[SOLVED] Can't get LIRC to work (LATEST:works even in kernel 2.6.38.4)

[coonhunter]

System: PCLOS 2010.12 kernel:2.6.33.7-pclos6.bfs
Remote:mce2005 usb remote

I installed the lirc 0.8.7 package from the repos rebooted and found the remote wouldn't respond.Ran cat /var/log/messages and got the following:

Apr 30 13:36:31 localhost synaptic: [RPM] lirc-0.8.7-1pclos2010 installed
Apr 30 13:44:29 localhost klogd: lirc_dev: IR Remote Control driver registered, major 251
Apr 30 13:44:29 localhost klogd: lirc_mceusb: Windows Media Center Edition USB IR Transceiver driver for LIRC 1.90
Apr 30 13:44:29 localhost klogd: lirc_mceusb: Daniel Melander <lirc@rajidae.se>, Martin Blatter <martin_a_blatter@yahoo.com>, Dan Conti <dconti@acm.wwu.edu>
Apr 30 13:44:29 localhost klogd: lirc_mceusb 5-1:1.0: lirc_dev: driver lirc_mceusb registered at minor = 0
Apr 30 13:44:29 localhost klogd: lirc_mceusb 5-1:1.0: Registered Philips eHome Infrared Transceiver on usb5:2
Apr 30 13:44:29 localhost klogd: usbcore: registered new interface driver lirc_mceusb
Apr 30 13:44:31 localhost hald[887]: error in fdi file /usr/share/hal/fdi/information/20thirdparty/20-ircontrol-lirc.fdi:121: not well-formed (invalid token)
Apr 30 13:44:46 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[1943]: config file contains no valid remote control definition
Apr 30 13:44:47 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[2002]: lircd(default) ready, using /var/run/lirc/lircd
Apr 30 13:44:47 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[2002]: accepted new client on /var/run/lirc/lircd
Apr 30 13:44:47 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[2002]: could not get hardware features
Apr 30 13:44:47 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[2002]: this device driver does not support the LIRC ioctl interface
Apr 30 13:44:47 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[2002]: major number of /dev/lirc0 is 251
Apr 30 13:44:47 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[2002]: LIRC major number is 61
Apr 30 13:44:47 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[2002]: check if /dev/lirc0 is a LIRC device
Apr 30 13:44:47 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[2002]: Failed to initialize hardware
Apr 30 13:46:26 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[2002]: accepted new client on /var/run/lirc/lircd
Apr 30 13:46:40 localhost lircd-0.8.7-CVS[2002]: removed client

Does anyone know what the solution is?

[MBantz]

There are two places to check:

/etc/sysconfig - look for lirc files. Here you configure the hardware part of lirc

/etc/lirc or /etc/lircd - here you configure the remote control itself (i.e. the buttons)

In MythTV I have a ~/.lircd file that tell MythTV the bindings for the keys defined in /etc/lirc to the required MythTV key,

my situation with lirc right now is that I cannot record a reliable file for the remote (irrecord as I recall it's called (taken from memory)),

cheers,
MBantz

[coonhunter]

There are two places to check:

/etc/sysconfig - look for lirc files. Here you configure the hardware part of lirc

/etc/lirc or /etc/lircd - here you configure the remote control itself (i.e. the buttons)

Hi MBantz..thanks for your reply.
Yes i have checked and double checked those files and they should work fine because there is no problem with those settings on my pclos2007 and LinuxMint8partitions.I remember reading another post where Texstar commented that lirc is now built into the kernel.I didn't quite understand what was meant by that.Does that mean it provides the lirc daemon?..but i couldn't find it anywhere unless i install the lirc package.Is it creating some kind of conflict?.I am really hoping that there is a solution to this otherwise i may have to abandon pclos2010 as a multimedia machine

[Texstar]

What I was talking about is there are kernel drivers in the kernel for lirc. I would assume this would be a specific version of lirc drivers that would go with a daemon?

