|  |  | 
|  | infrared remote control support in video4linux drivers | 
|  | ====================================================== | 
|  |  | 
|  |  | 
|  | basics | 
|  | ------ | 
|  |  | 
|  | Current versions use the linux input layer to support infrared | 
|  | remote controls.  I suggest to download my input layer tools | 
|  | from http://bytesex.org/snapshot/input-<date>.tar.gz | 
|  |  | 
|  | Modules you have to load: | 
|  |  | 
|  | saa7134	statically built in, i.e. just the driver :) | 
|  | bttv		ir-kbd-gpio or ir-kbd-i2c depending on your | 
|  | card. | 
|  |  | 
|  | ir-kbd-gpio and ir-kbd-i2c don't support all cards lirc supports | 
|  | (yet), mainly for the reason that the code of lirc_i2c and lirc_gpio | 
|  | was very confusing and I decided to basically start over from scratch. | 
|  | Feel free to contact me in case of trouble.  Note that the ir-kbd-* | 
|  | modules work on 2.6.x kernels only through ... | 
|  |  | 
|  |  | 
|  | how it works | 
|  | ------------ | 
|  |  | 
|  | The modules register the remote as keyboard within the linux input | 
|  | layer, i.e. you'll see the keys of the remote as normal key strokes | 
|  | (if CONFIG_INPUT_KEYBOARD is enabled). | 
|  |  | 
|  | Using the event devices (CONFIG_INPUT_EVDEV) it is possible for | 
|  | applications to access the remote via /dev/input/event<n> devices. | 
|  | You might have to create the special files using "/sbin/MAKEDEV | 
|  | input".  The input layer tools mentioned above use the event device. | 
|  |  | 
|  | The input layer tools are nice for trouble shooting, i.e. to check | 
|  | whenever the input device is really present, which of the devices it | 
|  | is, check whenever pressing keys on the remote actually generates | 
|  | events and the like.  You can also use the kbd utility to change the | 
|  | keymaps (2.6.x kernels only through). | 
|  |  | 
|  |  | 
|  | using with lircd | 
|  | ================ | 
|  |  | 
|  | The cvs version of the lircd daemon supports reading events from the | 
|  | linux input layer (via event device).  The input layer tools tarball | 
|  | comes with a lircd config file. | 
|  |  | 
|  |  | 
|  | using without lircd | 
|  | =================== | 
|  |  | 
|  | XFree86 likely can be configured to recognise the remote keys.  Once I | 
|  | simply tried to configure one of the multimedia keyboards as input | 
|  | device, which had the effect that XFree86 recognised some of the keys | 
|  | of my remote control and passed volume up/down key presses as | 
|  | XF86AudioRaiseVolume and XF86AudioLowerVolume key events to the X11 | 
|  | clients. | 
|  |  | 
|  | It likely is possible to make that fly with a nice xkb config file, | 
|  | I know next to nothing about that through. | 
|  |  | 
|  |  | 
|  | Have fun, | 
|  |  | 
|  | Gerd | 
|  |  | 
|  | -- | 
|  | Gerd Knorr <kraxel@bytesex.org> |