Summary

A good remote control support is a must for a Media Center.

As we all know, whatever the base software is, remote control support will come through [http://www.lirc.org/ LIRC].

Some facts

• LIRC is configured through 2 files:

  • the "lircd.conf.<remote-name>" file, which describes the hardware bindings: pressing this key generates this signal. There is one file per supported remote.

  • the ".lircrc" configuration file, which describes the user's binding: receiving this signal generate sthis action.

• the first problem is that LIRC doesn't have a common key naming scheme [http://www.arcknowledge.com/gmane.comp.hardware.lirc/2005-01/msg00168.html read this, point a)] As an example, the "play" function can be called:

  • "PLAY" (streamzap),
  • "PLAY_DOWN" and "PLAY_UP" (animax),
  • "Play" (mceusb), ...
  This has the major drawback to force each user to create a new lircrc file which matches his remote's signal names.

  The result for UMC would be: X remotes * 2 files = 2 X (ie for 10 remotes => 20 files)

• The smart solution is to standardise a common naming, having the same signal names used in every "lircd.conf.*". This means that:

  • we have as many "lircd.conf.<remote-name>" files as remotes supported

  • But only 1 .lircrc file for all users, using sub sections.

  The result for UMC would be: (X remotes * 1 file) + 1 file = X + 1 (ie for 10 remotes => 11 files)

• UMC will try to support the maximum number of remote controls,
  • but since only USB and TV-card bundled ones can be autodetected, only these will be supported out-of-the-box
  • serial remote controls will be selectable through a list at installation time. This operation obviously implies the use of a keyboard!

Implementation

• Remote support will be implemented using the above solution/simplification. For each UMC supported remote, the "<remote-name>.lirc" file must have been standardised.

• A ".lircrc" must be created for the media center software (ie [https://core.fluendo.com/elisa/trac/browser/trunk/elisa/core/plugins/data/streamzap.lirc Elisa Streamzap support])

• the minimum set (milestone 1) of supported remote is equal to LIRC's [http://www.lirc.org/ commercially supported remote]. That is to say:

• Note: this should match the set of file in the [http://lirc.cvs.sourceforge.net/lirc/lirc/remotes/ lirc source code].

• milestone 2: provide a basic irrecord like GUI for other remotes.

  Note: I'm not sure about what to do with the [http://www.lirc.org/remotes.tar.bz2 remotes mega archive]

Hardware recommendation

The project should recommend some remote controls based upon the following criterion:

• the remote control can be easily found worldwide,
• the remote control can be autedetected by Ubuntu (preferably USB),
• the remote control is built / sold by an ubuntu friendly manufacturer / reseller (, ie
  • which provides official support to LIRC,

  • which has [http://www.ubuntu.com/partners/certification/hardware certified its hardware with Ubuntu] (to be discussed with Malcom Yates)

  • which provides an Ubuntu sticker (lobbying with the Marketing Team)

References

• Elisa and LIRC:

  • https://core.fluendo.com/elisa/trac/browser/trunk/README.txt

  • https://core.fluendo.com/elisa/trac/browser/trunk/elisa/core/plugins/data/streamzap.lirc