Questions
Drivers, games, Secure Boot and the rest.
- Does my racing wheel work on Linux?
Most do, through an open source kernel driver: some are in the kernel already, others (Fanatec, Thrustmaster, Simagic, and Moza or PXN on kernels older than 6.15) need one built for your kernel. SimRig knows which driver each model needs and installs it for you. See the supported devices and your brand’s page for what works.
- Does SimRig need to be running while I play?
No. The drivers do the work, in every game, with SimRig closed. SimRig is only needed to change settings; Save as default keeps them in the driver or in the device for every time it is plugged in.
- Does SimRig need root?
No. It runs as you and asks for your password only when something touches the system, such as installing a driver, and says why before asking. It leaves nothing running when closed.
- The wheel works in SimRig but not in a game. Why?
Games need the device to be readable by your user, bound to the right kernel driver, and not hidden by Steam Input. SimRig checks each of these for every device, shows what is wrong on the device’s screen and fixes it with one click where it can.
- What about Secure Boot?
With Secure Boot on, a driver built for your kernel loads only when signed with a key the firmware trusts. DKMS signs the drivers it builds; if that key is not trusted yet, SimRig asks to enroll it (MOK) and gives a one-time password. At the next restart, choose Enroll MOK and type it. This is needed once, not for every driver.
- I already installed a driver myself. Will SimRig replace it?
No. A driver you installed by other means (from your distribution, from the AUR, by hand) is kept as it is: SimRig uses it and only adds its access rules next to it.
- What happens after a kernel update?
Drivers that SimRig builds are registered with DKMS, which rebuilds them for every new kernel. Your devices keep working after updates and reboots.
- My shifter or handbrake has no brand, or Linux does not recognize it.
SimRig’s generic USB plugin sets up any USB shifter (H-pattern or sequential) or handbrake by moving it, even one whose USB descriptor is wrong or that the kernel rejects. Its driver then presents it to games as a proper device.
Yes. Where a plugin knows the device it maps inputs by itself, but mapping by hand is always offered, so a device that responds differently can be put right.
- Is SimRig free?
Yes, free and open source under GPL-3.0-or-later. The drivers it installs are open source projects of their own communities, credited with their licenses in THIRD-PARTY.md.
- Is SimRig made by Fanatec, Moza, Logitech or another brand?
No. SimRig is an independent project, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any manufacturer. Brand names are used only to say which hardware it works with.
- How can I help?
Test it on your hardware: the call for testers lists what to try, and a hardware report tells how it went, even when everything works. It takes about 15 minutes and moves your device from untested to tested for everyone.