[MAC] HOW-TO setup Logitech Harmony Remote for use with XBMC for Mac OS X

mattiasp · 2009-10-08 17:54

MaestroDD Wrote:see:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=59200 and
http://trac.xbmc.org/ticket/7284

I *think* it's the eventserver, but couldn't figure it out yet.

Latest SVN fixes the problem. Thanks for the heads up :-)

**MaestroDD** · 2009-10-08 18:11

mattiasp Wrote:Latest SVN fixes the problem. Thanks for the heads up :-)

uhm, yep, sorry for not posting it a third time here Wink

ctawn · 2009-10-09 21:04

MaestroDD Wrote:uhm, yep, sorry for not posting it a third time here

For those of us not familiar with the SVN builds, if you're saying the Apple Remote is fixed for Snow Leopard in some SVN build, some instructions for the clueless about how to get this build would be very appreciated. Thanks.

Weavus · 2009-10-09 23:24

ctawn Wrote:For those of us not familiar with the SVN builds, if you're saying the Apple Remote is fixed for Snow Leopard in some SVN build, some instructions for the clueless about how to get this build would be very appreciated. Thanks.

No the remote still has issues with front row/itunes in SL but you can work around them if you don't need front row.

SVN builds can be found at the fantastic http://www.sshcs.com/xbmc/?mode=BO site

ctawn · 2009-10-10 18:42

Hmm.... thanks. so I tried the SVN build 23569. I notice there is now a separate remote setting for "Multi (Harmony)" which I tried. Seems to work reasonably good with my existing config (as explained in the How-To starting this thread). However -- and a big however -- the up & down buttons turn the system volume & down in addition to moving up & down, and somewhere along the way iTunes gets launched also. I don't need any of that stuff -- so if you can point me to the proper work around that would be dandy. Thanks.

edit:

well... I found the best work-around thread for this on the plex forums. if you read on toward the end you'll see some of the pros and cons, and the idea that maybe this will be fixed in 10.6.2 (with a beta release notes post from brazil.... but despite the fact that apple told one person at least that this 'bug' is intentional, as only apple gets to use the remote. mofos, seriously)

http://forums.plexapp.com/index.php?/top...ge__st__80

also, SofaControl and RemoteBuddy seemed to implement their own work-around weeks ago, I wonder why XBMC can't duplicate that? Or will it?

but the work around options for now involve either killing some bezel services or renaming both 'front row.app' and 'rcd.app' in /System/Library/CoreServices/ ... I'm trying the latter now and seems to work, with a sort of noticable lag however. ugly hack of a work around though.

So --- without advocating this and recognizing this might have some adverse affects (and will definitely kill Front Row), this works:

Code:

cd /System/Library/CoreServices

sudo mv 'Front Row.app' 'Front Row.app.bak'

sudo mv rcd.app rcd.app.bak

then restart.

to revert, just rename back to original names:

Code:

cd /System/Library/CoreServices

sudo mv 'Front Row.app.bak' 'Front Row.app'

sudo mv rcd.app.bak rcd.app

then restart

(honestly not totally sure what rcd.app all does -- but has to do with handling the apple remote the way apple wants -- so expect if you do this only non-apple stuff will work)

**davilla** · 2009-10-10 22:08

ctawn Wrote:Hmm.... thanks. so I tried the SVN build 23569. I notice there is now a separate remote setting for "Multi (Harmony)" which I tried. Seems to work reasonably good with my existing config (as explained in the How-To starting this thread). However -- and a big however -- the up & down buttons turn the system volume & down in addition to moving up & down, and somewhere along the way iTunes gets launched also. I don't need any of that stuff -- so if you can point me to the proper work around that would be dandy. Thanks.

I like how you mentioned that you are running under 10.6. Next time please include this info less others think that your problem exists under 10.5/10.4 or AppleTV.

Now, as to your IR control problem. The pending 10.6.2 update will resolve that issue.

ctawn · 2009-10-10 22:31

davilla Wrote:I like how you mentioned that you are running under 10.6.

I did say that (more or less) a few posts up in this thread. I've also edited the last post, probably while you were posting the above, to indicate viable work-arounds for now. Glad to know this will be actually fixed in 10.6.2, but so far still seems iffy (under brazilian non-non-disclosure ;-)

lordfoul · 2009-10-18 16:43

I followed these instructions and XBMCHelper is crashing continuously.
I am Using a PPC MacMini with and MCE (eHome) IR receiver. This setup works in mira with and apple remote.

Here is the log of the crash.

Code:

Process:         XBMCHelper [160]

Path:            /Applications/XBMC.app/Contents/Resources/XBMC/tools/osx/XBMCHelper

Identifier:      XBMCHelper

Version:         ??? (???)

