Andrzej Kardaś Web Page

Lirc for Creative LiveDrive

Foreword

I'm using my computer as main media center in my home. Most of music I listen and video I watch is played directly by my Linux media applications. Thanks to lirc package I can control my computer using remote control. It's a great thing especially for such a lazy person like me, I can do whatever I need with my computer not moving away from my couch. Lirc is offering support for wide range of infrared remote controls. I have Creative LiveDrive with RM-1500 remote control. Both devices were part of my Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 4 Pro sound card. KDE desktop environment has direct support for Lirc devices and thanks to this I'm able to remotely control any application that is using Linux system messaging bus DBus. What I especially love about remote control in Linux is that I'm not bound to some kind of default configuration I have to learn. I can setup my controls and choose applications I want to control by my self. Only my imagination and sky is the limit. Thats the main difference between Linux and other operating systems. You make Linux work as you like, not learn by heart how you should use your system.

I will try to share here my Lirc and remote control configuration that is coming from my main computer. Lirc is not the only remote control application available for Linux at the end you can find also short information about another applications I use to remote control my computer. Most of the provided here information should be applicable to any Linux distribution but some of the instruction are typical for distribution I use Gentoo Linux. If you have different remote control hardware you can still find some of the information provided here useful. I will start with kernel and system service configuration.

Kernel and system service configuration

My remote control is integrated with my sound card therefor I have to control it using sound card kernel module. To configure my kernel I had to enter kernel catalog and start menuconfig by running following commands in terminal:

cd /usr/src/linux
make menuconfig

Below you will find the list of needed kernel modules for my lirc device.

Linux Kernel Configuration: Kernel modules configuration

Loadable module support --->
   [*] Module unloading
Device Drivers --->
       Input device support --->
          [*] Event interface
   <M> Sound card support --->
          <M> Advanced Linux Sound Architecture --->
             [*] PCI sound devices --->
                 <M> Emu10k1 (SB Live!, Audigy, E-mu APS)

As you can see the sound card support will be build as module. The module will be loaded by udev hardware allocation service and initialized during alsa sound system service start. After marking all necessary kernel modules I'm ready to recompile, install and use new kernel. I usually do it by running this commands in terminal:

cd /usr/src/linux
make && make modules_install install

This is not over yet. To initialize remote control for Emu10k1 kernel module I had to pass additional parameter to kernel module. I did this by providing sound module configuration in /etc/modprobe.d/alsa.conf. Below you can find part of my alsa.conf file that is affecting Audigy 4 sound card configuration.

alias snd-card-0 snd-emu10k1
options snd-emu10k1 index=0 id=audigy4pro extin=0x3fcf extout=0x1fcf enable_ir=1
alias sound-slot-0 snd-emu10k1

The most important part is options line. Kernel module option enable_ir = 1 is enabling infrared red remote control for my sound card.

Now it's good time to reboot the machine with new kernel. After this the new kernel modules should be loaded and infrared remote control should be available. Unfortunately I found out this is not enough to make my Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro LiveDrive properly receive infrared signals coming from it's remote control. LiveDrive control LED wasn't lighting when I was pressing remote control buttons. After searching the Internet I found out that LiveDrive device need to be initialized with special command. The best way to do it is to write additional simple system service which will depend on alsa sound system service. I called this service audigy. Below you can see the service script which is making my remote control fully operational.

View the full /etc/init.d/audigy system service file

#!/sbin/runscript
 
depend() {
       need alsasound
}
 
start() {
       ebegin "Initialising external I/O Hub"
       echo -e '\0360\0000\0040\0041\0141\0000\0000\0000\0177\0000\0367' > /dev/snd/midiC0D1
       eend $?
}
 
 
stop() {
       ebegin "Nothing to Stop"
       eend $?

As you can see in this script my LiveDrive device is bound to device node /dev/snd/midiC0D1. The script itself is very basics it simply passes the initialization string using ASCI characters string in octal code. Now I can add this script to default run level to make it start on next system boot. To do it I need to run following command in terminal:

rc-update add audigy default

To make it start without the need of restarting my system I have to run following command in my terminal:

/etc/init.d/audigy start

After starting this service the LED on LiveDrive device started to light every time I pressed button on my remote control. Now we can move on to Lirc configuration.

