kb2xbox

Convert a keyboard to (multiple) gamepads.

Description

Usually, a second or third keyboard is treated the same way as the first keyboard. kb2xbox allows you to emulate as many XBox Controllers as you like with your keyboards. This is useful when you want to play local co-op games (aka couch games) with multiple players.

Requirements

• Linux
• python-libevdev

Run

Check your available keyboards with kb2xbox.py --list

Make sure /dev/uinput is writable sudo chmod 666 /dev/uinput

Syntax

python kb2xbox.py -d KEYBOARD_DEVICE CONFIGS

Example

python kb2xbox.py -d /dev/input/event<KeyboardEventID> config/xbox.cfg config/xbox2.cfg

This lets you emulate 2 XBox Controllers:

• Arrow keys for the analogue stick (Controller 1)
• Right Alt, HENKAN and KATAKANAHIRAGANA keys for additional buttons (Controller 1)
• E,S,D,F keys for the analogue stick (Controller 2)
• Left Shift, Caps Lock and Tab keys for additional buttons (Controller 2)

Keyboard over the Network

To connect a built-in keyboard from e.g. notebooks and turn them into Gamepads, use: (taken from here)

• keyboard receiver:
  nc -l -p 4444 > /dev/input/by-path/platform-i8042-serio-0-event-kbd
• keyboard sender:
  cat /dev/input/by-path/platform-i8042-serio-0-event-kbd | nc <IP> 4444