/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/media/rc/ir-lirc-codec.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/media/rc/lirc_dev.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/media/rc/keymaps/rc-lirc.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_bt829.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_igorplugusb.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_imon.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_it87.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_ite8709.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_parallel.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_sasem.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_serial.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_sir.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_ttusbir.ko.gz
/lib/modules/2.6.38.4-pclos1.pae.bfs/kernel/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_zilog.ko.gz

[coonhunter]

Thanks for getting back Texstar.I can only assume that from the message "this device driver does not support the LIRC ioctl interface" that there is a bug with the lirc_mceusb driver in the kernel.It ain't talking to the lirc daemon.I honestly don't know where to go from here 

[Texstar]

Thanks for getting back Texstar.I can only assume that from the message "this device driver does not support the LIRC ioctl interface" that there is a bug with the lirc_mceusb driver in the kernel.It ain't talking to the lirc daemon.I honestly don't know where to go from here 

I suspect there is a version of lirc daemon that is designed to work with the latest kernel drivers?

[coonhunter]

This thread highlights the frustration: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-844718-start-0.html

One poster was having a similar problem and he comments:"I talked to the maintainer of Lirc and he says, that the problem is incompatible ioctl versions between kernel and userspace"

Well thats me done with this kernel for a while.

[AS]

This thread highlights the frustration: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-844718-start-0.html

One poster was having a similar problem and he comments:"I talked to the maintainer of Lirc and he says, that the problem is incompatible ioctl versions between kernel and userspace"

Well thats me done with this kernel for a while.

Hi coonhunter,

in the link you posted, one user say:

I have 2.6.34-gentoo-r6 and lirc 0.8.7_pre1 working with no special tricks that I know of.

You are using kernel 2.6.33.7 as far as I can see, why not to try to upgrade to a more recent kernel ?

AS

[coonhunter]

Hi coonhunter,

in the link you posted, one user say:

I have 2.6.34-gentoo-r6 and lirc 0.8.7_pre1 working with no special tricks that I know of.

You are using kernel 2.6.33.7 as far as I can see, why not to try to upgrade to a more recent kernel ?

AS

Hi AS how do i go about updating the kernel?

[AS]

Open synaptic, search for "kernel" and you will find several available: 2.6.37.4-pclos1.bfs or 2.6.38.4-pclos1.bfs,
mark for installation the one you choose, then apply, apply.
At the end of installation, reboot the system, it will require more time than usual, but only at first reboot.
If something go wrong, i.e. some incompatibility, you can reboot using your previous kernel. (select from grub).

AS

[coonhunter]

I've updated it to 2.6.38.4-pclos1.bfs but the lirc 0.8.7 package only supports kernels upto 2.6.35.Is there a 2.6.34 or 2.6.35 kernel for pclos as i don't see it in the repos?

[AS]

I've updated it to 2.6.38.4-pclos1.bfs but the lirc 0.8.7 package only supports kernels upto 2.6.35.Is there a 2.6.34 or 2.6.35 kernel for pclos as i don't see it in the repos?

Unfortunately no. 

AS

[coonhunter]

I'm curious.. has anyone got lirc to work properly on their system and if so how?

[coonhunter]

Well guys i downgraded the kernel to 2.6.31.12-pclos1,installed the lirc 0.8.7 package from the repos and now everything works.I just needed to change the /etc/lirc/lirc.conf file to match the one from my mceusb remote otherwise no other modification was required.So i guess the take home message is that the 2.6.33 kernel isn't compatible with lirc

As an aside i like the feel and responsiveness of the 2.6.38 kernel but haven't been able to get lirc working on it.It may be work in progress upstream but i eagerly watch this space.

[Was_Just19]

Well guys i downgraded the kernel to 2.6.31.12-pclos1,installed the lirc 0.8.7 package from the repos and now everything works.I just needed to change the /etc/lirc/lirc.conf file to match the one from my mceusb remote otherwise no other modification was required.So i guess the take home message is that the 2.6.33 kernel isn't compatible with lirc

As an aside i like the feel and responsiveness of the 2.6.38 kernel but haven't been able to get lirc working on it.It may be work in progress upstream but i eagerly watch this space.

Thanks for the info .......  disappointing as it is .......  I have just begun to try to get Lirc working on my DVB-T device ......  seems I might not do so with the newer kernels ---  which of course are needed to support the device!   

regards.