Linux User: BETAFPV LiteRadio 2 SE

[Nick Shades]

Hello Everyone,
As the Title states, I am a Linux User.
I recently purchased the BETAFPV LiteRadio 2 SE, because, well. It was recommended to me.
I purchased it, solely to run Liftoff as the Drone Simulator of choice, but I wouldn't mind any simulator for that matter, as long as it works out of install with the BETAFPV LiteRadio 2 SE.
HOWEVER,
I have encountered a plethora of problems in just trying to get this LiteRadio 2 SE to detect.
These are the things I have done that while getting in deep, realize inconsistencies:
Try OpenTX
I download the OpenTX for linux, and attempt to pull up the LiteRadio in OpenTX, but then learn half-way through that OpenTX is NOT designed to work on the LiteRadio 2 SE, and even if it could, I cannot seem to download the new version of the .bin file in order to update the program within Linux. WHy is this? Is this just something which I should not pursue because the LiteRadio 2 SE is supposed to interface only with BETAFPV Configurator?
Try BETAFPV Configurator
Well, I cannot seem to find a compiled version of BETAFPV Configurator. I can find BetaFLIGHT Configurator, but it seems as though this is not the program which I am supposed to use in order for the LiteRadio 2 SE in order to be detected within my Linux System. Before going down the road of compiling BetaFPV configurator, whose SOURCE CODE is available in a tarball, I don't want to do this if It turns out it is another poor path to pursue. IS BETA FPV Configurator the program which I truly need to use out of all of these? And if so, is a Linux compiled version available somewhere? I can't seem to find it through the apt-get searches.
Try BETAFLIGHT Configurator
I'm not sure if this is a suggestion that individuals have made not realizing that they mean BETAFPV Configurator, but supposedly, the aforementioned BETAFLIGHT Configurator has a tab within it that allows me to select the LiteRadio 2 SE directly, not needing BETAFLIGHT Configurator.

---

If I run Liftoff and go to calibration screen, it simply states that the remote is not detected, and I need to try a different method (paraphrase) to detect it.
Liftoff Documentation is old. THey state, back in 2017, that an old version is necessary in order to detect on Linux; is this still the case? Has there not been a hotfix to the lack of detection?

---

If I run lsusb, I can see the remote detected as STMicroelectronics LED badge -- mini LED display -- 11x44.
Is this a good sign? Can I use this to point myself in the right direction to finally running this in a sim?

---

I bought this Radio ONLY to play the drone simulators, and I truly want it only for this. If I can bind it to my drone, then that will be a bonus, as I willl be using the two identically in a beneficial manner, but if this radio is just not designed for linux, I would like to return it now, and just double down and get something more serious like the RadioMaster 16.

---

Your counsel is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Kilrah]

Ask the person who recommended it to you since if they did they should know what they're talking about?

For the Literadio 2 they made a firmware based on OpenTX code but it never was an officially supported OpenTX radio because they were never interested in making contact with the OpenTX team so it always needed their own tools.
For the SE it seems they wrote their own firmware.

Looks like there are multiple versions of the Literadio 2 SE, FrSky and ELRS and they're different in compatibility with the FrSky one not even supporting their configurator.

The manuals for the radio suggest both versions should be discovered as a USB joystick without specific configuration by just being plugged in when on though.

 

[Nick Shades]

Ask the person who recommended it to you since if they did they should know what they're talking about?

Definitely not a bad idea... i suppose in hypothesis. I should have disclosed a little better that I was watching a number of youtube videos which all recommended the BetaFPV LiteRadio 2 as the best Sim controller, and I didn't realize that there was something truly different between the SE and the LiteRadio 2 besides that it could run multiprotocol; i didn't realize it was completely rebuilt from the hardware inside running the thing up.

It is just that weird thing about drones that on the surface of the marketing materials, everything looks great, and seems to check out even better than the videos you (I) watch, and then lo and behold, what I purchase is actually very different than the recommended kit I was watching.

I am probably going to return this and try to get the non SE, because I had always intended on just using it as the Sim controller, and my ambitions and BetaFPVs marketing materials duped me into getting the wrong thing for a poor reason.

So, was this the direct product that was recommended to me? Nope... no it wasn't... I got the wrong thing, essentially... because... WHy should the new version not work.

Because this is drone technology we are talking about.

I might just dual boot my system with windows, even though I loathe it.

 

[Kilrah]

I would recommend an RM Zorro, Jumper T-Lite or other fully supported OpenTX radio just so you get a "known quantity".

But as mentioned it seems the LiteRadio 2 SE (all versions) should just work as controller input without any setup required so if it doesn't work it might not even be due to the radio but something weird with the sim/linux.

 

[Tomk_]

I don't have a LiteRadio 2 SE, but I have the LiteRadio 2 and it works fine as a sim controller in DRL, Curry Kitten, and FPV.SkyDive. It's not opentx compatible so it is strictly plug and play. No setup required, in fact not possible.

