'8bitdo arcade controller' in linux*
thought i'd share some info, if anyone else happens to find themselves in same boat. the up and down buttons are exactly 'not' intuitive for the 'dpad' controls on this thing, ootb. and of course the 8bitdo software options are still not linux-friendly. after some trial and error, and headache and frustration*. i ended up resizing (shrinking) my linux partition on my desktop so i could install a copy of windows. no, i don't like doing that. yes, i should of just tried a vm (virtual machine) installation of windows. anyway. let me give you the important info:
in windows, you can install 8bitdo's 'ultimate software', this allows you to 1) update the firmware, and 2) customize all the buttons. i was able to create a profile, to save my customized button layout/settings, using their software. and then i was able to return to linux, yay! and then in linux, you can use the yellow button on the top of the arcade controller to toggle on/off the profile i/you create with your custom button layout, and those settings are saved in the controller i guess (Thank You, 8bitdo)
furthermore, some more info i've learned so far. i haven't gotten the controller working (yet?) in linux via wireless (either bt or 2.4ghz/dongle) but with usb connected, and in retroarch, I set the controller driver as sdl2, i believe, and it seems to work this way.
yay, what we do for our linuxes. or what 'you' should be doing for 'ur' linux. windows is so 😦
hehe, anyways
~peace
-db