MiSTer FPGA Forum

Hey guys. I'm having some issues with controller mappings on my Mister. I've searched and tried eveything I can think of but it's just not saving controller mappings upon cold reboot. Here's the situatoin:

I have an old USB converted NES controller, it works just fine, no matter the reboots, cold boots, anything, it's rock solid, in the main Mister menu or the NES core, no issues.

I have a Retrobit Genesis Mini 6 button USB controller. I plug it in, and in the main Mister menu define all the buttons it has, then in the Genisis Core define all the buttons it has (and hit save). I can then reboot the Mister from the menu (soft reboot) and no issues, the controller is remember in the main Mister Menu (I can use the "A" button to select a Core) as well as in the Genisis Core. However if I hard power the Mister off or cold reboot via the "press and hold" reboot, the only thing that works on the controller after the reboot is the D pad, I then have to redefine all the buttons or I can't use the A button (or any button for that matter) both in the main Mister menu, as well as again in the Genesis Core.

I have an old SixAxis Duel Shock 3 controller that I tried via USB, and it works just fine, no matter the reboot (cold reboot, hard power off),as well and an 8bitdo that works so is it just the retrobit usb controller? I really like the button placement on the Retrobit for Genesis but having to define the buttons each and every time gets old fast.

when you map the controller in the core, do you save the settings when done?

if so you might want to check the mappings directory and delete some controller profiles manually that are not working and then restart that core and remap and save.

I do. And I actually went into the config directory and wiped everything out of that folder (backed it up first), and still no go.

I don't have a solution to your problem. But I have the same controller (but the black one) and I tested it for the first time after reading your post. I mapped the controller both in the MiSTer main menu and then in the genesis core. Tried a game to make sure it worked and then did a cold reboot. Booted up the Genesis core again and tried a game, everything was still mapped and it worked fine.

If you've cleared the directory from all mappings and then restarted the core, reassigned the buttons and saved those settings it should create a new mapping file, is that file correctly saved?

charmless wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:14 pm I don't have a sollution to your problem. But I have the same controller (but the black one) and I tested it for the first time after reading your post. I mapped the controller both in the MiSTer main menu and then in the genesis core. Tried a game to make sure it worked and then did a cold reboot. Booted up the Genesis core again and tried a game, everything was still mapped and it worked fine.

Hmm, might be my controller then.

MostroW wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:57 pm If you've cleared the directory from all mappings and then restarted the core, reassigned the buttons and saved those settings it should create a new mapping file, is that file correctly saved?

I got it!

So the first few times I was doing it I was using FileZilla to delete the directory contents. It would say it was deleted, even report an empty directory. Then after a reboot, it would have....109 files back in it...uh...that's not right.

So I popped the SD card out, put it in an SD Card reader, and deleted the directory contents via my PC, and voila! after that, it created and saved a new config file for the controller that works even after a hard power cycle.
Thanks guys, guess filezilla wasn't for some reason clearing the direcory? Despit it coping it to my PC for backup and reporting all files deleted when selected and SHIFT+DEL

Now it works in the Mister Main Menu as well as the Genisis core and is persistant.

Thanks again everyone!

Good to hear you got it working again!

You potentially could use Putty to connect to your MiSTer using the network and use the terminal to do things, if you've got it hooked up to the network that is.

So the first few times I was doing it I was using FileZilla to delete the directory contents.

Avoid using FileZilla if you can; its default mode is known to corrupt data on the SD. You need to ensure the application is working in binary mode to avoid this.

The far safer tool to use for network file transfers to MiSTer is WinSCP on Windows.

Technically its not corrupting data in its default mode. Its transmiting binary data as text which is what was requested. Its user error not the application that it at fault when this occurs.

So it turns out it's not fixed. I just thought it was.

When I do the "configure joystick" on the MiSTer, the file is created, if I FTP in and save that file to my computer, then shut down the MiSTer, eject the SD Card, put it in my PC, and copy the file over (the file disapears upon shutdown), it's good from then on with that joystick. But the SD Card seems like volitile memory when it's in the MiSTer, file is created when it's on, and wiped upon cold reboot.

Finally! Fixed! After reading this thread viewtopic.php?t=5321 and realizing the issue was very similar, I disabled SAM on my MiSTer and all issues have disappeared. Ask my CORE settings now save, any controller I setup keeps it's settings after reboot. No more SAM on my MiSTer.