[mythtv-users] Remote control (Off topic)

[Joseph A. Caputo]

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Now, I'm not sure I completely understand your question, but I'll describe
my setup for you and maybe it'll help.

I'm assuming that you:
(1) have your PC displaying to your TV only (no second monitor)
(2) have no IR remote

Point (2) (if true) is your stumbling block.  Without a remote or a
keyboard, there's no convenient way to control Myth.  Your only real option
would be to use something like "x2x" from your VNC viewer session on another
PC in the house.  If you have a laptop with WiFi it could work OK (I've done
it with osx2x on an iBook).  'x2x' basically allows you to redirect your
keyboard/mouse input from your current display to a remote one.

Here's my setup for reference:

- PC (frontend/backend) in living room w/TV-out & serial IR-receiver (IrMan)
   Runs:
		- mythbackend (starts up via an rc init script)
		- lircd
		- mythfrontend & irxevent (autlogin with gdm, using FVWM as window
manager)
		- VNC KDE desktop as display :2

Now, if I didn't have my IR remote, I could go upstairs to my other
(Windows) PC, run VncViewer to bring up my myth box's :2 session, then run
x2x on that and point it to display :0 (my TV).  Now the keyboard/mouse
input from my VNC session will be redirected to my TV display.  This
obviously works much better if you can actually see the TV while you're
doint this :-)

If you have another Linux box running X it's even easier, since you don't
need the VNC session, you can just run x2x on the other Linux box.

Note: for x2x to work, you need appropriate permissions to connect to the :0
display on the Myth box.

FWIW, I recently splurged and added a USB wireless RF keyboard/mouse combo
(http://www.gyration.com) to my Myth box, which really makes things nice.  I
added a 'Misc' menu with options to bring up a terminal window, web browser,
or a VNC viewer session.  Very nice, but might not be useful depending on
the size/quality of your TV picture (I have a 60" screen, which is
tolerable).

I hope this answered your question...

-JAC

-----Original Message-----
From: mythtv-users-bounces at snowman.net
[mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at snowman.net]On Behalf Of Fredrik Högberg
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2003 4:33 AM
To: mythtv-users at snowman.net
Subject: [mythtv-users] Remote control (Off topic)


Hi!
I've set up a myth machine and are having trouble managing it.
I don't want a keyboard or mouse at my tv and i'm thinking about how i would
control the tv output.
I have ssh and vnc installed but i don't know if there's a way to control
another terminal.

The optimal would be if there's a way just to redirect keyboard input to the
local terminal. this way i could start and kill X launch applications, log
in or whatever.

Right now i'm troubleshooting black and white picture on the tv while using
the svideo output and every time i'm going to try something new i have to go
to the TV and bring my keyboard (i have only one) and try starting x.
I'm new to linux so there quite a lot of testing done and it would be neat
if i could control everything it from the ssh client.

Does anyone know if this is doable?


Fredrik