The Linux/Joystick myth
 

I was wondering if anyone has ever really gotten a joystick to work under linux?
The joystick.txt kernel file speaks of 2 mythical lands where joysticks work called:
http://www.suse.cz/development/input/
and
http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~vojtech/input/

Both of which seem to be guarded by an unpenetrable and unseeable mist.

If anyone has really seen these lands and lived to tell of the treasure within, please give an account of the magical tools of:

inputattach -xxx /dev/tts/X &
above input joydev ns558 analog
and
jstest /dev/js0

And if you heard the spell that animates the InterAct Magnum 6 flightstick, and were not burned to ash by it's raw power, could you please write me a scroll?

May the minstrals forever tell of your heroic deeds.

Rather than write it all again this thread should give you some ideas where to start although in your case you do need the analog module loaded with the ns558 at least I did with my old sound card.

yes, I have used my MS FF pro to play tux racer

Sorry, let me be more clear:
modprobe ns558 (or for that matter ns558.o,and ns558.c) says that the module does not exist:
[root@localhost joystick]# modprobe ns558
/lib/modules/2.4.22-10mdk/kernel/drivers/char/joystick/ns558.o.gz: init_module: No such device
Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, including invalid IO or IRQ parameters.
You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg
modprobe: insmod /lib/modules/2.4.22-10mdk/kernel/drivers/char/joystick/ns558.o.gz failed
modprobe: insmod ns558 failed

I found it in both /usr/src/linux/drivers/char/joystick and /lib/modules/2.4.22-10mdk/kernel/drivers/char/joystick (Though this one is a .gz, whereas the other location contains both ns558.o and ns558.c)
I'm running Mandrake 9.2 and I've had the same result on two different pc's running the same OS.
The two controllers I'm trying to install are a Performance PC Propad 4 (Which uses the ns558 driver), and a InterAct Magnum 6 flightstick (Which I have been completely unable to find driver information on, though I'm assuming Interact.o).

I've tried linking the ns558.o and ns558.c files to: /lib/modules/2.4.22-10mdk/kernel/drivers/char/joystick and vice-versa With no effect.

I'm stumped, and I've read every joystick thread I could find, but no one seems to have had the same trouble.

Any help appreciated :-)

It's probably the port driver that's missing

The port is labeled Midi/Game. The tower is an e-machine 533id. I assumed it was a serial port, so I did: insmod serport - with no effect.
insmod gameport- says that a module named gameport already exists.

Perhaps I asked the wrong question.
Has anyone gotten the ns558 driver to work in mandrake 9.2?
I've found no mention of it anywhere in google, and I'm getting the same results on 3 computers now, all running Man 9.2.
The interact driver loads to gameport (Though the stick doesn't work), so it doesn't appear to be a port error. I've downloaded and installed the newest joystick package.
joystick.txt sent me to:
http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~vojtech/input/
But if this package is mandatory, I'm screwed because the site only leads back to itself.
I've edited my modules.conf file to load the interact driver and rebooted to check, but got no action from said stick.
Is it possible that Mandrake is to blame?

I've not had it working on Mandrake but it did work on Debian with my old sound card what is in your kernel config is it there as a module? eg.
If is is not set you should compile a new kernel with the support you need. Is this a sound card gameport or is this the port on the motherboard? Also I never needed anything from the page that you link too to get the sidewinder to work.