Can't Connect PS3 via Bluetooth

[lvleph]

I have been attempting to use the ps3 controller via bluetooth. In particular I have tried to use this guide
[HowTo] Installing RetroPie alongside OSMC RC (the easy way):

@Theetjuh

Plug-in USB Bluetooth dongle
Go to My OSMC → Network → Bluetooth
Enable Bluetooth

If Bluetooth isn’t listed you probably don’t have a compatible dongle.

SSH into your RPi device

The command ‘hciconfig’ should display something like this:

hci0:    Type: BR/EDR  Bus: USB
    BD Address: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX  ACL MTU: 1021:8  SCO MTU: 64:1
    UP RUNNING 
    RX bytes:1212 acl:0 sco:0 events:72 errors:0
    TX bytes:2150 acl:0 sco:0 commands:72 errors:0

All necessary build and tool packages:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential checkinstall pkg-config joystick lib-usbdev libbluetooth-dev -y

Build the tool which pairs your PS3 controller with your bluetooth device:

wget http://www.pabr.org/sixlinux/sixpair.c
gcc -o sixpair sixpair.c -lusb

Build the Sixaxis Manager which will let use use the controller as an input over bluetooth and USB:

wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/qtsixa/files/QtSixA%201.5.1/QtSixA-1.5.1-src.tar.gz
tar xfvz QtSixA-1.5.1-src.tar.gz

wget https://bugs.launchpad.net/qtsixa/+bug/1036744/+attachment/3260906/+files/compilation_sid.patch
patch ~/QtSixA-1.5.1/sixad/shared.h < compilation_sid.patch

cd QtSixA-1.5.1/sixad
make
sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/sixad/profiles
sudo checkinstall

Create a profile for the controller:

sudo nano /var/lib/sixad/profiles/default
enable_leds 1
enable_joystick 1
enable_input 0
enable_remote 0
enable_rumble 1
enable_timeout 0
led_n_auto 1
led_n_number 1
led_anim 1
enable_buttons 1
enable_sbuttons 1
enable_axis 1
enable_accel 0
enable_accon 0
enable_speed 0
enable_pos 0

Connect your controller with USB to the RPi and run the following command:

cd /home/osmc
sudo ./sixpair

If that succeeded, you can unplug the controller and test if the controller connects with your bluetooth device:

sudo hciconfig hci0 pscan
sudo sixad —start

If the worked you can setup Sixaxis Manager as a service and start it

sudo update-rc.d sixad defaults
sudo service sixad start

You can use the joystick test utility to see of all buttons work:

sudo jstest /dev/input/js0

I tried to make some udev rules to make everybody’s life easier, but that didn’t work for one.
Add ‘hciconfig hci0 pscan’ at the end of /etc/rc.local just before exit 0.

To make it automatically that when you attach an controller with usb to the system, make this udev rule:

sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-sixpair.rules
ACTION=="add", KERNEL=="js[0-9]*", SUBSYSTEM=="input", SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", RUN+="/home/osmc/sixpair"

Hope this helps most of you, there is still some controller configuration to be done, please have a look here where I got most of the stuff from.

I am able to use my bluetooth dongle

hciconfig
hci0: Type: BR/EDR Bus: USB
BD Address: 5C:F3:70:71:6A:38 ACL MTU: 1021:8 SCO MTU: 64:1
UP RUNNING INQUIRY
RX bytes:2047 acl:0 sco:0 events:293 errors:0
TX bytes:3033 acl:0 sco:0 commands:252 errors:0

I am also able to pair the ps3 controller with my raspberry pi 2

Current Bluetooth master: 5c:f3:70:71:6a:38
Setting master bd_addr to 5c:f3:70:71:6a:38

However, when trying to pair with bluetooth I get an error about transport endpoint

sixad-bin[5540]: started
sixad-bin[5540]: sixad started, press the PS button now
sixad-bin[5540]: unable to connect to sdp session
sixad-bin[5540]: HID create error 107 (Transport endpoint is not connected)

And here is where I have been stuck for about a month.