Lirc Configuration

Before installing Lirc on Gentoo system you should provide a name of lirc devices in /etc/make.conf. This will make lirc install only components you need. In my system lirc configuration in /etc/make.conf looks like this:

LIRC_DEVICES="livedrive_midi"

To install lirc in Gentoo system you need to run this commands in terminal:

emerge -av sys-apps/lirc

Lirc installation, will provide system service which will let us start lirc daemon. Before starting this service we should configure it properly. First thing we need to do is to tell lirc service what type of device we want to use. We do it by appending LIRCD_OPTS options into /etc/conf.d/lircd file. Configuration for Audigy 4 Pro LiveDrive should look like this:

LIRCD_OPTS="-H livedrive_midi -d /dev/snd/midiC0D1"

Second thing we need to do is to provide a configuration file that will map core IR signals to our remote control buttons. On Lirc project page you will find a detailed instruction how to do it manually, but there is no need to. You should be able to easily find the configuration file for your remote control on Lirc page or somewhere in Internet. The configuration file should be saved as /etc/lirc/lircd.conf. Below you can see configuration for my devices.

View the full /etc/init.d/lircd.conf configuration file

##############################################################
#RM-1500 For Audigy 4 Pro
##############################################################
 
begin remote
 
 name  Creative_RM-1500
 bits           16
 flags SPACE_ENC|CONST_LENGTH
 eps            30
 aeps          100
 
 header       9078  4671
 one           663  1607
 zero          663   497
 ptrail        662
 repeat       9078  2216
 pre_data_bits   16
 pre_data       0x8322
 gap          106974
 min_repeat      4
 toggle_bit      0
 
     begin codes
         Power                    0x000000000000619E
         1                        0x0000000000008B74
         2                        0x0000000000008F70
         3                        0x000000000000906F
         4                        0x0000000000008A75
         5                        0x000000000000847B
         6                        0x0000000000007887
         7                        0x0000000000008976
         8                        0x000000000000837C
         9                        0x0000000000007788
         0                        0x000000000000807F
         CMSS                     0x000000000000718E
         EAX                      0x0000000000008C73
         Mute                     0x0000000000006E91
         Vol_Down                 0x000000000000639C
         Vol_Up                   0x000000000000629D
         Up                       0x0000000000007B84
         Left                     0x0000000000008778
         Ok                       0x000000000000817E
         Right                    0x000000000000758A
         Down                     0x0000000000008D72
         Return                   0x0000000000008E71
         Start                    0x0000000000008877
         Cancel                   0x0000000000007C83
         Rec                      0x000000000000738C
         Options                  0x000000000000827D
         Display                  0x0000000000007689
         Previous                 0x0000000000007F80
         Play                     0x0000000000007986
         Next                     0x0000000000007A85
         Slow                     0x0000000000007D82
         Stop                     0x000000000000857A
         Step                     0x0000000000007E81
     end codes
 
end remote
 
#
# contributed by Stefan Br�ns
#
# brand: Creative Audigy 2 ZS Platinum LiveDrive
# model no. of remote control:
# devices being controlled by this remote:
#
begin remote
 
 
  name  LiveDrive
  flags SPACE_ENC|CONST_LENGTH
  bits           16
  eps            30
  aeps          100
 
 
  header          9000 4500
  one             563  1687
  zero            563  562
  pre_data_bits   16
  pre_data       0x8000
  gap          108000
  toggle_bit      0
 
 
  repeat          9000 2250
 
 
  frequency    38000
  duty_cycle   33
 
 
 
 
      begin codes
          mute                     0x0000000000000040
          vol+                     0x0000000000008080
          vol-                     0x0000000000008082
          cmss                     0x0000000000000080
      end codes
end remote
 
begin remote
 
  name  LiveDrive_Headphone
  bits           16
  flags SPACE_ENC|CONST_LENGTH
  eps            30
  aeps          100
 
  header       9000  4500
  one           563  1687
  zero          563   562
  repeat       9000  2250
  pre_data_bits   16
  pre_data       0x8000
  gap          108000
  toggle_bit      0
 
  frequency    38000
  duty_cycle   33
 
      begin codes
          Headphone_out            0x4000
          Headphone_in             0x4080
      end codes
 
end remote

As you can see my file has configuration for 3 devices. First one is my 33 button remote control. Second one is LiveDrive receiver which has 2 buttons and volume knob. The last one device is Hedphone monitor which will allow me to react on headphones plug in and out events. This ends my remote control configuration. Now I'm ready to use my lirc devices. I can start them by running following command in terminal:

/etc/init.d/lircd start

To make my lircd start as system service I have to run following command in terminal:

rc-update add lircd default

Now I can configure applications to use my lirc devices.

