Some body please help me please. I try to figure stuff myself so I don't bug people like Lawrence with too easy questions but it's all like this: Here is on exemple installing drivers in linux means inserting kernel modules, or re-building kernel with desired drivers. So if you have a supprted joystick, there is already a kernel module for it probably compiled as a module, figure out what the module name is and insert the module. 1st, how do you figure wich mogule it is? What is a module? How do you insert module? Certainly you don't type "figure joystick module" at the prompt and it's gonna gimme a answer. So someone please tell me step by step what to type exactly or where to click. I have a normal joystick on a normal isa normal soundblaster 16 normal gameport like there is since like 10 years ago untill now.. Mandrake linux 8.2 came out like this year or something surely there is a menu somewhere where I can enter how many axis and how many buttons I have and calibrate. And even if there is only 2 axis and 2 buttons working at leasts it would mean that there is not more hardware support in wolf3d, x-wing, commander keen, duke nukem, or any 10years old DOS game than linux. Sorry I sound irritated but I WANT to use linux every day and cannot stand hardware that's just plugged there but not configured (exept for win-soft-modems 'cause I understand the problem there). I can't program c++ but I know wolf3d is 1megabyte big and my linux mandrake is 4gigabytes, It's hard to believe I would have to insert-recompile-module-kernel-complicated stuff while with wolf3d all you have to do Is "press upperleft + button" "press downright + button" and you're done. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP

Of course afther I wrote this I got it working. Sorry. here for people who are looking for this (and I know there's a LOT) login as root open terminal window now type: cd /dev rm js* (if it's says file not found it doesn't matter) mknod input/js0 c 13 0 mknod input/js1 c 13 1 mknod input/js2 c 13 2 mknod input/js3 c 13 3 ln -s input/js0 js0 ln -s input/js1 js1 ln -s input/js2 js2 ln -s input/js3 js3 modprobe joydev modprobe ns558 modprobe analog then you go to rpmfind.net and look for "joystick", download the file "joystick-1.2.15-1mdk.i586.rpm" (people using other distributions of linux can get the same file but for their own distribution but I don't know if it works...I know mandrake linux 8.2 works) now use the terminal to go to your download directory and type rpm -ivh joystick-1.2.15-1mdk.i586.rpm then type jstest /dev/js0 you'll see a sorta grid. play with your joystick and you see numbers mooove! I have the nowmal axis (0 and 1)+ button 6 and 8 as axis 2 and buttons 5 and 7 as axis 3 + my four buttons.... probably all gameport gamepads with more than 4 buttons use axis for their other buttons. load tuxracer and you can control him down the slope with the joystick...no need the calibrated. all this thanks to "antitrustworthy" who posted this info on linuxnewbie.org forums and out of the dozens of messages I read about linux and joysticks over days and days, this one told me what to do to make it work.

Oups, sorry, but after rebooting it is not working anymore..unless you do this: open terminal type mc go to /etc/rc.d select *rc.local and press F4 to edit go at the far end of the file and add these three lines: modprobe joydev modprobe ns558 modprobe analog press F2, F10, F10 and you're done. Reboot and the joystick will still work.

When you mentioned "Lawrence" in your first message, could that Lawrence be pointing to me??? Most of the time, if you look or search around hard enough, you would find answers to most of your questions... So, it is always a good idea to do some research first before start sending out those SOS posts :) Lawrence (There should be only one Lawrence around here!)

There is only one of course, and I did look around for days... it just happened that one worked like 20 minutes after I posted this. So I guess I`ll wait a few more days before asking about my webcam :)

I have a USB video cam from C-it (a cheapo camera) and it is working just fine with Mandrake Linux 8.2 :) Lawrence