Universal Force Feedback driver for Linux

Linux PIDFF driver with useful patches for initialization of FFB devices. Primarily targeting Direct Drive wheelbases.

Check out Linux Simracing community channel on Matrix

What's different between this and native pidff driver?

That driver allows most DirectDrive wheelbases to initialize and work. Most of the DirectDrive wheelbases are basically DirectInput wheels, but with some caveats, which Windows allows, but pidff doesn't. In that repository - pidff driver with some changes, which allows most of the DirectDrive wheelbases to work.

1. Added multiple quirks for better initialization rules for different wheelbases
2. Fixes for infinite-length effects
3. Fixes for out-of-bounds values (no more spam in kernel logs)

And that's basically it

What devices are supported?

Bases:

1. MOZA R3, R5, R9, R12, R16, R21
2. Cammus C5, C12
3. VRS DirectForce Pro
4. FFBeast Wheel, Joystick, Rudder
5. PXN V10, V12, V12 Lite
6. Lite Star GT978 FF
7. Asetek Invicta, Forte, La Prima, Tony Kanaan
8. ...

What works?

1. FFB (all effects from device descriptor)
2. All inputs (wheel axis, buttons)

What does not work?

1. Telemetry functions. They are handeled by Monocoque
2. Firmware Update function. Use Windows PC or Windows VM at the moment.
3. Setup through proprietary software. May require some tweaking

How to install this driver?

You can install it through AUR package, through DKMS or manually.

On SecureBoot enabled systems you will need additional steps for load this driver into the system. See Signing section.

AUR package

There's an AUR package for Arch Linux maintained by @Lawstorant.

DKMS

DKMS will install module into system, and will update it every time you update your kernel. Module will persist after reboots. It's the preferrable way to install it on the most distros.

1. Install dkms package from your distro package manager
2. Clone repository to /usr/src/universal-pidff
3. Install the module: sudo dkms install /usr/src/universal-pidff
4. Update initramfs: sudo update-initramfs -u
5. Reboot

To remove module: sudo dkms remove universal-pidff/<version> --all

Manually

Best for debugging purposes, where you need frequently change codebase/branches

1. Install linux-headers-$(uname -r) and build-essential packages from your distro package manager
2. Clone repository anywhere you want and cd into that directory
3. make. Alternatively, you can enable debug logs from the driver with make debug
4. Load module into system with sudo insmod hid-universal-pidff.ko

To unload module: sudo rmmod hid_universal_pidff

Steam Deck automatic install

# first, let's set a password
# (optional, skip if you already done this in the past)
passwd deck

# run installation script
sudo sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/JacKeTUs/universal-pidff/main/scripts/steam-deck-install.sh)"

Uninstall:

# and this is uninstall script if needed:
sudo sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/JacKeTUs/universal-pidff/main/scripts/steam-deck-uninstall.sh)"

# optionally, remove your password
# enter current one and leave the new password blank
passwd deck

Steam Deck manual install

# first, let's set a password
# (optional, skip if you already done this in the past)
passwd deck

# then, let's disable read only state
sudo steamos-readonly disable

# initialise and populate keyring
sudo pacman-key --init
sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux
sudo pacman-key --populate holo

# install necessary stuff
linux=$(pacman -Qsq linux-neptune | tail -n 1)
sudo pacman -Syu --noconfirm base-devel fakeroot glibc git \
    $linux $linux-headers linux-api-headers

# download AUR packege
wget https://aur.archlinux.org/cgit/aur.git/snapshot/universal-pidff-dkms-git.tar.gz
tar -xf universal-pidff-dkms-git.tar.gz

# finally install the driver itself
cd universal-pidff-dkms-git
makepkg -scri --noconfirm

# optionally, remove things we needed during installation
cd ..
rm -rf universal-pidff-dkms-git*

And now, just reboot and enjoy!

If you need to uninstall this driver and lock your deck again:

linux=$(pacman -Qsq linux-neptune | grep -e "[0-9]$" | tail -n 1)

sudo pacman -Rcns hid-universal-pidff-dkms-git
sudo pacman -Rcns $linux-headers fakeroot

sudo steamos-readonly enable

# optionally, remove your password
# enter current one and leave the new password blank
passwd deck

Testing

1. Compile the module with make debug, this will enable printing a lot of kernel debug messages
2. Load the module with sudo make load. This will automatically unload previous versions.
3. Start new terminal and run journalctl -f -k to monitor new kernel messages
4. Connect wheelbase via USB to your PC
5. To test the supported effects, use ffbplay from ffbtools and play the included effect-test.ffb file e.g.

<path to built ffbplay>/ffbplay -d /dev/input/by-id/usb-<wheelbase-id> ./effect-test.ffb

Make sure that all effects were played and the wheelbase reacted accordingly. 5. Switch back to terminal with running journalctl command, it should have a lot of debug messages

How to set up a base parameters (max rotation degree, max power, filters, etc)?

MOZA

Boxflat is a Linux Pit House alternative made by @Lawstorant

Android App

Cammus

Android App

VRS DirectForce Pro

You can do it through VRS with Wine. You need to tweak Wine prefix for them.

That software uses hidraw to set up a base. You need to create udev rule for allow access to hidraw device:

# VRS DFP
echo 'KERNEL=="hidraw*", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0483", ATTRS{idProduct}=="a355", MODE="0666", TAG+="uaccess"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/11-vrs.rules
# VRS pedals
echo 'KERNEL=="hidraw*", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0483", ATTRS{idProduct}=="a3be", MODE="0666", TAG+="uaccess"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/11-vrs.rules

udevadm control --reload-rules && udevadm trigger

Then you need to force VRS software to use hidraw, not SDL, to find devices:

1. Create new Wine prefix for them:

   mkdir ~/.vrs-wine

2. Launch regedit in prefix:

   WINEPREFIX=$HOME/.vrs-wine wine regedit

3. Create two keys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\winebus:

   • DisableInput (DWORD) - set to 1;
   • Enable SDL (DWORD) - set to 0; (yes, variable name contains space)

4. Install important packages for VRS config tool to work: WINEPREFIX=$HOME/.vrs-wine winetricks win7 WINEPREFIX=$HOME/.vrs-wine winetricks dotnet48

5. Now you can launch soft through that WINEPREFIX:

   WINEPREFIX=$HOME/.vrs-wine wine VRS.exe - launch VRS software from installation directory.

Note 1: Tested and working version of DirectForce configuration tool is 0.9.4.6 (firmware upgrade not tested, probably does not work)

Note 2: In order to play Damping/Friction/Inertia/Spring effects by ffbplay, you must enable Use device and game effects from dropdown menu for these in DirectForce configuration tool and save it to the wheelbase.

Asetek

You need to enable "high torque mode" after device is turned on/plugged in. More info here: asetek_wheelbase_cli repo

Known issues with the driver

• Current limit of usable buttons is 160 (up from the Linux default of 80). Create an issue if you want this increased further.

Known issues with the firmware

You tell me please

DISCLAIMER

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.