LMT#2 - Fixing Xbox 360 Controller Input in Steam For Linux

Linux Mint Tips #2: Fixing Xbox 360 Controller Input in Steam For Linux

Linux Mint Tips series is a list of tricks I've picked up after having switched away from Windows for good in 2013, after dabbling for years. I'll do my best to go back and edit posts that contain any erroneous information, but keep in mind that I'm a relative newcomer to the Linux scene. I wrote this tutorial running the MATE desktop environment in Mint 16.

I ran into trouble in Steam for Linux getting my controller working. Though its a cheapo Gamestop knockoff, it is Xbox 360 compatible, which should mean it'll work on just about any PC these days no matter what OS its running. One of the benefits of the long life of the last console generation has been the driver support for these ubiquitous controllers; I wouldn't be surprised if there were an Xbox 360 controller driver for OS/2 Warp at this point. I figured it would work straight out of the box in Mint 16, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Even though the controller was clearly powered up, Steam games didn't recognize it and even the Steam controller configurator widget couldn't fix the issue.

The good news is that it only took a short bit of research to fix the issue. Here's the steps I ended up taking to fix it.

• Open Software Manager.
• You'll need to enter the password for your elevated/Admin account.
• Search for jstest-gtk.
• It should be the top item, with the subtitle "Joystick testing and configuration tool".
• Double click on that item.
• Click on the install button.
• When it finishes, close out of software manager.
• Open a terminal window.
• Type jstest-gtk and hit enter.
• This will bring up the configuration tool. Your Xbox 360 compatible controller should already be listed.
• Click the properties button.
• You can now test the various inputs, thumbsticks, buttons and so forth.
• If you find that some of the inputs aren't mapping properly, click the Mapping button. Here you can drag items around and watch for the effects in the properties window.
• Once you've gotten everything lined up, you can save the profile in the properties dialog using the button next to the dropdown box in the upper section.

Now for the Steam portion.

• First, open Steam and change to Big Picture mode. You can select this option by right clicking on the Steam notification icon or by clicking the Big Picture option in Steam in the upper right side in just about any Steam screen.
• Once Big Picture mode starts, click on Settings in the top right (the gear icon).
• Click on the Controller option.
• Click the Edit Controls button.
• You should now be taken through a first time setup tutorial. Follow the prompts and push the correct button/input at the correct time.
• When finished use the Save option.
• It will ask you to upload, but you can decline to upload it and just save it locally.

You're now finished, your gamepad should work in Steam games now!

Hopefully this helps somebody out there. Happy gaming.

LMT#1 - Using Driver Manager To Update Nvidia Driver

Linux Mint Tips #1: Using Driver Manager To Update Your Nvidia Driver

This is the first in a series of posts I'll be making about my journey switching over to Linux Mint from Windows. As I pick up tips and tricks, be they sublime or mundane, I'll be posting them here. I'll do my best to go back and edit posts that contain any erroneous information, but just beware that even though I've been tinkering with Linux off and on for years, this is my first serious foray into completely abandoning Windows. As such, there are a number of items in this series that are things that I'm doing in Linux for the first time, such as games, TV tuning, and more.

I wrote this tutorial running the MATE desktop environment in Mint 16.

As this new machine that I built is going to be primarily used for games, the first thing I wanted to find out was how to update my driver to the latest version manually. Though I haven't figured that out yet, what I have figured out how to do is install a newer version than what comes bundled in Mint by default.

Note: This fix resolves the problem with Steam for Linux where it reports that "OpenGL GLX context is not using direct rendering, which may cause performance problems".

Here's how to use Driver Manager:
Click on Menu, and type driver manager in the search box, then hit enter.
    or
Click on Menu, click on Control Center, scroll down to the Other section, click on Driver Manager.

Once you've provided your password, Driver Manager will start. Click on the radio button next to the recommended driver and then click the Apply Changes button.

Driver Manager in action on Mint 16

After it completes installing, click the x to close.

That's it. Kudos to the Linux Mint folks for making this a painless process.

On the death of the real money auction house

RIP (on March 18th), real money auction house.

I have always felt that the Diablo III real money auction house strategy reeked of corporate market-droid meddling. To be honest, its inclusion was far more likely a function of who the company has chosen to hire/promote to lead projects than actual requirements that came down from on-high; but as a consumer, this type of decision has never felt that way. Sadly, the effects are the same; someone with decision making power ends up pushing for the inclusion of revenue generators that are detrimental to the games themselves.

