[mythtv-users] lirc_zilog - HDPVR

[Jarod Wilson]

On Feb 1, 2011, at 5:14 PM, James MacKenzie wrote:

> I've got a MythTV system I've been running for several years now and it's
> great.  This past weekend I switched from Comcast over to FiOS.  Because of
> this, my PVR250 needs to be able to switch channels on the STB.
> 
> I also have an HDPVR, and that's got an IR Blaster output and came with the
> cable and everything.  So this should be easy, right?  Umm...not quite.
> 
> I'm on kernel 2.6.33.4 and using lirc_i2c for the PVR250 from lirc.org.  I
> have read that I need to use lirc_zilog for the HDPVR to get the IR Blaster to
> work.  Unfortunately, 2.6.33.4 nor the downloadable lircd package from
> lirc.org contains this.
> 
> I have tried upgrading to 2.6.37 which I found contains both.  However, when I
> do this, neither work.  I get nothing out of the lirc_i2c module at all, and
> instead of using major 61, it's using some crazy major like 251 or 215 or
> something?

lirc now uses a dynamic miscdev device major, as static ones are frowned upon
in the kernel for things not present on every single box. It being 251 or
whatever it winds up at is correct, and has zero impact on functionality.

The reason things probably weren't working is that the lirc bits that were
merged in the kernel have an updated ioctl interface that doesn't line up
with the lirc 0.8.7 ioctl interface -- you need either patches to 0.8.7, or
you need 0.9.0-pre1 (and someone really needs to release 0.9.0...).


> So, I went back to 2.6.33.4.  I found this git repository that's supposed to
> give you the functionality:  http://git.linuxtv.org/media_build.git
> 
> Downloaded, ran and installed, and there's no lirc_zilog being built?  I see
> lirc_zilog.c in there, but if I try to make lirc_zilog all I get is screenful
> after screenful of errors.

In media_build root, 'make stagingconfig', then make, and it'll build all the
lirc device drivers too. Note that these will also require lirc 0.9.0-pre1 or
later (or patched 0.8.7).


> So...
> 
> Is anyone using the IR Blaster functionality with their HDPVR...if so, how...

Yes, see above.


> Is anyone using the 'built in' lirc_i2c in 2.6.37?  If so, how...
> 
> I have also tried to use ir_kbd_i2c, because I read somewhere that lirc_i2c is
> being phased out.

Yes, lirc_i2c has been removed from the kernel as of 2.6.38-rc2, as it is
entirely redundant with ir-kbd-i2c.



-- 
Jarod Wilson
jarod at wilsonet.com