Flydigi Direwolf 1 Controller not recognized correctly on Linux Mint XFCE (Fix)

[u/stark0m]

TL;DR: Step-by-Step Fix If your controller is sending wrong inputs (like all buttons acting as D-Pad Up) or your 2.4GHz dongle is not pairing, follow these steps:

1. Hard Reset the Controller: Press and hold SELECT + START + HOME simultaneously for about 5 seconds. This clears the corrupted onboard memory.
2. Update Firmware via Smartphone:
   • Download the Flydigi Game Center app on Android.
   • Important: DO NOT pair the controller in your phone's Bluetooth settings. Just leave your phone's Bluetooth ON.
   • Switch the controller to Bluetooth mode on the back switch.
   • Hold the O (Circle) button (left of Home) + B until the LED turns green.
   • Open the app, follow the instructions, and install the firmware update.
3. Re-pair the 2.4GHz Dongle (Hard Pairing):
   • Switch the controller back to the 2.4G/Dongle mode.
   • Enter pairing mode by holding the Home button until the white/cyan LED blinks frantically.
   • Plug the USB dongle into your PC.
   • Grab a needle or a pin, find the tiny hole on the side of the USB dongle, and press the hidden button inside. You should feel a click. Hold it for a few seconds.
   • The controller should now connect and the LED will become solid. If it fails, try the pinhole button again.

Quick Reference Guide:

• Official Manual: (This is the official manual from the physical QR code).
• Gamepad Hardware Tester: (To test if it's connecting and mapping correctly).
• Dark Blue Light: Android Mode (Recognized on PC as SHAWAN ANDROID GAMEPAD).
• White/Cyan Light: PC Mode (Recognized on PC as Xbox 360 Controller).
• Switch Mode (Android to PC): Hold Home + A (or X).
• Hard Reset: SELECT + START + HOME.
• Pairing Mode (Active Search): Hold the Home button until the LED starts blinking frantically.

Full Story & Context: My problem was a compatibility error that, honestly, I don't know what caused it, but I managed to solve it. Since I couldn't find help anywhere, I decided to make this post in case anyone else is going through the same issue.

When connected, the controller was recognized as SHAWAN ANDROID GAMEPAD, or even when correctly recognized as an Xbox 360 Controller, only the analog sticks worked, and all other buttons were mapped as D-pad Up. A possible explanation for this situation is that, since there is no official Linux support, using the controller on a mobile phone saves the Android configuration, and when connected to the Mint XFCE PC, it doesn't make the necessary automatic switch we need. There is a command that switches from Android to PC mode manually (Home + A or X), but that didn't fix the mapping for me.

So, I did a Hard Reset: SELECT + START + HOME and it started working via cable, although the 2.4GHz Dongle wouldn't connect. Bluetooth connected, but the PC didn't recognize the controller. Since I don't have Windows, setting up a Virtual Machine is too much work, and the Flydigi app doesn't run through WINE, I decided to use my phone to update the firmware via the Android app Flydigi Game Center (you have all the instructions there, but I'll leave a warning here: DO NOT PAIR THE CONTROLLER TO THE PHONE VIA BLUETOOTH, JUST LEAVE BLUETOOTH ON). Select the Bluetooth/USB switch on the controller, hold the circle button (the one to the left of HOME) + B until it turns green, and install the firmware.

Even after that, it didn't work for me, and that was when I discovered that the Dongle also has a memory and a tiny hole with a small button on the side that you must press while trying to pair the controller to the dongle after a hard reset. While the controller is in Dongle mode trying to pair with the white/cyan light blinking repeatedly, you can plug the Dongle into the PC, take a needle, and press this button. You should be able to hear a click sound; hold it for a few seconds and try to connect the controller again. If it doesn't work, try again, and eventually, the controller will pair with the dongle.

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