input/input4
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event4 js0
B: EV=b
B: KEY=18ff0000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B: ABS=3

John, thank for your suppot

here is the hal and ini




Sorry I don't understand what is the meaning of "subsystem thing at the bottom of the page"

If the meaning of "subsystem thing at the bottom of the page" is related to

EMC2 Errors
"Debug file information:
No input devices could be opened. This usually indicates a misconfigured
system. Please read the section 'PERMISSIONS AND UDEV' in the hal_input
manpage"

Than I can say the existing system is installed from live cd of 2.3.5 and upgrade to 2.4.x through wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?UpdatingTo2.4

I haven't modify anything thing after upgrade to 2.4

John is suggesting you may need to add the file...

"If your system won't recognize the joypad you might have to look at hal_input man page and perhaps modify the permissions to access the device.


Prepared a one line file as per the description in the man page.


SUBSYSTEM=="input", mode="0660", group="plugdev"

Name the file 51-plugdev.rules and save it in /etc/udev/rules.d "

Rick G

Thanks for Rick to point out this. I just over look the link. Now the joypad works.

As my SideWinder joypad don't have z-axis control, there is no way for me to jog this axis but it's fine for me. And I find that the name of the button/ctl have a big difference also. Here is my M$ SideWinder (10+years old) HAL configuration window screenshot.