Comment 6 for bug 1326725

Same problem for me too. Just got a new HDD and installed Ubuntu 14.04 (used to run Debian testing, controller used to autodetect and work correctly when plugged in). Wouldn't recognise the controller, syslog had the following info when I plug in the controller:

Jun 7 17:56:39 Hemi kernel: [ 596.260269] usb 7-2: new full-speed USB device number 3 using uhci_hcd
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi kernel: [ 596.684014] usb 7-2: New USB device found, idVendor=054c, idProduct=0268
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi kernel: [ 596.684020] usb 7-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi kernel: [ 596.684023] usb 7-2: Product: PLAYSTATION(R)3 Controller
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi kernel: [ 596.684026] usb 7-2: Manufacturer: Sony
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi kernel: [ 596.720038] sony 0003:054C:0268.0006: Fixing up Sony Sixaxis report descriptor
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi kernel: [ 596.764039] input: Sony PLAYSTATION(R)3 Controller as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.1/usb7/7-2/7-2:1.0/input/input18
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi kernel: [ 596.764694] sony 0003:054C:0268.0006: input,hiddev0,hidraw4: USB HID v1.11 Joystick [Sony PLAYSTATION(R)3 Controller] on usb-0000:00:1d.1-2/input0
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi kernel: [ 596.764699] sony 0003:054C:0268.0006: can't set operational mode
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi mtp-probe: checking bus 7, device 3: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.1/usb7/7-2"
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi kernel: [ 596.784474] sony: probe of 0003:054C:0268.0006 failed with error -38
Jun 7 17:56:40 Hemi mtp-probe: bus: 7, device: 3 was not an MTP device