Getting Infrared Remote Controls Working with Laptop
 

I have a new Dell Studio XPS laptop (I have used dell laptops for many many years running Fedora linux). And for the first time I want to setup the Infrared remote control in the laptop.

That is I like to set up a remote to start and stop movies and sound playback.

I installed LIRC and after reboot I see devices such as /dev/ircomm0 to /dev/ircom31 as well as /dev/irnet

So what next?

The LIRC website just goes on about using serial dongles, but nothing on setting up a laptop with a built-in IR sensor. It also talks about using irrecord, but that program complains about no /dev/lirc0 device.

I tried installing a "gnome-lirc-properties" (whcih also installed "lirc-remotes" package), but it fails with a verbose 'python traceback' that doesn't tell you what is wrong.


Any hints tips and pointer welcome.

Anthony Thyssen

That sounds like it's trying. Have you made a udev rule for that device?
I steer clear of IR Remotes because for my sins I had to offer telephone support in the past to gimmicks called video senders, which were a way of stealing an extra signal from a satellite box. They were used by people who wanted to watch telly somewhere else, and wanted to control the sat box from afar. The IR diodes could be anywhere from 600nM to 900nM wavelength, and a match was required for a good signal, or any signal.

If at first you don't succeed, give up and save your sanity.