LinuxQuestions.org - Controlling xine with lirc

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Controlling xine with lirc

I installed an HVR-1600 MCE-Kit as a TV capture card. Capture card works fine.

The kit comes with an MCE USB remote control and transceiver. The exact model is the black one (1069/335) as seen in the MythTV MCE_Remote page. This remote is considered a second generation USB device.

I'm running 13.0 32-bit with a 2.6.30.5 kernel. As the current 0.8.5 stable version of lirc does not support the 2.6.30 kernel series, I built lirc cvs (0.8.6pre2).

I created an rc.d script to automatically start the lirc daemon when booting. Using the irw command I confirmed each button is working. I found an lircd.conf.mceusb2 for the remote. As far as I can tell the remote works as expected.

I'm running irexec as a daemon.

Now I'm trying to control xine with lirc. I created an ~/.lircrc file. Here is a snippet:

Code:

##########LAUNCHING BUTTONS#######################



#Start Xine

begin

 prog = irexec

 button = home

 config = /usr/bin/xine

end



######XINE############

begin

 prog = xine

 button = play

 config = Play

end



begin

 prog = xine

 button = pause

 config = Pause

end



begin

 prog = xine

 button = stop

 config = Stop

end



begin

 prog = xine

 button = red

 config = Quit

end



begin

 prog = xine

 button = mute

 config = Mute

end



######XINE############

When I press the Home button xine starts as expected. Yet once running, no commands get passed to xine. All I have attempted thus far is to start a TV recording and then try to pause or stop the video or terminate xine. No luck. I do not understand how the button commands are passed to each application. I'd like to think I'm missing something obvious, but after surfing the web and reading the lirc docs I'm stumped.

For testing and comparison purposes I have XBMC 9.04 installed in separate partitions. The remote control nicely manages the XBMC interface. I haven't yet figured out how that's done as I haven't found an lircrc config file anywhere.

I appreciate any help.

Hello Woodsman

I had the same problem with xine in slackware-13.0

i removed xine-ui with removepkg
then i downloaded xine-ui-0.99.5.tar.gz from http://www.xine-project.org/releases

and compiled it like this ./configure --enable-lirc then i did a make and a make install.

after it was compiled my .lircrc file that was already made in my home directory worked right off the bat.

I would have to guess that the slackware package of xine-ui that comes with slackware-13.0 isn't built with lirc enabled.

But i cant confirm this considering im still in the very basic stages of learning linux.

Here is the format of my lircrc file

Code:

# fullscreen toggle

begin

        remote = Philips

        button = KEY_HOME

        prog  = xine

        repeat = 2

        config = ToggleFullscreen

end

I got that format by running xine --keymap=lirc >pick-any-filename
then i added in my own values.
Hope this helps in anyway.

Quote:

I would have to guess that the slackware package of xine-ui that comes with slackware-13.0 isn't built with lirc enabled.

I wondered about that. I checked the 13.0 build script and the xine configure file. I found an explicit --disable-lirc option but no --enable-lirc option. Therefore I concluded that lirc is enabled by default in xine. :scratch: Yet with your report I again browsed the configure file and found a snippet referencing an --enable-lirc option.

I modified the stock build script. I rebuilt the package and updated the package. No change. :) I'll presume then that lirc is enabled by default.

I ran xine with the --keymap option. That created an lircrc shell with a bunch of xxxxx options. I presume I have to manually replace the xxxxx with an actual button name that I derive from irw. I don't know the proper remote name to use. If I understand correctly I don't have to insert one because the default is all (*).

I modified the lircrc file to no avail. :)

Despite the moment of hope you provided, I still have no response from xine using the remote control. I must be missing something that is not obvious to me. :scratch:

i ran irrecord for my lircd.conf and named my own keys.

as you can see from the above, my home key is KEY_HOME
and so on.

but i think as long as irw reports back the same keys pressed from your remote thats in your lircd.conf i think that portion of it is correct.

can you post your lircd.conf for me too look at ?

The reason i still think its xine-ui is because i didnt even touch my lircrc file at all once i removed xine-ui.
literally right after xine-ui compiled form the link i provided everything worked.
so that still leaves me to believe that the slackware xine-ui package is still at fault.
If it was enabled by default then im curious why the exact lircrc file i have working now wont work with it.

Quote:

If it was enabled by default then im curious why the exact lircrc file i have working now wont work with it.

