You can use the keyboard to control absouletly everything in MythTV but it’s not that practical once the lights are out and you’re mid movie. So one of the first things I was looking to do is get my Microsoft MCE remote working just the way I wanted.
For some background info you might want to check out the MCE Remote section of the MythTV wiki here.
MythTV does a pretty good job of setting up some defaults for the buttons but, if like me you’ve come from a Windows MCE system you may fine the lirc config files and associated script below useful.
These configs do four things above the functionality MythTV provides out of the box:
- Start / Restart mythfrontend when “the big green button” is pressed (handy if the frontend ever misbehaves)
- Cycle through subtitles when watching TV or movies in mplayer
- Make the Red button behave as expected for interactive TV. Green, Yellow, Blue and Teletext also act as they should.
- Make other buttons behave as a Windows MCE user would expect.
Here’s how all the buttons will function once everything is set up:
MCE Remote Mappings
Girlfriend proof it
A small tip which helps with the gf factor is removing the exit and shutdown menu when the back button is pressed from the main menu. To do this, in the frontend go to “Utilities / Setup” -> “Setup” -> “General”. Go to the fourth screen with the title of “General” and change the “System Exit Key” to “No exit key”. You can always exit the frontend with “alt F4″ if you need to.
Bash script to start / restart the frontend
The first thing to do is setup the bash script which will start or restart the MythTV frontend application when the big green button on your remote is pressed. Copy the script below and put it in a new file in your home directory. I put mine in ~/mythtv/runmyth
#!/bin/sh RUNNING=0; for x in `ps -C mythfrontend.re | grep -v PID` end; do test $x != 'mythfrontend.re' && continue RUNNING=1; done if [ $RUNNING = 1 ]; then #kill the process kill -9 `ps -aef | grep 'mythfrontend.re' | grep -v grep | awk '{print $2}'` #start it up again `mythfrontend &` else `mythfrontend &` fi
Don’t forget to make it executable
chmod 777 runmyth
lirc config files
Now that’s out the way here follows the lirc files for MythTV and mplayer. They should go into ~/.lirc/mythtv and ~/.lirc/mplayer respectively. Make sure the runmyth script path is defined correctly on line four of the mythtv lirc file.
mythtv
begin
prog = irexec
button = Home
config = /home/colin/mythtv/runmyth &;
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = LiveTV
config = %
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = RecTV
config = ;
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = DVD
config = m
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Red
config = F2
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Green
config = F3
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Yellow
config = F4
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Blue
config = F5
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Teletext
config = F6
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Clear
config = w
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Star
config = T
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Record
config = R
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Seven
config = 7
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Right
config = Right
repeat = 3
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Mute
config = |
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Skip
config = Right
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = One
config = 1
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Down
config = Down
repeat = 3
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Zero
config = 0
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Replay
config = Left
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Pause
config = P
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Six
config = 6
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Two
config = 2
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = ChanDown
config = Down
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = ChanUp
config = Up
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Rewind
config = <
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Forward
config = >
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Play
config = P
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = VolDown
config = [
repeat = 1
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Stop
config = Escape
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Back
config = Escape
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = VolUp
config = ]
repeat = 1
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Five
config = 5
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = More
config = I
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Four
config = 4
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = OK
config = Return
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Up
config = Up
repeat = 3
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Nine
config = 9
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Three
config = 3
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Enter
config = Enter
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Eight
config = 8
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Guide
config = S
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Left
config = Left
repeat = 3
delay = 0
endmplayer
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Play
config = pause
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Star
config = sub_select
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Blue
config = audio_delay 0.1
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Yellow
config = audio_delay -0.1
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = ChanDown
config = panscan -0.1
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = ChanUp
config = panscan +0.1
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Pause
config = pause
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = OK
config = pause
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Power
config = quit
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Mute
config = mute
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = VolDown
config = volume -1
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Skip
config = seek +15 0
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Enter
config = pause
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Stop
config = quit
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Up
config = seek +60 0
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = VolUp
config = volume +1
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Down
config = seek -60 0
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Replay
config = seek -15 0
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Right
config = seek +6 0
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Rewind
config = seek -30 0
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Forward
config = seek +30 0
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Home
config = vo_fullscreen
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mplayer
button = Left
config = seek -6 0
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
Great, I’m gonna use this one
I found the default MCE remove configuration of MythTV quite basic, and tried to add some stuff, e.g., the subtitles.
But I prefered the use the “big green button” for starting only, and the power button for exit (I’ve changed the “System Exit Key” to alt+ESC, and configured the remote’s power button to it.).
BTW, how about adding this one to MythTV svn?
BTW, I like the “repeat” settings.
This is quite an improvement over the default lirc configuration.
Nice work.
The one thing I cant seem to get to work is direct access of the Recorded TV screen from LiveTV. The Key mapping below does not seem to work for me;
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = RecTV
config = ;
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end
Any ideas as to why the above does not work?
All the best
Andrew
I am completely new to linux. I followed the instructions: copied the files as per in the instructions, including making runmythtv executable. However I don’t know how check that mythtv is using the new lirc files or how to point it to them. Could I have put them in wrong place (/etc/lirc/mythtv and /etc/lirc/mplayer)? I see that lirc is also in /usr/share/lirc. I apologise if this is not the right place to ask. Please help!
@Abongile the files need to go into the .lirc folder in your home directory on a standard MythBuntu install. So ~/.lirc/mythtv and ~/.lirc/mplayer
You will need to restart the machine or lirc for the new config files to take affect.
Hope this helps.
@Andrew have checked this out and it does not work on my config either. I can’t say I use it that often but I thought I had it going. Had a quick play around but can’t seem to find the MythTV lirc config skip to this jump point. Will update the post once I have figured it out.
@Colin, I am completely new to linux, so to me home directory is understood as / (root) and the folder as /home but in either case I do not immediately have an lirc folder/directory. The whereis ~/.lirc command gives me everything from linux-headers to man file locations. For good measure I tried placing them in /usr/share/lirc (/mythtv and /mplayer) respectively and moved the runmythtv file from /home/mythtv to /usr/share/mythtv/runmythtv, rebooted and no luck.
I need an even more basic guide e.g. 1) “your home directory is /home/abongile”, 2) cp the files (mythtv and mplayer) from /usr/share/lirc and the runmythtv file to /? 3) rm the files from the other locations 4) reboot 5)Press big green button on MCE remote model 1039 and you should get…. something along these lines would really help.
PS thank for the reply getting responses is very encouraging at what is often a very frustrating experience as it still quiet a learning curve adopting linux.