Re: KxMame and gamepad or Joystick not working.
you failed to mention whether you are using xmame or sdlmame.
xmame should not be used as it seriously outdated and no longer maintained.
use sdlmame if you are not.
for a frontend i'd recommend moving to QMC2 or Mame Executor.
Linux User #440528
openSUSE 12.1 x86_64/KDE 4.8.4