FAQ

Is GIMX able to ...?

See the Features page.

Installation fails, some library dependencies are not satisfiable, what can I do? (Linux)

Make sure you added 'universe' to the repositories.
Make sure you have an internet connection when you install the package.
Try to upgrade Ubuntu to the latest version.

I get an error message when I clic "Set Dongle Address", what can I do? (Linux+bluetooth)

Some bt dongles are not compatible. Try another one.

I get connection errors, what can I do? (Linux+bluetooth)

Make sure the sixaxis was already paired with your PS3 (the sixaxis should be able to turn on the ps3 remotely).
Make sure the sixaxis is not a fake one: link.
Make sure to turn your sixaxis off before starting emu: unplug the usb cable, and if it does not turn off by itself, press the PS3 button until it turns off.
Some users reported connection problems that were fixed by upgrading to a newer linux bluetooth stack. Upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version, or try to update bluez as explained in this blog post.
If it still doesn't work, try another dongle.

I want best performances, what should I check?

Increase your mouse frequency as explained there: link.
Make sure your mouse frequency is between 250Hz and 500Hz, and at least twice the GIMX update frequency.
Make sure your mouse can track at least 2000 DPI, and make sure your mouse is running at the highest DPI setting.
Don't use the calibration GUI or the terminal output while playing.
Close any other application (Firefox...).
Avoid usb extension cables and hubs. Some of them are weak and result in poor performances.
The linux bluetooth stack may also be buggy. Upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version, or try to update bluez as explained in this blog post.
Some bluetooth dongles are reported to generate lag issues. A bt 2.0+EDR dongle is better, but not required. If your dongle seems to be the issue, try another one.

I can't save my config file? I can't see the config file I saved?

Save your config files in the right directory: C:\Program Files\GIMX\config (Windows 32bits) or C:\Program Files (x86)\GIMX\config (Windows 64bits) or /home/username/.emuclient/config (Linux).
In Linux, the folder named ".emuclient" is hidden. Press ctrl+h to display hidden folders!
Don't run anything as root user.

I can't edit my config file? Modifications are not saved?

File permissions are probably wrong.
Start a terminal: Click on the Ubuntu Dash, type "terminal" in the search bar, and click on the terminal icon.
Then type:

ls -l ~/.emuclient

You'll see something like this:

total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2012-02-24 15:27 config
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2012-02-24 15:27 macros

In the above example, file ownership is wrong.
To fix it, type:

sudo chown -R owner:usergroup ~/.emuclient

Replace owner and usergroup with the appropriate values, which are usually your username for both.
If you are not sure just type:

ls -ld ~

You'll see something like this:

drwxr-xr-x 94 username group 4096 2012-02-24 16:24 /home/username

I can't see the COM port in gimx-serial? (windows+usb adapter)

Check the COM port in the device manager, and in the "Port Settings" panel, click on "Advanced".
Try to change the "COM Port Number" to a lower value than COM10, and restart gimx-serial.

Why can't we use a male to male usb cable?

A simple male to male cable is irrelevant due to the usb protocol. A PC is a usb host, it can't be a usb device. Usb to usb cables not designed to work with GIMX such as file transfer cables won't work.

Can we use a normal serial port? (usb adapter)

No. The serial port (RS232 port) that can be found on old PCs does not work at the right voltage levels. It works at -12V/+12V instead of 0V/+5V.

Why isn't there a bluetooth version for windows?

The windows bluetooth stack is weak. It does not provide the low-level access to bluetooth that is required to emulate a sixaxis.

Why can't we use any bluetooth address?

A ps3 doesn't allow communications from an unknown bluetooth address, it only allows communications from bluetooth addresses of paired devices.
Two bluetooth devices are paired means that each device knows the address of the other, and each device allows communications from the other device.
Unpaired devices usually can't communicate. The bluetooth pairing is usually performed over bluetooth, but that's not the case for a sixaxis.
The sixaxis pairing is performed over usb: plug the male to mini usb cable, and press the PS button.

Is it possible to use a virtual machine?

Yes and no. It's not officially supported and I don't give support for that. Running the software may work, but for compatibility and performance reasons, you should not use GIMX in a virtual machine.

Is there a mac os solution?

No, not yet. There probably will be a solution some day, but I have no idea about the date.

I'm having button glitches, what can I do?

This is a very common issue that you will run into if you miss there is a second config for aiming down the sight. You have to define the same button controls in both configs 1&2!

My mouse buttons are not working as expected? (windows)

Check nothing is misconfigured in the mouse configuration software (like the Setpoint application for Logitech mice). Try to close the mouse configuration software.

I feel getting some lag with the left and right mouse buttons, WTF? (Linux)

This is a known problem not related to the GIMX code. Ubuntu versions lower than or equal to 10.10 may give this issue. To know the work-around, read this blog post. Ubuntu 11.04 should not give this issue anymore.

How can I set my old bdaddr back? (Linux+bluetooth)

Start a terminal: Click on the Ubuntu Dash, type "terminal" in the search bar, and click on the terminal icon.
Then type:

sudo bdaddr -i hciX YY:YY:YY:YY:YY:YY

Replace X with the dongle index (0, 1, 2...), and YY:YY:YY:YY:YY:YY with the bdaddr to set. If you have multiple dongles and if you are not sure about the dongle index, type bdaddr -i hciX to see the current bdaddr of the dongle with index = X.

What mouse is recommended to use with GIMX?

The most important parameter is the mouse DPI.
The higher the DPI, the better the precision. This is even more the case for a 1-1 translation.
A 5700+ DPI mouse like the G500 is recommended.
Using a mouse with lower than 2000 DPI will probably result in movement glitches.

Do I need to change the acceleration of the mouse?

There's no need to do that since GIMX gets raw events from the mouse.