If you have a frontend system without a remote it's possible to use a joystick to navigate the MythTV menu system.

First, get the joystick working and test it with jstest (launch it with something like "jstest /dev/input/js0" or "jstest --event /dev/input/js0" for a different output). You should see the axis changing values when you move the stick and buttons reporting on and off accordingly. Make a note of the /dev/input/js# for your joystick.

Second, create the joystickmenurc file in /home/mythtv/.mythtv/

As Root:

vi /home/mythtv/.mythtv/joystickmenurc

Example joystickmenurc file. (This default file is included with release R5F27)

#
# Joystick menu config file
#  Place in ~/.mythtv/
#
#   Format:
#       devicename <devname>        Specify name of joystick device to use
#                                   (e.g. /dev/js0)
#       button num keystring        Send 'keystring' when button 'num' is released
#       chord cnum bnum keystring   If button cnum is down, and button 'bnum'
#                                   is released, send keystring
#       axis num from to keystring  If axis num goes into the range of from-to
#                                   send keystring

devicename /dev/input/js0

button 0                    Escape
button 1                    I
button 2                    P
button 3                    Enter

axis   0    -32767  -15000  Left
axis   0     15000   32767  Right
axis   1    -32767  -15000  Up
axis   1     15000   32767  Down

Note: be sure to not use tabs or comments (#) anywhere in a valid line. The parser will discard the entire line.

Third, change the permissions of the joystick so that mythtv user can access the device.

chmod 777 /dev/input/js0

Then restart the system (or simply quit/restart MythTV) and you should now be able to use the joystick to navigate the Myth menus as well as fast forward and rewind using the joystick left and right.

If you would like to know how to control Mplayer using a joystick, see JoystickMplayerNavigationHowTo.

Note: Used KnoppMyth R5A26 with a RetroZone USB Vectrex joystick adapter. http://www.retrousb.com/ The joystick was detected as a USB-HID device and no configuration was needed.

Note 2: I used those instructions on KnoppMyth R5F27. The joystickmenurc file is already there, but apart from that, everything else was still applicable. I used a cheap EMS Dual Shooter PS2->USB adapter. Was detected correctly and after a looking up the keys in jstest, I was able to map my controller correctly.

--Yop83