Linux Infrared Remote Control

On 07/24/2009 04:36 PM, Duke Senter wrote:
> Can anyone help out with this one?

I'm mostly out of ideas at the moment. I don't entirely trust that your 
lirc build is doing the right thing though, since it didn't say lircd 
was running in devinput mode, but userspace mode.

...
> I don't think it's being hijacked as mouse input, but not sure how to
> prove or demonstrate that to myself.
>
> Is there a way to select it to not be HID and only show as an lirc
> device?  Am I way off on this?

There's a way to tell the usbhid driver to ignore it, but I'm pretty 
sure that's going to leave you with nothing driving it at all, so lirc 
will have even less of a chance to talk to it. :)

Unless it happens that its really an MCE USB compatible receiver, just 
with some additional magic that makes it show up as an HID device, in 
which case, adding it to the lirc_mceusb driver *might* work.

I can't remember the HID ignore magic off the top of my head, but its in 
the list archives somewhere (for iMON devices, but it should apply equally).

> I'm afraid I'm going to have to bail and go buy a remote to work with
> this htpc.

Ask yourself how much your pain and suffering is worth. Then consider 
that a true Windows MCE USB transceiver and remote already supported by 
lirc can be had from newegg.com for ~$25... :)

--jarod

I agree with everything you said.  I'm also suspect of my lirc install.  My
concern is that I could buy an MCE remote from newegg, but still not have a
lirc install that can talk to it.

I'll try starting from scratch with lirc and see where that gets me.  If I
can't make it fly with what I have, I'll try to get a different remote and
have some confidence in the device I'm trying to make work.

In case anyone cares, I've found a another resource (thanks nasha
http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=507155) that mimics nearly exactly my
situation, with a little bit of difference - like irrecord not working
without sudo, and no /dev/lircx (besides /dev/lircd)

http://blog.viridian-project.de/2008/10/02/hid-remotes-and-lirc/

my  cat /proc/bus/input/devices shows

>
> N: Name="Philips RCS USB IR Combo Device"
> P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1d.0-2/input0
> S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-2/2-2:1.0/input/input3
> U: Uniq=
> H: Handlers=kbd event3
>
> and
>
> N: Name="Philips RCS USB IR Combo Device"
> P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1d.0-2/input1
> S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-2/2-2:1.1/input/input4
> U: Uniq=
> H: Handlers=kbd mouse1 event4
>
> So off I go removing lirc and installing from scratch.
>
> Thanks a ton, Jarod!  I really appreciate the time and effort you've put
> into this on my behalf.
>
> duke
>
>
> On Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 7:21 PM, Jarod Wilson <jarod@...> wrote:
>
>> On 07/24/2009 04:36 PM, Duke Senter wrote:
>>
>>> Can anyone help out with this one?
>>>
>>
>> I'm mostly out of ideas at the moment. I don't entirely trust that your
>> lirc build is doing the right thing though, since it didn't say lircd was
>> running in devinput mode, but userspace mode.
>>
>> ...
>>
>>> I don't think it's being hijacked as mouse input, but not sure how to
>>> prove or demonstrate that to myself.
>>>
>>> Is there a way to select it to not be HID and only show as an lirc
>>> device?  Am I way off on this?
>>>
>>
>> There's a way to tell the usbhid driver to ignore it, but I'm pretty sure
>> that's going to leave you with nothing driving it at all, so lirc will have
>> even less of a chance to talk to it. :)
>>
>> Unless it happens that its really an MCE USB compatible receiver, just
>> with some additional magic that makes it show up as an HID device, in which
>> case, adding it to the lirc_mceusb driver *might* work.
>>
>> I can't remember the HID ignore magic off the top of my head, but its in
>> the list archives somewhere (for iMON devices, but it should apply equally).
>>
>>  I'm afraid I'm going to have to bail and go buy a remote to work with
>>> this htpc.
>>>
>>
>> Ask yourself how much your pain and suffering is worth. Then consider that
>> a true Windows MCE USB transceiver and remote already supported by lirc can
>> be had from newegg.com for ~$25... :)
>>
>> --jarod
>>
>
>

On 07/26/2009 11:03 PM, Duke Senter wrote:
>
> I agree with everything you said.  I'm also suspect of my lirc install.
> My concern is that I could buy an MCE remote from newegg, but still not
> have a lirc install that can talk to it.

Nah, we can point you at one that is reported to work just fine. :)

> I'll try starting from scratch with lirc and see where that gets me.

Yeah, would be good to rule out it being simply that lirc isn't built 
with the appropriate support.

> If
> I can't make it fly with what I have, I'll try to get a different remote
> and have some confidence in the device I'm trying to make work.
>
> In case anyone cares, I've found a another resource (thanks nasha
> http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=507155) that mimics nearly exactly
> my situation, with a little bit of difference - like irrecord not
> working without sudo, and no /dev/lircx (besides /dev/lircd)

For a devinput device, you won't have any /dev/lircX device node. That's 
only for devices that are driven by an lirc_foo kernel module. So that 
much is perfectly normal. The sudo part, notsomuch. I don't do ubuntu 
myself though, can't help on that one. :)

> http://blog.viridian-project.de/2008/10/02/hid-remotes-and-lirc/
>
> my  cat /proc/bus/input/devices shows
>
>
>     N: Name="Philips RCS USB IR Combo Device"
>     P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1d.0-2/input0
>     S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-2/2-2:1.0/input/input3
>     U: Uniq=
>     H: Handlers=kbd event3
>
>     and
>
>     N: Name="Philips RCS USB IR Combo Device"
>     P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1d.0-2/input1
>     S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-2/2-2:1.1/input/input4
>     U: Uniq=
>     H: Handlers=kbd mouse1 event4

Hm... Wait a sec... Is there an IR keyboard that goes with this bundle?

