I was recently asked the question whether it is possible to control the Google Earth Flight Simulator with an XBOX controller within Bodhi Linux.
I'm not sure how orthodox the following solution is but it kind of works. The solution is very similar to my article about how to use an XBOX controller with a Spectrum Emulator in Linux Mint.
To install Google Earth follow these steps.
3. When the Bodhi Application Center loads enter Google Earth into the search box.
5. A description of Google Earth will be displayed with an Install and Download link.
7. A dialog box will appear asking you whether you want to install Google Earth.
8. A progress bar will appear showing how far through the installation is and then Google Earth will be installed.
There are three things that need to be done to get the XBOX controller working with the Google Earth Flight Simulator. The first is to unload the xpad driver. The second is to install xboxdrv and the third is to load the QJoypad utility and map the Google Earth keys.
3. When asked whether you want to install qjoypad enter Y.
2. Click on the binary link.
4. Open a terminal window and type "sudo dpkg -i qjoypad_4.1.0-1~getdeb1_i386.deb".
1. Select Applications -> Games -> Qjoypad.
2. A little joypad icon will be displayed (Probably next to the wireless icon on the taskbar).
3. Click the little joypad icon.
4. Now you need to map the keys to functions on the joypad. Click Add and enter a name of the layout.
5. Open http://support.google.com/earth/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=148092 into the address bar of Midori.
6. Click Quickset within Qjoypad.
7. The idea now is to map each joystick function on the XBOX joypad with a corresponding key specified as a keyboard key in the Google Earth documentation.
8. Click up on one of the joysticks on the joypad and press the up arrow on the keyboard.
9. Click down on the same joystick on the joypad and press the down arrow.
10. Repeat the process mapping each joypad function with a keyboard function.
2. Select tools -> flight simulator from within Google Earth.
3. Now your XBOX controller should control all the functions that you mapped within Qjoypad.
Note that you will still need to use some keyboard functions because there aren't enough directions and buttons on the joypad.
It has to be noted at this point that I am rubbish at using flight simulators so I spent a lot of time heading towards the water but the joypad was actually working. Whether it is working correctly is up to you to decide. It certainly works correctly in other games and in the Spectrum emulators.
If anyone has a better solution to this problem feel free to link to it via the comments section below.
Many, many thanks! Can the Xbox controller by used to navigate menus within the Bodhi OS?
The quick answer is yes. I have done this on my retro gaming machine. I will add a guide at the weekend.