I don't know.

Do you load irexec as a daemon?

Quote:

can you post your lircd.conf for me too look at ?

Sure. I checked the codes with irw and they match.

Code:

#

# brand:                        HP

# model no. of remote control:  TSGH-IR01

# devices being controlled by this remote: HP Slimline S3100y

#

# Derived from MCEUSB2 lircd.conf file (lircd.conf.mceusb) found at:

# https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Install_Lirc_Feisty



#

# RC-6 config file

#

# source: http://home.hccnet.nl/m.majoor/projects__remote_control.htm

#        http://home.hccnet.nl/m.majoor/pronto.pdf

#

# used by: Philips

#

#########

#

# Philips Media Center Edition remote control

# For use with the USB MCE ir receiver

#

# Dan Conti  dconti|acm.wwu.edu

#

# Updated with codes for MCE 2005 Remote additional buttons

# *, #, Teletext, Red, Green, Yellow & Blue Buttons

# Note: TV power button transmits no code until programmed.

# Updated 12th September 2005

# Graham Auld - mce|graham.auld.me.uk

#

# Radio, Print, RecTV are only available on the HP Media Center remote control

#

#

# Updated with codes for MCE 2007 Remote additional buttons

# Visualization, Aspect, SlideShow, Eject

# Note:

# Renamed some buttons: DVD->DVDMenu, More->MoreInfo, Star->Asterisk, Hash->Pound

# Note:

# Blue, Yellow, Green, Red, and Teletext buttons do not exist on the HP remote



begin remote



  name        mceusb

  bits                16

  flags  RC6|CONST_LENGTH

  eps                  30

  aeps                100



  header      2667  889

  one          444  444

  zero          444  444

  pre_data_bits        21

  pre_data        0x37FF0

  gap              150000

  toggle_bit          22

  rc6_mask    0x100000000





      begin codes



#unused by HP remote

        Blue              0x00007ba1

        Yellow              0x00007ba2

        Green              0x00007ba3

        Red              0x00007ba4

        Teletext      0x00007ba5



#ba6 - bae unused

        BA6          0x00007ba6

        BA7          0x00007ba7

        BA8          0x00007ba8

        BA9          0x00007ba9

        BAA          0x00007baa

        BAB          0x00007bab

        BAC          0x00007bac

        BAD          0x00007bad

        BAE          0x00007bae



        Radio        0x00007baf

        Print        0x00007bb1



#bb2 - bb4 unused

        BB2          0x00007bb2

        BB3          0x00007bb3

        BB4          0x00007bb4



        Videos        0x00007bb5

        Pictures      0x00007bb6

        RecTV        0x00007bb7

        Music        0x00007bb8

        TV            0x00007bb9



#bba - bbf unused

        BBA          0x00007bba

        BBB          0x00007bbb

        BBC          0x00007bbc

        BBD          0x00007bbd

        BBE          0x00007bbe

        BBF          0x00007bbf

#bc1 - bca unused

        BC1          0x00007bc1

        BC2          0x00007bc2

        BC3          0x00007bc3

        BC4          0x00007bc4

        BC5          0x00007bc5

        BC6          0x00007bc6

        BC7          0x00007bc7

        BC8          0x00007bc8

        BC9          0x00007bc9

        BCA          0x00007bca



        Eject        0x00007bcb

        SlideShow    0x00007bcc

        Visualization 0x00007bcd



#bce - bcf unused

        BCE          0x00007bce

        BCF          0x00007bcf

#bd1 - bd7 unused

        BD1          0x00007bd1

        BD2          0x00007bd2

        BD3          0x00007bd3

        BD4          0x00007bd4

        BD5          0x00007bd5

        BD6          0x00007bd6

        BD7          0x00007bd7



        Aspect        0x00007bd8

        Guide        0x00007bd9

        LiveTV        0x00007bda

        DVD          0x00007bdb

#NoGap

        Back          0x00007bdc

        OK            0x00007bdd

        Right        0x00007bde

        Left          0x00007bdf

        Down          0x00007be0

        Up            0x00007be1

#NoGap

        Star          0x00007be2

        Hash          0x00007be3

#NoGap

        Replay        0x00007be4

        Skip          0x00007be5

        Stop          0x00007be6

        Pause        0x00007be7

        Record        0x00007be8

        Play          0x00007be9

        Rewind        0x00007bea

        Forward      0x00007beb

#NoGap

        ChanDown      0x00007bec

        ChanUp        0x00007bed

        VolDown      0x00007bee

        VolUp        0x00007bef

