I would like a few more people to confirm that things are better with this change

Some time ago I have written two variants of the Linux based plugin. One of them is actually SDL based and may be usable with other OSes to.

You mentioned that awkward installation mechanism. Have a look at the thread by me which was made sticky. It explains other variants.

Buildfile: build.xml

init:

core:

init:

compile:
   [javac] Compiling 17 source files to /home/max/projects/jinput_2004-08-25/coreAPI/classes

jar:
     [jar] Building jar: /home/max/projects/jinput_2004-08-25/coreAPI/bin/jinput.jar
    [copy] Copying 1 file to /home/max/projects/jinput_2004-08-25/plugins/DX8/lib

all:
    [echo] JInput has been built and jinput.jar is located in the bin directory.

windows_plugin:

linux_plugin:

init:
   [mkdir] Created dir: /home/max/projects/jinput_2004-08-25/plugins/linux/classes
   [mkdir] Created dir: /home/max/projects/jinput_2004-08-25/plugins/linux/bin

compileNativeJinputLib:

init:
   [mkdir] Created dir: /home/max/projects/jinput_2004-08-25/plugins/linux/src/native/build
   [mkdir] Created dir: /home/max/projects/jinput_2004-08-25/plugins/linux/src/native/apidoc

compileNativeJinputLib:
    [exec] In file included from EventDevice.h:32,
    [exec]                  from jinput.cpp:37:
    [exec] eventInterfaceTypes.h:16: error: redefinition of `struct input_absinfo'
    [exec] /usr/include/linux/input.h:49: error: previous definition of `struct
    [exec]    input_absinfo'
    [exec] In file included from EventDevice.h:32,
    [exec]                  from eventInterface.cpp:37:
    [exec] eventInterfaceTypes.h:16: error: redefinition of `struct input_absinfo'
    [exec] /usr/include/linux/input.h:49: error: previous definition of `struct
    [exec]    input_absinfo'
    [exec] In file included from EventDevice.cpp:27:
    [exec] eventInterfaceTypes.h:16: error: redefinition of `struct input_absinfo'
    [exec] /usr/include/linux/input.h:49: error: previous definition of `struct
    [exec]    input_absinfo'
    [exec] EventDevice.cpp: In member function `virtual int EventDevice::poll()':
    [exec] EventDevice.cpp:337: error: `EV_RST' undeclared (first use this function)
    [exec] EventDevice.cpp:337: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
    [exec]    for each function it appears in.)
    [exec] In file included from JoystickDevice.h:32,
    [exec]                  from joystickInterface.cpp:37:
    [exec] eventInterfaceTypes.h:16: error: redefinition of `struct input_absinfo'
    [exec] /usr/include/linux/input.h:49: error: previous definition of `struct
    [exec]    input_absinfo'
    [exec] In file included from JoystickDevice.cpp:27:
    [exec] eventInterfaceTypes.h:16: error: redefinition of `struct input_absinfo'
    [exec] /usr/include/linux/input.h:49: error: previous definition of `struct
    [exec]    input_absinfo'
    [exec] In file included from MixedDevice.cpp:27:
    [exec] eventInterfaceTypes.h:16: error: redefinition of `struct input_absinfo'
    [exec] /usr/include/linux/input.h:49: error: previous definition of `struct
    [exec]    input_absinfo'


    [exec] Result: 1

BUILD FAILED

Index: plugins/linux/src/native/EventDevice.cpp
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/jinput/plugins/linux/src/native/EventDevice.cpp,v
retrieving revision 1.3
diff -u -r1.3 EventDevice.cpp
--- plugins/linux/src/native/EventDevice.cpp    21 Apr 2004 09:48:54 -0000      1.3
+++ plugins/linux/src/native/EventDevice.cpp    24 Aug 2004 23:15:27 -0000
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@
        sprintf(errorMessage, "Error reading device %s\n", deviceFileName);
        perror(errorMessage);
      }
-      absAxesData = abs_features.curr_value;
+      absAxesData = abs_features.value;
    }
  }

@@ -334,9 +334,11 @@
        //printf("abs axis %d translates to abs axis %d on this device\n", events.code, axisIndex);
        break;
      }
+/*
      case EV_RST:
        // not sure what to do here, doing nothing seems to work
        break;
+*/
      case EV_LED:
        // reveiced for things like numlock led change
        break;
@@ -363,11 +365,11 @@
}

int EventDevice::getAbsAxisMinimum(int axisNumber) {
-  return abs_features[axisNumber].min_value;
+  return abs_features[axisNumber].minimum;
}

int EventDevice::getAbsAxisMaximum(int axisNumber) {
-  return abs_features[axisNumber].max_value;
+  return abs_features[axisNumber].maximum;
}

int EventDevice::getAbsAxisFuzz(int axisNumber) {
Index: plugins/linux/src/native/eventInterfaceTypes.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/jinput/plugins/linux/src/native/eventInterfaceTypes.h,v
retrieving revision 1.1
diff -u -r1.1 eventInterfaceTypes.h
--- plugins/linux/src/native/eventInterfaceTypes.h      31 Jul 2003 19:34:46 -0000      1.1
+++ plugins/linux/src/native/eventInterfaceTypes.h      24 Aug 2004 23:15:27 -0000
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
        uint16_t version;
};

+/*
struct input_absinfo {
  int curr_value;
  int min_value;
@@ -20,5 +21,6 @@
  int fuzz;
  int flat;
};
+*/

#endif //eventInterfaceTypes_h