Lirc, how do i get it working?

touser · 2008-02-07 07:05

Hello everyone, i have lirc running with a snapstream firefly remote. Using the lircd.conf available here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Instal...nf.firefly Running irw shows that the remote is working properly. I have no idea what to do next. Editing the Lircmap.xml in BUILD/UserData and changing the remote device name to either "atiusb" or "lirc_atiusb" does nothing. I have been searching the forums and google for hours with no luck. Do i also have to edit the keymap.xml? Do i have to create another file i dont know about? Thanks for any help!

xgrep · 2008-02-07 07:42

I found using irxevent works very well.
http://www.lirc.org/html/irxevent.html

Could be a better way, but I was already familiar with this... so it's the route I went.

Basically in the .lircrc file, just bind the commands you see in irw to the corresponding keyboard keys.
ie.

Code:

begin

        prog = irxevent

        button = STOP

        config = Key x CurrentWindow

end

begin

        prog = irxevent

        button = UP

        config = Key Up CurrentWindow

end

Then start irxevent in daemon mode.

Code:

irxevent -d

Presto

Cheers,
xgrep

touser · 2008-02-07 11:03

Thanks for the help. I didn't realize the name Lircmap.xml wanted was the name listed in the lircd.conf. Changed it to that and all the options in Lircmap.xml to uppercase and it works great!

t029248 · 2008-02-07 11:34

Sorry to say this, but Lirc is HELL for the average user.

BLKMGK · 2008-02-08 23:38

t029248 Wrote:Sorry to say this, but Lirc is HELL for the average user.

Hrm, I'm not sure I agree. Lirc is hell IF you're using some funky remote or an IRDA receiver that's a little oddball. However when I used a run of the mill standard MCE remote and USB receiver it was pretty much PnP and XBMC worked with it out of the box. All I had to do was tell it that I was using an MCE remote and give it the correct MCE version. It was probably one of the smoothest things I've setup in Linux so far. I then got a new case with a built-in IRDA receiver that doesn't seem to be really supported directly via Lirc sorta' kinda' and it was a HUGE PITA. Frustrated I plugged in my MCE remote and all is fine. Rolleyes

t029248 · 2008-02-09 00:34

BLKMGK Wrote:Hrm, I'm not sure I agree. Lirc is hell IF you're using some funky remote or an IRDA receiver that's a little oddball. However when I used a run of the mill standard MCE remote and USB receiver it was pretty much PnP and XBMC worked with it out of the box. All I had to do was tell it that I was using an MCE remote and give it the correct MCE version. It was probably one of the smoothest things I've setup in Linux so far. I then got a new case with a built-in IRDA receiver that doesn't seem to be really supported directly via Lirc sorta' kinda' and it was a HUGE PITA. Frustrated I plugged in my MCE remote and all is fine.

Well what if i don't get the Lirc concept, where do i start? What's needed to set it up? I have a Xbox remote and a sigmatel Irda reveiver. I have no clue at all where to start too make them work and i can't find any documentation making sense!

These "undocumented" features i could force myself to learn, but what about "non it people"?

These Linux things scare me away, towards OSX, fortunately XBMC is being ported for that os too.

I might prefer a Linux HTPC in the future, but without headaches! Rofl

t029248 · 2008-02-09 00:36

What i wanted i connect / select device / use

No text files and xml files..

BLKMGK · 2008-02-09 18:27

t029248 Wrote:What i wanted i connect / select device / use

No text files and xml files..

Yes, that's exactly what I got with the MCE remote and USB receiver. If you use Mythbuntu as the base it's configured for you, if you use Desktop you simply add it via package manager and select MCE USB2 just like with the Mythbuntu install - done. A custom distro will likely do much the same. So far I've yet to tweak or modify a single text or XML file for my current remote setup. Nod

Frankly if someone cannot be bothered to learn even that much at this stage then certainly don't mess with this at all - it's not ready for you. <shrug>

**topfs2** · 2008-02-09 18:45

I suggest you read this http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=30724

running IRW should give you both the button code and the remotes device name and both needs to be altered for it to work.

My remote reports
000000037ff07be1 00 Up mceusb
000000037ff07be0 00 Down mceusb
000000037ff07bdf 00 Left mceusb
000000037ff07bde 01 Right mceusb

if your remote returns
[...] LeFt SomeRemoteName
[...] RiGhT SomeRemoteName

If you look at this and compare to lircmap.xml
[...]
<remote device="mceusb">
<left>Left</left>
<right>Right</right>
<up>Up</up>
<down>Down</down>
[..]
</remote>
[..]
I'd say that you should add/change your Lircmap.xml into
<remote device="SomeRemoteName">
<left>LeFt</left>
<right>RiGhT</right>
[...]
</remote>
Remember linux is always case-sensitive

A good way to see if it works is by either try it with mythtv wich have already made maps for most remotes out there .

Hope this helps

MattPF · 2008-02-13 08:01

Any idea why XBMC isn't intercepting these IR codes? (my remote isn't working, but it looks like I have it setup correctly)

[Image: lirc.jpg]

touser Senior Member Posts: 144 Joined: Feb 2008 Reputation: 1	2008-02-07 11:03 Post: #3 Thanks for the help. I didn't realize the name Lircmap.xml wanted was the name listed in the lircd.conf. Changed it to that and all the options in Lircmap.xml to uppercase and it works great!
	find quote

t029248 Fan Posts: 310 Joined: Apr 2004 Reputation: -10 Location: Holanda	2008-02-07 11:34 Post: #4 Sorry to say this, but Lirc is HELL for the average user.
	find quote

t029248 Fan Posts: 310 Joined: Apr 2004 Reputation: -10 Location: Holanda	2008-02-09 00:36 Post: #7 What i wanted i connect / select device / use No text files and xml files..
	find quote

MattPF Junior Member Posts: 41 Joined: Dec 2005 Reputation: 0	2008-02-13 08:01 Post: #10 Any idea why XBMC isn't intercepting these IR codes? (my remote isn't working, but it looks like I have it setup correctly)
	find quote