Trouble getting iMON knob remote working [Archive]

nurriz

2008-10-20, 23:22

I recently converted my main desktop to a media center, and wanted to give XBMC Live a go.

Specs:
Intel E6600 2.4 ghz
4 GB PC6400 RAM
Nvidia Geforce 8800GTS
Abit IP35 motherboard

I also bought an iMON knob receiver and remote (IMON PAD). Having been at it for 2 days now, I am on the verge of giving up, as it seems I get stuck on every guide I find.

I reach the point where most guides suggest doing
sudo dpkg-reconfigure lirc

Even on a fresh install my machine replies:
* Stopping remote control daemon(s): LIRC
...fail!
* Reloading kernel event manager...
No /sbin/udevd found running; none killed.
...fail!
invoke-rc.d: initscript udev, action "reload" failed.

I fear that it's the receiver thats the problem, but I honestly have no idea.

nurriz

2008-10-21, 21:32

I managed to get receiver and remote working. I guess most of my frustrations stemmed from not understanding how lirc works.

I did a clean install and was still unable to reconfigure. There was however no need, as getting the receiver working was a configuration issue.

My hardware.conf:
# /etc/lirc/hardware.conf
#
#Chosen Remote Control
REMOTE="iMON-PAD"
REMOTE_MODULES="lirc_dev lirc_imon"
REMOTE_DRIVER=""
REMOTE_DEVICE="/dev/lirc0"
REMOTE_LIRCD_CONF=""
REMOTE_LIRCD_ARGS=""

#Chosen IR Transmitter
TRANSMITTER="None"
TRANSMITTER_MODULES=""
TRANSMITTER_DRIVER=""
TRANSMITTER_DEVICE=""
TRANSMITTER_LIRCD_CONF=""
TRANSMITTER_LIRCD_ARGS=""

#Enable lircd
START_LIRCD="true"

#Don't start lircmd even if there seems to be a good config file
#START_LIRCMD="false"

#Try to load appropriate kernel modules
LOAD_MODULES="true"

# Default configuration files for your hardware if any
LIRCMD_CONF=""

#Forcing noninteractive reconfiguration
#If lirc is to be reconfigured by an external application
#that doesn't have a debconf frontend available, the noninteractive
#frontend can be invoked and set to parse REMOTE and TRANSMITTER
#It will then populate all other variables without any user input
#If you would like to configure lirc via standard methods, be sure
#to leave this set to "false"
FORCE_NONINTERACTIVE_RECONFIGURATION="false"
START_LIRCMD=""

I then simply copied /usr/share/lirc/remote/imon/lircd.conf.imon-pad to /etc/lirc/lircd.conf

sudo cp /usr/share/lirc/remote/imon/lircd.conf.imon-pad /etc/lirc/lircd.conf

This made the remote respond to some of the keypresses, except pushes from the directional pad. I am under the impression that this need to be patched, but as said before I am unable to follow any of the guides. I however got the remote functional by remapping buttons on the numberpad of the remote to the directional input.

Lircmap.xml
<?xml version="1.0"?>

<lircmap>
<remote device="iMON-PAD">
<pause>Pause</pause>
<stop>Stop</stop>
<forward>FastForward</forward>
<reverse>Rewind</reverse>
<left>4</left>
<right>6</right>
<up>2</up>
<down>8</down>
<select>5</select>
<pageplus>Chan+</pageplus>
<pageminus>Chan-</pageminus>
<back>Backspace</back>
<menu>WindowsKey</menu>
<title>MouseMenu</title>
<info>More</info>
<skipplus>NextChapter</skipplus>
<skipminus>PrevChapter</skipminus>
<display>AspectRatio</display>
<start>MultiMon</start>
<record>Record</record>
<volumeplus>Vol+</volumeplus>
<volumeminus>Vol-</volumeminus>
<mute>Mute</mute>
<power>Power</power>
<myvideo>Red</myvideo>
<mymusic>Green</mymusic>
<mypictures>Blue</mypictures>
<mytv>Yellow</mytv>
<one>1</one>
<three>3</three>
<seven>7</seven>
<nine>9</nine>
<zero>0</zero>
</remote>
</lircmap>

This makes me able to use 2 as UP, 4 as LEFT, 5 as SELECT, 6 as RIGHT and 8 as DOWN.

This will suffice until the support for my remote hopefully gets better. Just thought I'd share.