[Clontarf[X]]

Fresh Ubuntu 17.10 installation
Fresh Kodi 17.6 installation

It's very easy to get an RC6 MCE remote working with Ubuntu 17 and Kodi. You just need to forget EVERYTHING you know about LIRC. No kodi keymap files required either...

I got so frustrated with all the non-sensical guides and instructions on getting Lirc, Kodi, Ubuntu, DevInput, inputlirc e.t.c to work that I said to myself, "there must be an easier way". And there is. First thing is first, get rid of LIRC and never mention it's name again.

Code:

apt-get remove *lirc* --purge

Please have a look at https://github.com/clontarfx/kodi-rc6-mce-nolirc and let me know if you need anything further clarified.

Simply copy the rc6_mce file to /etc/rc_keymaps, run the command to reload ir-keytables and restart Kodi. It's that simple. I've done the hard work looking for the Kodi keyboard commands and putting them into the rc_keymap file. You may way to change these button-keyboard translations to suit your own preferences.

More detailed information can be found at the above GitHub repo.

Cheers

[xekon]

thank you for your post, this does indeed work, all of the buttons on my remote can be configured to do what I need.

I do have one issue though, is it possible using the kernel/rc_keymaps to bind a particular key to do the equivalent of irsend?

I know with the old LIRC setup if your IR receiver also had the ability to send ir signals then you would use irsend.

my receiver is the popular MCE hp receiver and remote HP ovu400103/00

on the back of the device is a spot to plug in your ir transmitter (super tiny transmitter on a cable, you can route near your other device you need to control such as controlling the volume directly on a stereo receiver, or being able to turn it on or off.)

would prefer to be able to send ir codes to my other devices so that I can use one single remote to control my devices instead of having to use multiple remotes

[HiassofT]

You can use ir-ctl to send IR signals - see the ir-ctl manpage for details http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/artf...ctl.1.html

ir-ctl can both send raw files (containing pulse/space trains) - which is handy if you want to simulate some really odd remote that doesn't use a standard protocol - and also send scancodes in most of the standard protocols (sony, rc-5, rc-6 etc).

Using protocol+scancode is the easiest (an in general preferred) variant, note though that you have to use ir-keytable scancodes - lircd.conf uses a rather different format to store scancodes and it's not easy to convert between these two formats.

Sending scancodes in a given protocol is as easy as this:

Code:

ir-ctl -S rc5:0x1234
ir-ctl -S sony12:0x100015

You can find some more info in this thread on the LibreELEC forum: https://forum.libreelec.tv/thread/10727-...libreelec/

BTW: I recommend compiling the latest 1.14.1 v4l-utils version from https://linuxtv.org/downloads/ instead of using the 1.12.x version that ships with Ubuntu, ir-ctl in 1.14 contains some important bugfixes and additional features regarding IR sending that are not in 1.12.x.

so long,

Hias

[Preacher]

I'm interested in this, but...

An example would be changing KEY_BLUE to KEY_I if you wanted to make it the info key

.. I could do with some better worked examples than this.  Perhaps an image showing the remote control with keys identified.

Or, for some use cases:

• I want to press [=] button and it shows/hides subtitles.  How do I do that?
  
• When I press the "Start" button on my remote I'd like to jump straight to TV shows.  What change do I do?
  
• How could I disable the power button on my remote?
  

I really like the fact that you've found a great method to redefining remote keys.  I spent ages messing around with keymaps.xml trying to match a keypress reported in Lirc to a Kodi function, and this is something that's still not straightforward in Kodi.  I realise it's a niche function (see my feature request over here) but I could see there being demand for it, in particular for people that want to customise keypresses (or diagnose a dysfunctional remote).

[spottedhaggis]

Hi,

I have just moved from a windows Kodiover to Ubuntu, kodi installed ok, but the remote (RC6) hardly works, one or two buttons work.

I found this entry in the forum, seemed easy but the folder rc_keymaps does not appear to exist in my installation so where do I put the file?

[spottedhaggis]

This is becoming a real pain in the backside.
I really do not want to go back to windows, so I am trying hard here.
I have so far got a working Libreelec but I want to instead try and use a full blown linux build with Kodi in it, but not so kodi takes over the entire system (boot into kodi but leave the desktop running as well)
I tried Mint, but CPU went nuts with kodi running
I then ran Lubuntu but it was more painful getting it working
I ended up with Ubuntu (not my favorite version of Linux) and Kodi installed problem free, nice and fast no cpu issues etc, however my RC6 MCE remote only has a few buttons that work.
I found this port and thought great someone has done the work for me, however I appear to be lacking the RC_Keymaps folder, so I figured I could simply create it, however when I tried to run the command in the readme file " sudo ir-keytable -c -w /etc/rc_keymaps/rc6_mce "  it would not run as ir-keytable does not exit, so I installed it, then ran it, and a message suggested it had done something (sorry I cant recalll what it said)
Reading something about restarting Ubuntu I told it to reboot, upon restarting it entered immediately into Kodi and I am now unable to get back into Ubuntu again.