Code Type:       PPC (Native)

Parent Process:  launchd [80]

Interval Since Last Report:          359 sec

Crashes Since Last Report:           2

Per-App Interval Since Last Report:  0 sec

Per-App Crashes Since Last Report:   2

Date/Time:       2009-10-18 21:04:51.209 +0700

OS Version:      Mac OS X 10.5.8 (9L31a)

Report Version:  6

Anonymous UUID:  A7B237D6-BAF0-4B23-8CC9-EF51406A6557

Exception Type:  EXC_BREAKPOINT (SIGTRAP)

Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000001, 0x0000000097063c98

Crashed Thread:  0

Application Specific Information:

*** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'AppleRemoteInitExecption', reason: 'AppleRemote could not be initialized'

Thread 0 Crashed:

0   com.apple.CoreFoundation          0x97063c98 ___TERMINATING_DUE_TO_UNCAUGHT_EXCEPTION___ + 0

1   libobjc.A.dylib                   0x95be04e8 objc_exception_throw + 68

2   XBMCHelper                        0x000064b8 -[XBMCHelper init] + 472

3   XBMCHelper                        0x00003f70 main + 252

4   XBMCHelper                        0x000021bc _start + 756

5   XBMCHelper                        0x00001ec0 start + 44

Thread 0 crashed with PPC Thread State 32:

  srr0: 0x97063c98  srr1: 0x0202f030   dar: 0x0010e000 dsisr: 0x42000000

    r0: 0x95be04ec    r1: 0xbffff9d0    r2: 0xa0b645f8    r3: 0x0004c000

    r4: 0x001fc080    r5: 0x001fc080    r6: 0x00000002    r7: 0x001fe005

    r8: 0x000001ae    r9: 0x0000d400   r10: 0x001fe005   r11: 0x24000442

   r12: 0x95cc0d30   r13: 0x00000000   r14: 0x00000000   r15: 0x00000000

   r16: 0x00000000   r17: 0x00000000   r18: 0x00000000   r19: 0x00000000

   r20: 0x00000000   r21: 0x00000000   r22: 0x00000000   r23: 0x00000000

   r24: 0x00000000   r25: 0x00000001   r26: 0xbffffbf0   r27: 0xbffffbbc

   r28: 0xbffffbb4   r29: 0x0010abc0   r30: 0xa096edc0   r31: 0x95be04b4

    cr: 0x24000442   xer: 0x00000004    lr: 0x95be04ec   ctr: 0x95cc0d30

vrsave: 0x00000000

**MaestroDD** · 2009-10-18 21:14

Hi Lordfoul,

thanks for the report!

lordfoul Wrote:I followed these instructions and XBMCHelper is crashing continuously.
I am Using a PPC MacMini with and MCE (eHome) IR receiver. This setup works in mira with and apple remote.

Looks like that IR receiver isn't picked up by XBMCHelper. It crashes because it can't initialize the remote. There'll be a new version of XBMCHelper soon, which might fix that.

cheers,
mdd

lordfoul · 2009-10-19 04:15

My bastard cobbled together system thanks you.

MaestroDD Wrote:Hi Lordfoul,

thanks for the report!

Looks like that IR receiver isn't picked up by XBMCHelper. It crashes because it can't initialize the remote. There'll be a new version of XBMCHelper soon, which might fix that.

cheers,
mdd

mattiasp Junior Member Posts: 3 Joined: Oct 2009 Reputation: 0	2009-10-08 17:54 Post: #21 MaestroDD Wrote:see: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=59200 and http://trac.xbmc.org/ticket/7284 I think it's the eventserver, but couldn't figure it out yet. Latest SVN fixes the problem. Thanks for the heads up :-)
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ctawn Senior Member Posts: 237 Joined: May 2009 Reputation: 0	2009-10-09 21:04 Post: #23 MaestroDD Wrote:uhm, yep, sorry for not posting it a third time here For those of us not familiar with the SVN builds, if you're saying the Apple Remote is fixed for Snow Leopard in some SVN build, some instructions for the clueless about how to get this build would be very appreciated. Thanks.
	find quote

lordfoul Junior Member Posts: 13 Joined: Oct 2009 Reputation: 0	2009-10-19 04:15 Post: #30 My bastard cobbled together system thanks you. MaestroDD Wrote:Hi Lordfoul, thanks for the report! Looks like that IR receiver isn't picked up by XBMCHelper. It crashes because it can't initialize the remote. There'll be a new version of XBMCHelper soon, which might fix that. cheers, mdd
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