[Theetjuh]

You have an original PS3 controller?
The only thing I can find is about fake controllers: PS3 Controller and the PI - Raspberry Pi Forums

[lvleph]

I have had the same issue with a fake controller and a real controller.

[lvleph]

Unfortunately, right now running

sudo sixad --start

results in

[quote]sixad-bin[16295]: started
sixad-bin[16295]: sixad started, press the PS button now[/quote]
and then a whole lot of nothing after pushing the PS button.

[Theetjuh]

No idea, maybe Google for the error messages or look on the RetroPie forum.
What I found was only about fake controllers…

[lvleph]

I have been googling, and then after a month I decided to ask for help. I will just look into the source code and see what might be the cause.

[trevevs]

any joy getting fake ps3 controller to pair? Ive already spent a good few hrs trying. works under emustation via usb, but no BT. Under osmc BT it comes up as a device and when I pair without PIN it seems to say its connected but the controller keeps flashing and doesnt work.

[lvleph]

I haven’t tried in awhile, but no I never got the bt to pair properly.

[trevevs]

hmm ok bit weird as it almost seems to pair under osmc in kodi- although controls dont work on ps3 controller. the pl 1 light comes on like its paired. works fine connect via usb in emu station

[thimad]

Hey, guys, I have a fake PS3 controller from Gasia… I have managed to get it working on Kodi Leia (v18). Here’s how I did it:

SSH into your OSMC installation. Then…

UDPAGRE OSMC TO KODI LEIA

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
(add the following line in the very first line of the file)
deb Index of /osmc/osmc/download/dev/gmc-18 gmc-18 main
(to save the file, press CTRL+O, ENTER, CTRL+X)
wget -qO - http://download.osmc.tv/dev/gmc-18/pubkey.asc | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
dpkg -l | grep mediacenter-osmc | awk ‘{ print $3 }’
(the last command should show OSMC version 17, which has KODI version 18)

INSTALL RETROSMC AND PS3 DRIVERS

cd /home/osmc
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mcobit/retrosmc/master/install-retrosmc.sh .
chmod +x install-retrosmc.sh
./install-retrosmc.sh

Go to “manage packages” > drivers > ps3controller > install from source (wait) > configuration/options > install ps3 controller (clone support gasia) > pair ps3 controller (clone support gasia) (follow instructions) > Then “connect controller through usb”, then disconnect usb, and pair via bluetooth… It may not pair yet.

UNBLOCK BLUETOOTH

apt-get install rfkill
rfkill unblock all
hciconfig hci0 up

MAKE JOYSTICK RECONNECT AUTOMATICALLY IN THE FUTURE

sudo su
echo ‘SUBSYSTEM==“input”,ACTION==“remove”,RUN+=“/bin/systemctl restart sixad”’ >> /etc/udev/rules.d/999-sixad.rules
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && udevadm trigger
sed -i ‘s/exit 0//bin/systemctl restart sixad\nexit 0/g’ /etc/rc.local

INSTALL EMULATOR ADDONS

From the Kodi 18 (Leia) main menu, click on the Add-ons icon (open box icon). Select Install From Repository, Click on the Kodi Add-on, Repository, Click on Game Add-ons, Select Emulators, From the giant list of emulators you now see, you have to install the ones you wish to use. If you can’t find the “Emulators” section, some distros don’t compile them. The script install-retrosmc.sh (above) may have some hidden menus to download and install all cores (emulators) in one shot. Give it a try. Also, check under kodi settings “my addons” to see if you don’t already have all the emulators installed.

Now, install some other game addon (research about your options!) which uses “Kodi retroplayer” to launch games. It will require some emulators addons (also called libreto cores) to have been downloaded and installed already on kodi.

[ActionA]

You know that RetrOSMC is not needed for gaming with Leia v18, right?

[thimad]

Yes, I know RetrOSMC is not needed for gaming with Leia v18, but it is needed in order to install fake PS3 controller drivers (from Gasia).