SpaceNavigator suddenly stopped, not found (multiple viewers)

[Korach]

I suddenly began having trouble using a SpaceNavigator in SL. 

I have been using this without difficulty for a few years. I am connected to a MacPro (desktop, not notebook) to an onboard USB port, with a kensington trackball, same wired setup to another USB port for my main mouse. The Mac is macOS10.15.7 and the SpaceNavigator is 10.6.5. SL being accessed mainly with latest Firestorm but also same in SL and Singularity viewers. 

 

So I was wandering around the grid yesterday as usual and suddenly lost the SpaceNavigator. This happens rarely, and when it does an unplug/replug cures it, sometimes requiring a trip to the Joystick Configuration in Preferences. In this case, going to Joystick configuration showed “none” for Joystick. Clicking the pulldown, it showed SpaceNavigator but would not let me click it, reverting back to None as soon as I did. Relogging and trying again was same. Later in the day I tried again and this time, now the pulldown in Joystick Configuration now shows “mouse” as my only choice. 

 

The appearance of this is a progressive error occurring over the course fo the day - first the SpaceNavigator stopped, next the Viewer(s) stopped allowing me to select SpaceNavigator, and then stopped offering SpaceNavigator to me as an option. 

 

Nothing has been adjusted software/hardware on my computer to cause this, I am careful about upsetting the applecart because I rely on CAD software and others such as Blender for work and the SpaceNavigator continues to function normally everywhere but the SL environment. 

 

I tried a bunch of different troubleshooting methods. Grabbed the 10.6.7 driver update, it didn’t help and (after that i downgraded back to 10.6.5 as SpaceNavigator is not on the device list for 10.6.7).

I reloaded SpaceNavigator drivers and Firestorm App from a few-days-old backup when it was working, in case some corruption cropped up, no luck. 

 

This cropped up on its own mid session while in SL. I kinda wonder if this is a sever-side thing… though it otherwise works like a champ I know the device is an older one (considered discontinued/legacy by 3DConnexion) and wonder if SL phased out compatibility and it’s caught up to me…? Any advice/clues would be very appreciated. I have submitted a ticket and will follow up if I get anywhere...

Thanks! --Korach