[mythtv-users] IR Remote, OpenSUSE, and weirdness

[Jarod Wilson]

On Jan 12, 2011, at 8:17 PM, Robin Smith wrote:

> I am having some troubles getting my remote working with MythTV on OpenSUSE 11.2.
> 
> I have a Silverstone case with built-in iMON PAD Remote Controller and VFD. I also have an Antec Veris Multimedia Station E-Z USB IR receiver. I am trying to configure it to work with my Harmony 670 remote. In the Harmony software, I configured it as an iMON remote. 
> 
> When I first plugged the Veris in, it showed up as a HID, some Googling returned a fix:
> Under /etc/modprobe.d/ create a imon.conf file with the following:
> options usbhid quirks=0x15c2:0x0042:0x0004

What kernel is this? The in-kernel quirking of all imon devices was
added prior to 2.6.32 (in July of 2009).

> Now, lsusb shows:
> Bus 006 Device 002: ID 15c2:0042 SoundGraph Inc.
> Bus 007 Device 003: ID 15c2:ffdc SoundGraph Inc. iMON PAD Remote Controller
> 
> The Veris is the 15c2:0042. Progress.

Wait, you have *two* distinct imon devices there. That's a recipe for
an adventure, assuming both have IR receivers...

> OpenSUSE 11.2 is only at lirc 0.8.5

Egad. That lirc version is nearly two years old.

> So I begin futzing around with lirc to try and get things configured. mode2 would show raw output when buttons were pressed, but I could not get irw to show anything despite trying a multitude of lircd.conf files (some of which seemed ot have codes that matched the output of mode2).
> 
> I found lirc 0.8.7 in the vdr repository and installed it (from http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/vdr/openSUSE_11.2/) and was able to make a little more progress. I ended up doing a full irrecord to create the correct lircd.conf file and finally irw outputs codes.
> 
> I have a matching lircrc file in the /home/mythtv/.mythtv folder. It has some extra commands defined that I do not have in my lircd.conf, but this should not matter (or am I wrong). I have included my lircd.conf and lircrc at the bottom of this message.
> 
> I have three problems:
> 1. The remote does not seem to control things in MythTV. (Play, Pause, Stop, etc)
> 2. The number buttons DO work in MythTV, but weirdly, they work even if lircd is NOT running
> 3. The directional pad on the Harmony is acting like a mouse (actually moves the mouse cursor), yet shows output when watched with mode2 (but none with irw). The OK button in the center of the directional pad shows no output in mode2 or irw
> 
> I am lost and confused.

So am I. You're running relatively ancient software for hardware that has
a device driver that has evolved a LOT just recently, and you've got
multiple devices to boot. Based on your lircd.conf, it looks like you've
got lirc_imon in play there, but its newer than 0.8.5 if you're seeing
mouse movement (could be a result of that 0.8.7 vdr package). Actually...
if memory serves, there *was* a time where lirc_imon was able to operate
as a pure input layer device and as an lirc device. So I bet what you are
seeing w/the keypresses w/o lircd running is that. But really, that is
basically unsupportable driver code now. Not sure what to suggest as a
remedy though, other than a less crufty distro (or at least a much newer
kernel). The linuxtv.org media_build backport stack might be an option, if
your kernel isn't *too* too old.


-- 
Jarod Wilson
jarod at wilsonet.com