Applications configuration

There are two ways of controlling programs using lirc. First one is direct lirc support build into the application. To make my applications use lirc support I had to add lirc use flag to /etc/make.conf, then I can rebuild applications with the new use flag by running following command in terminal.

emerge --deep --update --newuse world

To check which of installed programs have direct lirc support you can use gentoolkit equery utility like this:

equery hasuse lirc
[ Searching for USE flag lirc in all categories among: ]
 * installed packages
[I--] [ ~] kde-base/kdeutils-meta-4.4.4 (4.4)
[I--] [  ] dev-python/kaa-base-0.6.0 (0)
[I--] [ ~] media-video/mplayer-1.0_rc4_p20100612 (0)
[I--] [  ] media-video/vlc-1.0.6 (0)
[I--] [ ~] media-plugins/audacious-plugins-2.3 (0)
[I--] [ ~] media-plugins/banshee-community-extensions-1.6.1 (0)
[I--] [ ~] media-tv/mythtv-0.23_p25073 (0)

As you can see on my system example there is wide range of programs that has direct lirc support. To make them use lirc you have to create a special ~/.lircrc configuration file in your home which will map program functions to remote control buttons. You can check what kind of program functions are available to user by running program help command or reading program documentation. Below you can find my .lircrc mapping file for MythTV media center, Audacious and Banshee sound players.

View the full ~/.lircrc configuration file

#####################################################
#MythTv LiveDrive Configuration
#####################################################
#Volume Down
begin
    remote = LiveDrive
    button = vol-
    prog   = mythtv
    config = [
    repeat = 1
end
 
#Volume Up
begin
    remote = LiveDrive
    button = vol+
    prog   = mythtv
    config = ]
    repeat = 1
end
 
#Mute
begin
    remote = LiveDrive
    button = mute
    prog   = mythtv
    config = |
end
 
#Show teletex/caption
begin
    remote = LiveDrive
    button = cmms
    prog   = mythtv
    config = T
end
 
#####################################################
#Audacious LiveDrive Configuration
#####################################################
 
#Volume Down
begin
    remote = LiveDrive
    button = vol-
    prog   = audacious
    config = VOL_DOWN
    repeat = 1
end
 
#Volume Up
begin
    remote = LiveDrive
    button = vol+
    prog   = audacious
    config = VOL_UP
    repeat = 1
end
#Mute
begin
    remote = LiveDrive
    button = mute
    prog   = audacious
    config = MUTE
end
 
# Playlist clear
begin
  prog = audacious
  remote = LiveDrive
  button = cmss
  repeat = 0
  delay = 0
  config = PLAYLIST_CLEAR
end
 
#####################################################
#MythTV Creative RM-1500 Configuration
#####################################################
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Up
    prog   = mythtv
    config = Up
    repeat = 1
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Down
    prog   = mythtv
    config = Down
    repeat = 1
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Left
    prog   = mythtv
    config = Left
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Right
    prog   = mythtv
    config = Right
end
#stop in mythmusic OR show osd
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Stop
    prog   = mythtv
    config = O
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Play
    prog   = mythtv
    config = P
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Previous
    prog   = mythtv
    config = Home
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Next
    prog   = mythtv
    config = End
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Vol_Down
    prog   = mythtv
    config = [
    repeat = 1
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Vol_Up
    prog   = mythtv
    config = ]
    repeat = 1
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Ok
    prog   = mythtv
    config = Enter
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Mute
    prog   = mythtv
    config = |
end
#Numer Codes
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = 1
    prog   = mythtv
    config = 1
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = 2
    prog   = mythtv
    config = 2
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = 3
    prog   = mythtv
    config = 3
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = 4
    prog   = mythtv
    config = 4
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = 5
    prog   = mythtv
    config = 5
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = 6
    prog   = mythtv
    config = 6
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = 7
    prog   = mythtv
    config = 7
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = 8
    prog   = mythtv
    config = 8
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = 9
    prog   = mythtv
    config = 9
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = 0
    prog   = mythtv
    config = 0
end
 
