[bmfrosty]

This was a project to turn an NES into a XBMC box. I did so with judicious use of a dremel, and it ended up being awesome. That aside, one of my goals (the other one may involve hiring a skin artist of some sort) was to make sure the controller ports work. I bought two USB retroports, installed them into the case (again with the help of a dremel) and got to work on a keyfile. The gods of linux decided not to let me off that easy, but with the help of the forums, I eventually worked it out and it works beautifully.

Step 1 - the keyfile:

This one is based on the apple remote keymap. It seems to work well, and it works about how I think a NES controller should work in XBMC. Feel free to modify, and post your modifications.

I removed the disclaimer text to make it all fit in one post. If you want it, you can borrow it from another keymap. I also commented out certain functions by tagging them as button 5 which doesn't exist. I may reassign them later.

Code:

<keymap>
  <global>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <!-- B          -->      <button id="1">PreviousMenu</button>
      <!-- A          -->      <button id="2">Select</button>
      <!-- Select     -->      <button id="3">Fullscreen</button>
      <!-- Start      -->      <button id="4">ContextMenu</button>
    </joystick>
  </global>
  <Home>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="5">XBMC.ActivateWindow(Favourites)</button>
      <button id="4">ActivateWindow(shutdownmenu)</button>
    </joystick>
  </Home>
  <Favourites>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </Favourites>
  <MyPictures>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">ParentDir</button>
    </joystick>
  </MyPictures>
  <MyMusicPlaylist>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="5">Playlist</button>
    </joystick>
  </MyMusicPlaylist>
  <MyMusicPlaylistEditor>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">ParentDir</button>
    </joystick>
  </MyMusicPlaylistEditor>
  <MyMusicFiles>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">ParentDir</button>
    </joystick>
  </MyMusicFiles>
  <MyMusicLibrary>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">ParentDir</button>
    </joystick>
  </MyMusicLibrary>
  <FullscreenVideo>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="2">Pause</button>
      <button id="1">Stop</button>
      <button id="4">OSD</button>
      <button id="3">Fullscreen</button>
    </joystick>
  </FullscreenVideo>
  <FullscreenInfo>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </FullscreenInfo>
  <PlayerControls>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </PlayerControls>
  <Visualisation>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="2">Pause</button>
      <button id="3">Fullscreen</button>
      <button id="4">XBMC.ActivateWindow(MusicOSD)</button>
      <button id="1">Stop</button>
    </joystick>
  </Visualisation>
  <MusicOSD>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </MusicOSD>
  <VisualisationSettings>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </VisualisationSettings>
  <VisualisationPresetList>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </VisualisationPresetList>
  <SlideShow>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Stop</button>
      <button id="3">Info</button>
      <button id="4">Rotate</button>
    </joystick>
  </SlideShow>
  <ScreenCalibration>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="2">NextCalibration</button>
    </joystick>
  </ScreenCalibration>
  <SelectDialog>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </SelectDialog>
  <VideoOSD>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
      <button id="4">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </VideoOSD>
  <VideoMenu>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="2">Select</button>
      <button id="1">Stop</button>
      <button id="5">OSD</button>
      <button id="4">ContextMenu</button>
    </joystick>
  </VideoMenu>
  <OSDVideoSettings>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </OSDVideoSettings>
  <OSDAudioSettings>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </OSDAudioSettings>
  <VideoBookmarks>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </VideoBookmarks>
  <MyVideoLibrary>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">ParentDir</button>
    </joystick>
  </MyVideoLibrary>
  <MyVideoFiles>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">ParentDir</button>
    </joystick>
  </MyVideoFiles>
  <MyVideoPlaylist>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Playlist</button>
    </joystick>
  </MyVideoPlaylist>
  <VirtualKeyboard>
    <keyboard>
      <left>Left</left>
      <right>Right</right>
      <up>Up</up>
      <down>Down</down>
    </keyboard>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </VirtualKeyboard>
  <ContextMenu>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </ContextMenu>
  <FileStackingDialog>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </FileStackingDialog>
  <MusicInformation>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </MusicInformation>
  <MovieInformation>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </MovieInformation>
  <PictureInfo>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">Left</button>
      <button id="2">Right</button>
      <button id="4">Close</button>
    </joystick>
  </PictureInfo>
  <AddonBrowser>
    <joystick name="RetroUSB.com RetroPad">
      <button id="1">ParentDir</button>
    </joystick>
  </AddonBrowser>
</keymap>

Step 2 - jhat:

Download this: http://hans.fugal.net/blog/2007/06/02/jo...-in-linux/

Compile it. Remember where you put the executable.

Step 3 - figure out where your nes pads show up in the dev directory:

Mine showed up as /dev/input/js0 and /dev/input/js1 - you can work this out through dmesg or through xbmc log. These may change as you add and remove joysticks.

Step 4 - modify runXBMC:

Modify /usr/bin/runXBMC to add two lines that start the jhat daemon in the background of X before you start xbmc. My modifications are included in the following - you'll have to modify yours with the proper paths to jhat and the paths to your retropads:

Code:

echo "#!/bin/bash" >  /home/$xbmcUser/.xsession
        echo "ulimit -c 0" >>  /home/$xbmcUser/.xsession
        echo "/home/bmfrosty/jhat/jhat /dev/input/js0 0 1 &" >>  /home/$xbmcUser/.xsession
        echo "/home/bmfrosty/jhat/jhat /dev/input/js1 0 1 &" >>  /home/$xbmcUser/.xsession
        echo "/usr/bin/xbmc --standalone" >>  /home/$xbmcUser/.xsession

This will have bugs if I restart XBMC without rebooting - I think. I may improve it later, but I don't think they're critical bugs for my purposes as I don't tend to restart XBMC without rebooting.

Step 5 - Fixup the direction pad for virtual keyboard:

Go to Settings - system - input devices and turn on Remote conntrol sends keyboard presses.

That's it.

I'll submit this for inclusion once I no longer have to do all the jhat stuff. I'll probably edit later to include anything that I forgot.

[JustinAiken]

I wanna see pictures of that!!