If so, perhaps see http://mod-mce.sourceforge.net/

>     So off I go removing lirc and installing from scratch.
>
>     Thanks a ton, Jarod!  I really appreciate the time and effort you've
>     put into this on my behalf.

No problem. Definitely curious to see it working and know what the 
solution is. :)

--jarod

I'm questioning my sanity as I'm sure you are as well.
There was no other IR device with this one when I purchased the system from
dell.  Wired kb and mouse.  There is no other device plugged into my current
linux box via usb.  I have no keyboard or mouse plugged into the system at
all.

I was going to try to remove the lirc package and for some reason chose
add/remove from the Xfce menu instead of the synaptic package manager (first
time trying it - it's gnome specific, I think).  I searched for lirc and
there is an available package called
gnome-infrared-remote-control-properties.  I installed it on a whim.

I clicked on auto-detect and it finds "Linux Input Device" and model
"Philips RCS USB IR Combo Device."  There is a Configuration Test portion
that detects many of the buttons I press and names them closely to their
function (like NEXTSONG, BACK (Custom Key Code), Mute (Elisa Compatible)).
I click close and now mythtv picks up those keys!!

Now I'm wondering a few things -
Why is this working now?  (don't really care, just glad it does)
Where are the config files so I may customize the button functions?  (fairly
interested in this one)
What about the other buttons that aren't being detected in the configuration
test?  (like 'pictures', 'music', 'dvd', 'home', etc.)  again - just for
curiosity sake.

I'm very excited, but still confused as to what is actually happening.
If you'd like more info, let me know and I'll keep this thread alive.  If
not, I understand, and will consider this a workable solution and thank you
again for your time.

duke

On Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 8:20 PM, Jarod Wilson <jarod@...> wrote:

> On 07/26/2009 11:03 PM, Duke Senter wrote:
>
>>
>> I agree with everything you said.  I'm also suspect of my lirc install.
>> My concern is that I could buy an MCE remote from newegg, but still not
>> have a lirc install that can talk to it.
>>
>
> Nah, we can point you at one that is reported to work just fine. :)
>
>  I'll try starting from scratch with lirc and see where that gets me.
>>
>
> Yeah, would be good to rule out it being simply that lirc isn't built with
> the appropriate support.
>
>  If
>> I can't make it fly with what I have, I'll try to get a different remote
>> and have some confidence in the device I'm trying to make work.
>>
>> In case anyone cares, I've found a another resource (thanks nasha
>> http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=507155) that mimics nearly exactly
>> my situation, with a little bit of difference - like irrecord not
>> working without sudo, and no /dev/lircx (besides /dev/lircd)
>>
>
> For a devinput device, you won't have any /dev/lircX device node. That's
> only for devices that are driven by an lirc_foo kernel module. So that much
> is perfectly normal. The sudo part, notsomuch. I don't do ubuntu myself
> though, can't help on that one. :)
>
>  http://blog.viridian-project.de/2008/10/02/hid-remotes-and-lirc/
>>
>> my  cat /proc/bus/input/devices shows
>>
>>
>>    N: Name="Philips RCS USB IR Combo Device"
>>    P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1d.0-2/input0
>>    S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-2/2-2:1.0/input/input3
>>    U: Uniq=
>>    H: Handlers=kbd event3
>>
>>    and
>>
>>    N: Name="Philips RCS USB IR Combo Device"
>>    P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1d.0-2/input1
>>    S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-2/2-2:1.1/input/input4
>>    U: Uniq=
>>    H: Handlers=kbd mouse1 event4
>>
>
> Hm... Wait a sec... Is there an IR keyboard that goes with this bundle?
>
> If so, perhaps see http://mod-mce.sourceforge.net/
>
>     So off I go removing lirc and installing from scratch.
>>
>>    Thanks a ton, Jarod!  I really appreciate the time and effort you've
>>    put into this on my behalf.
>>
>
> No problem. Definitely curious to see it working and know what the solution
> is. :)
>
> --jarod
>

On Jul 26, 2009, at 11:44 PM, Duke Senter wrote:

> I'm questioning my sanity as I'm sure you are as well.

I question my own sanity all the time, no worries. ;)

> ... I searched for lirc and there is an available package called  
> gnome-infrared-remote-control-properties.  I installed it on a whim.
>
> I clicked on auto-detect and it finds "Linux Input Device" and model  
> "Philips RCS USB IR Combo Device."  There is a Configuration Test  
> portion that detects many of the buttons I press and names them  
> closely to their function (like NEXTSONG, BACK (Custom Key Code),  
> Mute (Elisa Compatible)).  I click close and now mythtv picks up  
> those keys!!

Hey, cool, progress!

> Now I'm wondering a few things -
> Why is this working now?

Apparently, it knows exactly how to map that device, we were probably  
just missing something minor somewhere...

> (don't really care, just glad it does)
> Where are the config files so I may customize the button functions?   
> (fairly interested in this one)

I *think* that app just wires up things in the standard config files,  
so your lircd.conf and ~/.lircrc should cover it.

> What about the other buttons that aren't being detected in the  
> configuration test?  (like 'pictures', 'music', 'dvd', 'home',  
> etc.)  again - just for curiosity sake.

Hrm, not sure if those require some work to get them mapped properly  
within the input subsystem or what...

> I'm very excited, but still confused as to what is actually happening.
> If you'd like more info, let me know and I'll keep this thread  
> alive.  If not, I understand, and will consider this a workable  
> solution and thank you again for your time.

More than anything, I want one of these devices to tinker with  
myself. ;)

-- 
Jarod Wilson
jarod@...