#Show menu
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Options
    prog   = mythtv
    config = M
end
 
#Jump to bookmarked position
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Return
    prog   = mythtv
    config = K
end
#Cycle through aspect ratios
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Display
    prog   = mythtv
    config = W
end
 
#close/cancel/escape
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Cancel
    prog   = mythtv
    config = Esc
    repeat = 3
end
 
#show teletext / captions
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = CMSS
    prog   = mythtv
    config = T
end
#Show information (OK button is Enter)
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Start
    prog   = mythtv
    config = I
end
#adjust time stretch
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Slow
    prog   = mythtv
    config = A
end
 
#increase play speed
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Step
    prog   = mythtv
    config = U
end
 
#cycle through audio streams
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = EAX
    prog   = mythtv
    config = +
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Power
    prog   = mythtv
    config = Esc
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Rec
    prog   = mythtv
    config = R
end
 
#####################################################
#Audacious Creative RM-1500 Configuration
#####################################################
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Play
    prog   = audacious
    config = PLAYPAUSE
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Stop
    prog   = audacious
    config = STOP
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Options
    prog   = audacious
    config = SHUFFLE
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Options
    prog   = audacious
    config = SHUFFLE
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Return
    prog   = audacious
    config = REPEAT
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Right
    prog   = audacious
    config = FWD
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Left
    prog   = audacious
    config = BWD
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Power
    prog   = audacious
    config = QUIT
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Start
    prog   = audacious
    config = LIST
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = EAX
    prog   = audacious
    config = PLAYLIST_ADD
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = CMSS
    prog   = audacious
    config = PLAYLIST_CLEAR
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Previous
    prog   = audacious
    config = PREV
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Next
    prog   = audacious
    config = NEXT
endbegin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Vol_Down
    prog   = audacious
    config = VOL_DOWN
    repeat = 1
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Vol_Up
    prog   = audacious
    config = VOL_UP
    repeat = 1
end
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Mute
    prog   = audacious
    config = MUTE
end
 
#####################################################
#Banshee  LiveDrive Configuration
#####################################################
 
#Volume Down
begin
    remote = LiveDrive
    button = vol-
    prog   = banshee
    config = volume-down
    repeat = 1
end
 
#Volume Up
begin
    remote = LiveDrive
    button = vol+
    prog   = banshee
    config = volume-up
    repeat = 1
end
 
#Mute
begin
    remote = LiveDrive
    button = mute
    prog   = banshee
    config = toggle-mute
end
# Play
begin
  prog = banshee
  remote = LiveDrive
  button = cmss
  repeat = 0
  delay = 0
  config = play
end
 
#####################################################
#Banshee Creative RM-1500 Configuration
#####################################################
 
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Stop
    prog   = banshee
    config = stop
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Play
    prog   = banshee
    config = play
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Previous
    prog   = banshee
    config = previous
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Next
    prog   = banshee
    config = next
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Vol_Down
    prog   = banshee
    config = volume-down
    repeat = 1
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Vol_Up
    prog   = banshee
    config = volume-up
    repeat = 1
end
begin
    remote = Creative_RM-1500
    button = Mute
    prog   = banshee
    config = toggle-mute
end

As you can see this file isn't complicated. For every remotely controlled function you have to create one entry closed between begin and end words. For every entry you must provide your remote controller name, it's button name, program name and program function that should be assigned to previously given button. Optionally you may defined repeat parameter if the function should be repeated when you hold down the button. This last parameter is useful mostly for volume controls. Number of available functions are dependent on lirc support implantation. As you can see on above example MythTV and Audacious has wide range of lirc functions while Banshee support is very basic.

Some of the applications are offering their own lirc support. XBMC best looking media center available for Linux is example of such application. To make it work with lirc you have to provide Lirc mapping configuration file in xml format and save it in your home as ~/.xbmc/userdata/Lircmap.xml. Below you can see my Lircmap.xml file.