 

[dinkin]

I don't have a LiteRadio 2 SE, but I have the LiteRadio 2 and it works fine as a sim controller in DRL, Curry Kitten, and FPV.SkyDive. It's not opentx compatible so it is strictly plug and play. No setup required, in fact not possible.

I'm ALSO trying to get MY RADIO to work on Linux

I have a:

Transmitter: LiteRadio 3 Radio Transmitter

Receiver Protocol: ELRS 2.4G (Betaflight)

THE STRANGE PART IS

That when I go into the system settings

And I navigate to the game controller portion under

Input devices

STM electronics beta FPV joystick

Shows up

As attached to

/dev/input/js0

I CAN EVEN GO THROUGH THE CALIBRATION SEQUENCE WITHIN THIS SYSTEM SETTINGS INPUT DEVICES GAME CONTROLLER

Menu

But whenever I try to go into a steam game it just will not detect that there is a controller connected to the computer

I am running Ubuntu studio

Ubuntu studio 23.04
KDE plasma version 5.27.4
KDE FRAMEWORK VERSION 5.1 04.0
COLONEL VERSION 6.2.0 - 1003- LOW LATENCY 64-BIT

 

[randocouchpilot]

Also facing similar issues. Got it partially working.
Transmitter: LiteRadio 3

In the beginning, both jstest and KDE native setting were able to correctly see controller, but it was not working in games.
After finding that evtest (specifically, it asking for access rights, when running) might highlight the issue.

Adding user to the input group fixes evtest, and then, despite controller being not detected by steam, it appears in liftoff.
Problem is that the sensitivity is super high. Also, it still doesn't work in DRL.

 

[dinkin]

Also facing similar issues. Got it partially working.
Transmitter: LiteRadio 3

In the beginning, both jstest and KDE native setting were able to correctly see controller, but it was not working in games.
After finding that evtest (specifically, it asking for access rights, when running) might highlight the issue.

Adding user to the input group fixes evtest, and then, despite controller being not detected by steam, it appears in liftoff.
Problem is that the sensitivity is super high. Also, it still doesn't work in DRL.

How Did you get it to recognize inside of lift off?

Because mine recognizes inside of KDE

Steam doesn't recognize it at all

And neither does lift off

That's why I had to reinstall Windows

So I could use my controllers with my simulators

 

[randocouchpilot]

Let me describe what I did:
1.) I have laptop with hybrid GTX 1050 switching with optimus manager, endevour os with KDE, steam installed via Flatpak, heroic and lutris as regular apps. Games I play run alright.

2.) Got LiteRadio 3 as a present. Buddy recommended DRL. I've installed it - runs alright, but no signs of controller.

3.) Thought, it should be drivers and started to look around. Found this thread and dived into the rabbit hole about getting Betaflight and connecting it to the controller. Turned out to be quite useless.

4.) After reading the thread carefully, I found a reference of `jstest`, installed `jtest-gtk`, and omg, there was a controller.
Problem was - when replugging, controller inputs randomly mix.

5.) Then found that KDE itself has similar tool, and controller was also there.

6.) At this point, I realized that LiftOff is a native linux game. Installed it - no controller.

7.) On the official support page
they mention https://gamepad-tester.com/. Opened it and guess what - no controller.

8.) Reading the same thread from point 3 found mention of `evtest`. When running, it asked for access right and password.

9.) Ran `sudo usermod -aG input ${YOU USER HERE}`. Restart! GamePad-tester website worked!

10.) In the steam I set as suggested - Steam input to disabled, both in regular settings, and in Big picture settings, just in case.

11.) LiftOff finally saw a controller. I was able to calibrate it, and finish a few flights of tutorial.

12.) Problems were - as in step 4, inputs still mix, so if controller was in a weird state, just replug once or twice, not a dealbreaker. Also, sensitivity was really high. Didn't really investigate further, but was already happy with the result.

13.) DRL

14.) Found another thread about how proton handles xinput and dinput.

15.) Ran `wine control` and in the controller section I found my controller, and it looked alright.

16.) After some tinkering, I was able to run RDL from steam in Lutris (including setting wineprefix to one configured for the game by steam), and that way it saw the controller! I played 1.5 hour right away.

17.) Though RDL turned out to be flaky. If I use integrated graphics, it has really annoying glitches, and performance is bad. But it could connect online!

When I run on dedicated GPU - all good, except it is offline only.

Unfortunately, I'm not able to get steam running without Flatpak. But it might be a cause of problem, for DRL. Will probably try next time PopOS or jut simply Ubuntu.

Sorry for the long read, but it was a good exercise for remembering steps.

TLDR:

1.) check Gamepad Tester
If nothing is happening there, it might be a good sign.
2.) run `evtest`.
If it's complaining about access rights and password, go to the point 9
3.) Disable steam input in all places you can find it in settings.
4.) Check if controller is listed as dinput in `wine control`
5.) Try running through Lutris.
Bonus.) Install Steam via DEB

 

[jacarver18]

im gonna say it that betafpv radiolite 2 se with the current firmware is a brick. useless and obsolete and wouldnt bind elrs. got a radiolite tx12 elrs and it bound instantly.