#NoGap

        More          0x00007bf0

        Mute          0x00007bf1

        Home          0x00007bf2

        Power        0x00007bf3

#NoGap

        Enter        0x00007bf4

        Clear        0x00007bf5

#NoGap

        Nine          0x00007bf6

        Eight        0x00007bf7

        Seven        0x00007bf8

        Six          0x00007bf9

        Five          0x00007bfa

        Four          0x00007bfb

        Three        0x00007bfc

        Two          0x00007bfd

        One          0x00007bfe

        Zero          0x00007bff

      end codes



end remote

Moved to /Software as requested.

Try doing this

for remote = mceusb instead of xxxxxx

and here you show .

Code:

begin

 prog = xine

 button = stop

 config = Stop

end

maybe its case sensitive

your lircd.conf shows Stop not stop

so try changing it to this

Code:

 

begin

 prog = xine

 button = Stop

 config = Stop

end

maybe thats your issue

Sorry i missed your other question.

Yes i use irexec as a daemon also to start xine.

i start it with screen irexec &

then i close the window, if i dont use screen it wont work once the terminal window closes.

Modifying your original script (case does matter):

Code:

 ##########LAUNCHING BUTTONS#######################



#Start Xine

begin

 prog = irexec

 remote = mceusb

 button = Home

 config = /usr/bin/xine

end



######XINE############

begin

 prog = xine

 remote = mceusb

 button = Play

 config = Play

end



begin

 prog = xine

 remote = mceusb

 button = Pause

 config = Pause

end



begin

 prog = xine

 remote = mceusb

 button = Stop

 config = Stop

end



begin

 prog = xine

 remote = mceusb

 button = Red

 config = Quit

end



begin

 prog = xine

 remote = mceusb

 button = Mute

 config = Mute

end



######XINE############

Try this out. Also, make sure this file is in your home directory, named .lircrc
Xine doesn't look for this file anywhere else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vik (Post 3673496)

Xine doesn't look for this file anywhere else.

You can also make the .lircrc system wide by moving it too /etc
without the period infront of it of course.
it should work for every user account at that point.

Quote:

Try this out. Also, make sure this file is in your home directory, named .lircrc
Xine doesn't look for this file anywhere else.

Okay, I just tried that. No luck. :( I restarted the lirc daemon as well as irexec.

Quote:

You can also make the .lircrc system wide by moving it too /etc

Yes, I had been using that location. But I also try the home directory too.

I start the lirc daemon when I boot. I created an rc.d script to easily start/stop/restart. In that script I also start/stop irexec. The irw command responds perfectly to every button I press.

The fact that I can start xine with the remote control lets me know I have something correct. But nothing gets passed to xine.

Is there a specific pecking order to all of this? I'm convinced I am missing something basic.

try running this real quick,

irrecord bla.txt

does it startup and ask you to press keys or exit?
if its asking you to hit a bunch of keys on your remote then you can just not hit anything and it will quit.

I might have an idea on whats going on.

Let me know if it works for you as a user not as su.

sorry this might be something not even related, but i use a usb transceiver myself. is yours usb also ?

Quote:

irrecord bla.txt
does it startup and ask you to press keys or exit?

Hmm. Could be a clue there. As root, I received an error message:

Code:

irrecord -  application for recording IR-codes for usage with lirc



Copyright (C) 1998,1999 Christoph Bartelmus(lirc@bartelmus.de)



irrecord: could not open /dev/lirc

irrecord: default_init(): Is a directory

irrecord: could not init hardware (lircd running ? --> close it, check permissions)

I do have /dev/lirc/0. I do have /var/run/lirc/lirc.pid and /var/run/lirc/lirc=.

Perhaps the package was built incorrectly?

Quote:

sorry this might be something not even related, but i use a usb transceiver myself. is yours usb also ?

Yes, this is a USB receiver. Refer to the first post for a picture link.

start lircd with

lircd /dev/lirc/0

i made a package of lirc with makepkg instead of the slackbuilds script.
chmod 666 /dev/lirc/0

then try your remote again

My rc.d script:

/usr/sbin/lircd -d /dev/lirc/0

I have a symlink at /dev/lirc0 pointing to /dev/lirc/0. Permissions are already 666, root:root.