PC remote control in Linux guide

How to remotely control PC in Linux with LIRC

LIRC guide …

Let us begin with setting up LIRC – LIRC by the way, stands for Linux Infrared Remote Control and is the most popular software to query signals from the infrared remote control.

For this purpose first start a shell, also known as Bash or a command line interpreter. Next using the Linux operating system click on the “Applications” (or the particular start button in Linux) and then run under the accessory “terminal” program. It is in the Terminal window that all further commands in this manual are executed. If you are asked during the installation with the commands for a sudo password, you have to input the user password, which has been entered at the Ubuntu Linux installation.

Important: If you use an external USB IR receiver, you should not immediately put it into the USB port, but first boot the PC once again without the USB infrared receiver and close all programs.

Next configure LIRC with the following command again and select the respective IR receiver such as Igor USB:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure lirc (Confirm all inputs always with the Enter key, all inputs and letters are case sensitive!)

If you receive an error message that LIRC is not installed, you can do so using the following command:

sudo apt-get install lirc (If necessary enter your user password)

Otherwise as described above, start LIRC Config and select the appropriate infrared receiver. For the USB Ultra IR receiver from the modding area with the cursor keys, Igor Cesko’s USB IR receiver and confirm with OK:

In the next window, select “none” and click OK:

If all goes well, the irexec service for LIRC should now start automatically. If not, ask in our forums.

Now plug the USB infrared receiver into an available and functional USB port of the PC. For example, with this command you can see, if the USB Ultra IR Receiver v2.0 has been detected:

dmesg | grep ocinside

Or check the log entry of lirc with the following command:

dmesg | grep lirc

Now stop LIRC with the following command:

sudo /etc/init.d/lirc stop

Teach irrecord to learn the remote codes …