So after an hour playing I now have to wipe it all and start all over again.

Surely there are instructions that work somewhere?

[spottedhaggis]

ok so I gave up on ubuntu and installed Manjaro figured what the hell I may as well try something simpler, again installed no issues, Kodi runs perfect, same blasted remote problem.
this time the rc_keymaps folder was there, so I put the rc6_mce file into the folder and again tried to run the command, this time I get

invalid parameter on line 9 of /etc/rc_keymaps/rc6_mce
ir-keytable: failed to read table file /etc/rc_keymaps/rc6_mce

I may have to concede defeat, and stick to Libreelec which seems to work just fine.

[Clontarf[X]]

Sorry guys, this was a dump and run thread, I didn't expect to get any replies. Apologies for the delay. Of course, to use any of this, you need to have ir-keytable installed.

I do have one issue though, is it possible using the kernel/rc_keymaps to bind a particular key to do the equivalent of irsend?

Outside my realm of expertise. Can't help here.

.. I could do with some better worked examples than this.  Perhaps an image showing the remote control with keys identified.

Information about the mapping of keys to "KEY_" codes is well documented both in Kodi wiki and on Google. Google "ir-keytable --test", it's very easy to figure out which button returns which codes. It's not my goal nor intent to provide any kind of support further than what is already documented. If I can Google, anyone can

I may have to concede defeat, and stick to Libreelec which seems to work just fine.

I am also a bit annoyed that I had to do this after upgrading to Ubuntu 17, but I have a hunch this is an Ubuntu issue and not neccesarily a Kodi one.

[IgorA100]

It's very easy to get an RC6 MCE remote working

 

O Great and mighty magician !!!
I spent two days trying to get LIRC + CODI 17 to work correctly on Ubuntu 18.04 and everything was useless. I was in paternity. And I decided to read the forum.
Many thanks for such a simple solution!
Everything works great!

[Jester1o1]

For anyone having issues here are complete instructions;

Install is easy;
1) remove LIRC (sudo apt-get remove *lirc* --purge)
2) install ir-keytable (sudo apt-get install ir-keytable)
3) create /etc/rc_keymaps directory (sudo mkdir /etc/rc_keymaps)
4) copy the rc6-mce config file from github to rc_keymaps, or copy it as raw and paste into a new rc6-mce text file in /etc/rc-keymaps. 
5) sudo ir-keytable -c -w /etc/rc_keymaps/rc6_mce

Remote will then work without issue, as long as your receiver is already working of course.

If this doesn't work, 1) check that your remote is a MCE remote. 2) check that your receiver is an ehome receiver. Google is your friend.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

For anyone having issues here are complete instructions;

Install is easy;
1) remove LIRC (sudo apt-get remove *lirc* --purge)
2) install ir-keytable (sudo apt-get install ir-keytable)
3) create /etc/rc_keymaps directory (sudo mkdir /etc/rc_keymaps)
4) copy the rc6-mce config file from github to rc_keymaps, or copy it as raw and paste into a new rc6-mce text file in /etc/rc-keymaps. 
5) sudo ir-keytable -c -w /etc/rc_keymaps/rc6_mce

Remote will then work without issue, as long as your receiver is already working of course.

If this doesn't work, 1) check that your remote is a MCE remote. 2) check that your receiver is an ehome receiver. Google is your friend.

with the latest kernel ( 4.16.x) this trick doesn't work anymore ... do you have some advice for me?

[Jester1o1]

That seems very unlikely, ir-keytable is the modern implementation of IR in Linux. This isn't a 'trick' it's the correct way to configure a remote control.

[fritsch]

I think Rumpelstiltskin mixes the effect with the cause. In recent kodi nightlies LIRC (as well as power management) was not working for two / three days like expected. This is fixed in recent nightlies. Sadly the nightly ppa did not get updated since several days -> maintainer on holidays.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

one more small question:

How do I associate a button with three "ketboard button" at the same time?
I would like to do so (Ctr+Shift+O) but it doesn't work:

0x8034842f KEY_CTRL KEY_SHIFT KEY_O
I also tried

0x8034842f KEY_CTRL+KEY_SHIFT+KEY_O

or

0x8034842f 'KEY_CTRL KEY_SHIFT KEY_O'

[Rumpelstiltskin]

I think Rumpelstiltskin mixes the effect with the cause. In recent kodi nightlies LIRC (as well as power management) was not working for two / three days like expected. This is fixed in recent nightlies. Sadly the nightly ppa did not get updated since several days -> maintainer on holidays.

 hey fritsch

just to know, when are they coming back from vacation? 



I can't resist, I need to upgrade ehehe