Kudos to Blizzard for realizing their mistake and making a course correction. Apparently the "new era" of game revenue that many heralded at the launch of Diablo III will have to wait for some other game to carry the torch. The death bell is tolling for now, but this sort of "take a cut of in-game, real money transactions between players" feature is bound to return when some other studio takes a crack at it.

I'm not entirely unsympathetic. Blizzard is faced with a problem endemic to the AAA industry: namely that some customers are willing to pay much more for an extended or enhanced experience, but the ability to capitalize on that is difficult in an industry machine that has been geared towards treating all customers the same. The real money auction house was an interesting stab at solving that problem, but ultimately one that has failed. What remains to be seen is whether that was due to poor execution by Blizzard or that the idea itself is fatally flawed.

ThereIFixedIt: Knockoff 360 Controller Thumbstick Fix

A while back, I was given a third party xbox 360 wired controller as part of a gift. (thanks bro!)

After a short while of use, it developed an issue where one of the thumbsticks was very difficult to use because its cover had ripped. During the most critical part of whatever game was being played, the cover would choose that moment to strike. It would flap around like a useless appendage, mocking me and ensuring my doom in that game was sealed.

At first I tried gluing it with super glue, which failed miserably. The rubberized material is just too flexible, and I don't think the glue ever adhered properly.

Then I hit upon an idea; an idea which not only works perfectly, but looks so gloriously haphazard that I had to post it: I sewed it shut.



There, I fixed it! Or, perhaps more appropriately: #ThereIFixedIt.

Why I Chose To Defy The Linguists

When working on a recent post, I came across a little bit of trivia: rack vs wrack.

Particularly interesting was this item: http://grammar.about.com/od/alightersideofwriting/a/rackwrackgloss.htm

Though the general advice of linguists appears to be to use the form Rack and Ruin or Nerve-Racking, I chose to use the form Nerve-Wracking. The reason is simple; rack is an overloaded verb, whereas wrack is not.

When I think of "to rack" something, I think of organization. Racking billiard balls, primarily. What I don't think of is the destructive term which is primarily associated with the medieval torture device "The Rack". We don't have that kind of rack anymore, so it seems silly to use that as the basis for the modern verb.

Should I wrack my brain, or rack it? The answer seems simple to me: one is [thinking so hard you're] hurting it, whereas the other is [thinking so hard you're] placing it into some kind of organizational box; at least if you go by the primary meaning.

That said, such a rule would go counter to accepting that most people cannot remember when to use "except" versus "accept". I think the linguists have just given up, and are desperately picking their battles, hoping that "sumday were not left wit nuthin but a shell of english that we should of protected".

First StackOverflow Answer Posted (Consuming RESTful Services in C#)

I've been meaning to do this for years, but its nerve-wracking* to put yourself out there, even when you feel you have something valuable to add to the discussion. This is especially true for me in places such as Stack Exchange/Overflow, where the prevailing social norm is to post under your Real Name.

Anyway, after circling round the Internet for a while on the correct way to consume a RESTful web service in C#, I finally bit the bullet and decided to answer a question with the updated information that I eventually found.

Here's a link to my response:
http://stackoverflow.com/a/17459045/2548115

I figured, the best thing I can do is post the answer I wished would have been there when I first found the question, because that would have saved me time. Hopefully it does just that for anyone else that stumbles across it.

*Interesting tidbit I ran across when researching how to spell this phrase. Here's a blog post on nerve-racking verses nerve-wracking, just for fun.

Enabling Linux Mint 15 Wireless on Dell E1505

Good news! The process that I posted for getting wireless working on a Dell Inspiron E1505 for Mint 14 also works for Mint 15 as well. Here is a handy link if you need it:
http://harborpirate.blogspot.com/2012/12/enabling-linux-mint-14-wireless-on-dell.html

For the step after that, setting up the connection to your wi-fi, is a bit trickier than it used to be. It hides "unused" connection types now.

After you've followed the instructions in the link above, here's how to get the rest of the way:

• Right click on the connections icon in the tray and click Edit Connections. 
• Click the Add button. 
• Click on Wi-Fi in the list. 
• Click the Create button. 
• Give the connection a name that is meaningful, like "home" or "work" or whatever. 
• Type in your SSID (this is the SSID value of your router, which your other machines probably autodetected for you). SSID is case sensitive. 
• Click on the Wi-Fi security tab. 
• Pick the correct authentication type (probably WPA & WPA2 Personal). 
• Type in your password. 
• Click the Save button.

Your battle-station should now be fully armed and operational.