Root/Documentation/video4linux/README.ir

1
2infrared remote control support in video4linux drivers
3======================================================
4
5
6basics
7------
8
9Current versions use the linux input layer to support infrared
10remote controls. I suggest to download my input layer tools
11from http://bytesex.org/snapshot/input-<date>.tar.gz
12
13Modules you have to load:
14
15  saa7134 statically built in, i.e. just the driver :)
16  bttv ir-kbd-gpio or ir-kbd-i2c depending on your
17        card.
18
19ir-kbd-gpio and ir-kbd-i2c don't support all cards lirc supports
20(yet), mainly for the reason that the code of lirc_i2c and lirc_gpio
21was very confusing and I decided to basically start over from scratch.
22Feel free to contact me in case of trouble. Note that the ir-kbd-*
23modules work on 2.6.x kernels only through ...
24
25
26how it works
27------------
28
29The modules register the remote as keyboard within the linux input
30layer, i.e. you'll see the keys of the remote as normal key strokes
31(if CONFIG_INPUT_KEYBOARD is enabled).
32
33Using the event devices (CONFIG_INPUT_EVDEV) it is possible for
34applications to access the remote via /dev/input/event<n> devices.
35You might have to create the special files using "/sbin/MAKEDEV
36input". The input layer tools mentioned above use the event device.
37
38The input layer tools are nice for trouble shooting, i.e. to check
39whenever the input device is really present, which of the devices it
40is, check whenever pressing keys on the remote actually generates
41events and the like. You can also use the kbd utility to change the
42keymaps (2.6.x kernels only through).
43
44
45using with lircd
46================
47
48The cvs version of the lircd daemon supports reading events from the
49linux input layer (via event device). The input layer tools tarball
50comes with a lircd config file.
51
52
53using without lircd
54===================
55
56XFree86 likely can be configured to recognise the remote keys. Once I
57simply tried to configure one of the multimedia keyboards as input
58device, which had the effect that XFree86 recognised some of the keys
59of my remote control and passed volume up/down key presses as
60XF86AudioRaiseVolume and XF86AudioLowerVolume key events to the X11
61clients.
62
63It likely is possible to make that fly with a nice xkb config file,
64I know next to nothing about that through.
65
66
67Have fun,
68
69  Gerd
70
71--
72Gerd Knorr <kraxel@bytesex.org>
73

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