This page describes how to use a Pinnacle PCTV remote control under Ubuntu Feisty.

The Pinnacle PCTV is a remote control which comes with a small infrared receiver connected to a serial port ("COM port").

Preparations

• Select a COM port on your machine and find out its "name" (COM1, COM2...)
  • (TODO: describe how to test the ports, using a serial modem and kppp)

• Note the Linux name of the port: COM1 is accessed as /dev/ttyS0 under Linux, COM2 is accessed as /dev/ttyS1, and so on)

• Plug the receiver into the COM port

Installation

• As the Lirc packages in Feisty seem to be broken (the PCTV driver doesn't work), download the packages for Edgy:

  • wget "http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/l/lirc/liblircclient0_0.8.0-5ubuntu1_i386.deb"
    wget "http://nl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/l/lirc/lirc_0.8.0-5ubuntu1_i386.deb"

• Install packages:

  • dpkg -i liblircclient0_0.8.0-5ubuntu1_i386.deb
    dpkg -i lirc_0.8.0-5ubuntu1_i386.deb

• Configure lirc (use the pinsys driver and set the correct serial port):

  • sudo nano /etc/lirc/hardware.conf

  Search for the line

  • DRIVER=""

  and change it to

  • DRIVER="pinsys"

  Then search for the line

  • DEVICE=""

  and change it to contain the selected serial port, like

  • DEVICE="/dev/ttyS0"

• Select the PCTV signal description:

  • cp /usr/share/lirc/remotes/pinnacle_systems/lircd.conf.pctv /etc/lirc/lircd.conf

  This tells LIRC which infrared signals come from which buttons.
• Restart lircd:

  • sudo /etc/init.d/lirc stop
    sudo /etc/init.d/lirc start

• Test whether the hardware is detected an works, by running in a console:

  • irw

  and pressing some buttons on the PCTV remote. There should appear some output in the console for every pressed button.

Use LIRC

Refer to LircHowto, section "Map buttons" for this part.