[mythtv-users] Mac mini, ubuntu, IR remotes

[Shaun Lowry]

Tino Keitel wrote:
> On Sat, Apr 05, 2008 at 13:59:38 +0100, Shaun Lowry wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have a mac mini running Ubuntu & MythTV.  I've read several rumours 
>> that the built-in IR receiver can handle alternate remote controls but 
>> no actual confirmation.  I have the dev/input driver for the ir 
> 
> I use a Mac mini with a learning remote and lirc, and it works fine.
> 
>> receiver in the kernel and that seems to be working OK.  It appears 
>> that the input-utils can't reconfigure the keymap for this device but 
>> I've managed  to sort of get it going with xmodmap.  Problem is, 6 
>> keys aren't really enough to drive MythTV comfortably, I figure I need 
>> at least up, down, left, right, Esc, P and M (7 keys) and would prefer 
>> Enter and a numberpad too.
>>
>> Has anyone actually got the built in receiver working with an 
>> alternate remote control, and if so, which one and how?
> 
> I'll first write something about the "how".
> 
> Above you mentioned the dev/input lirc driver. This requires a kernel
> patch so that the IR device is seen as an input device. The patch never
> was in the vanilla kernel. The driver also has the disadvantage of
> being broken after a suspend, so you have to reload the driver and
> restart the lircd after resume, including all applications that use
> lirc.
> 
> As of lirc 0.8.2 you can use a driver called "macmini". This uses the
> IR device as a USB HID device, so you need a corresponding
> /dev/usb/hid* device file. Take care not to use kernel 2.6.22, as this
> version blacklisted the IR device in the HID driver.

I'm currently running Ubuntu 7.10 which has this kernel, although as 
I've said it appears to be working at the dev/input level.  I don't 
have the /dev/usb/hid* devices though.  I'm planning to upgrade to 
Hardy Heron when it gets released in a couple of weeks which has 
MythTV 0.21 and kernel 2.6.24 - is this kernel likely to be OK?

> Now you can set up lirc as usual (irrecord) with the Apple remote, to
> test that everyting is working.
> 
> I wanted to use a remote with more than the 6 keys that the Apple
> remote has. So I bought a learning remote and configured it to use the
> Apple remote IR codes. Now you need to press the menu and play buttons
> on the Apple remote for a few seconds, so that it generates different
> IR codes. Configure the next 6 keys on the learning remote. Repeat
> this, until all keys are configured.

That's just what I needed to know - I was wondering how I'd get my 
mitts on a bunch of different Apple remotes :)

> After this, use irrecord to learn all the keys on the learning remote,
> and you are done.
> 
> Regarding the learning remote: I used a Sony RM-VL600T.

I have access to a URC-8060 ('Kameleon') - anyone have any ideas if 
this can learn the Apple remote codes?

> Regards,
> Tino

	Shaun.