View the full Lircmap.xml configuration file

<lircmap>
  <remote device="LiveDrive">
        <volumeplus>vol+</volumeplus>
        <volumeminus>vol-</volumeminus>
        <mute>mute</mute>
        <power>cmss</power>
  </remote>
  <remote device="Creative_RM-1500">
         <power>Power</power>
         <one>1</one>
         <two>2</two>
         <three>3</three>
         <four>4</four>
         <five>5</five>
         <six>6</six>
         <seven>7</seven>
         <eight>8</eight>
         <nine>9</nine>
         <zero>0</zero>
         <info>CMSS</info>
         <menu>EAX</menu>
         <mute>Mute</mute>
         <volumeminus>Vol_Down</volumeminus>
         <volumeplus>Vol_Up</volumeplus>
         <up>Up</up>
         <left>Left</left>
         <select>Ok</select>
         <right>Right</right>
         <down>Down</down>
         <back>Return</back>
         <start>Start</start>
         <clear>Cancel</clear>
         <record>Rec</record>
         <title>Options</title>
         <display>Display</display>
         <skipminus>Previous</skipminus>
         <play>Play</play>
         <pageplus>Step</pageplus>
         <pause>Slow</pause>
         <stop>Stop</stop>
         <skipplus>Next</skipplus>
  </remote>
</lircmap>

This file provides a mapping of the keys on my remote controllers to XBMC button strings defined as xml tags. Full list of button string available in XBMC you can find here. Those button strings are mapped by default XBMC configuration to actions available in media center. I could create my own action mappings but I found this unnecessary as default configuration is working quite well for me.

The second method to setup lirc support in applications is using build into KDE desktop environment GUI LIRC settings utility. The is probably the easiest way. This KDE tool has direct support and easy wizards to set up most popular KDE applications including: Kaffeine media player, Konqueror web browser, KDE sound mixer, VLC media player, Amarok media player, KsCD audio CD player, Okular document browser and Dragon media player. If this is not enough you can use advanced setup for any programs that are using Linux system messaging bus DBus. This way I was able to remotely control additional applications like for example Kmplayer media player. Using this tool you can also assign remote controller functions for shutdown, reboot, hibernate and suspend system actions. Last but not least you can setup lunch program actions. This tool is so easy to use that I want be wasting my time to explain how to work with it. You can see this tool on some of the screenshots provided below.

The configuration of Lirc is not so hard it just require some time to write all those files. Most of them you can find in Internet. Lirc package is not the only way to remotely control your Linux application. I use other tools as well below you find more information.

Additional Information

Besides the infrared remote controller I also have a bluetooth Cordless Logitech Rumplepad 2 game pad. I use this pad to control my media center applications MythTV and XBMC. I also use it as remote pointing device. To control both media centers I had to build them with joystick support. For MythTV I additionally had to create a joystick configuration file in my home and save it as ~/.mythtv/joystickmenurc. Below you can see my joystick configuration file for mythtv.

View the full joystickmenurc configuration file

devicename /dev/input/js0
 
button 0                    Enter
button 1                    T
button 2                    P
button 3                    0
button 4                    M
button 5                    K
button 6                    I
button 7                    A
button 8                    U
button 9                    Esc
button 10                   |
button 11                   Escape
axis   1    -32767   0      Home
axis   1    32767    0      End
axis   2    32767    0      [
axis   2    -32767   0      ]
 
axis   4     -32767  0       Right
axis   4     0       32767   Left
axis   5     -32767  0       Down
axis   5     0       32767   Up

In this file I provide a joystick device node and mapping of my joystick buttons and axis to MythTV functions.

Controlling XBMC with my game pad does not require any additional configuration as XBMC comes with full support for Logitech Cordless RumplePad 2 game controller. My game pad was working in XBMC right away after media center installation.

To use my game pad as remote pointing device I had to additionally install QJoyPad application. This is program which lets user translate input events generated by joysticks into mouse actions and keystrokes in Linux X environment. This program comes with simple to use settings wizard which is helping user create many layout configurations. User can switch between defined configurations in runtime.

Prove that it's working

Here you can find screenshots showing Lirc devices and remotely controlled applications in KDE environment.

If larger picture is still to small for you click it to enlarge it.

Sources

Lirc Project Page
Gentoo Wiki Lirc HowTo
MythTV Wiki
XBMC Lirc HowTo
emu10k1 kernel module documentation
man lircd

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