Linux & IR Blasters

[jvbunte]

I have a python script left over from MythTV that changes the channel on my DCT2xxx Motorola receiver over the serial port. Is there any plugin for LINUX Sage TV that can just call an external script?

All I need the plugin to do is take a script like:

/usr/local/bin/changechannel.py ###

to change the channel. No fancy IR codes, no IR blasting, just call a script.

I think this would be easy to maintain and let other users use a wider variety of channel changing apparatus without the need to support every device under the sun. Support a script, not 100 devices.

[stuckless]

I don't think it would be hard to do this... but there are some considerations that I've listed earlier in the forum, and it's around how to configure it. basically, you'd only be able to have 1 exeternal tuner loaded, so if you needed to use it for 2 devices, you'd be screwed. This is because the script name would be hard-coded in the plugin. If you moved the scriptname to a configuration, then all external tuner instances would read the same script, and as a result, they'd all call the same script.

As a side thought, which complicates things a little, I thought about creating an external tuner plugin that supported a single configuration that could be used by multiple tuners.

The sample configuration would look like this....

# Remote Name, Command %s
lirc1,/usr/local/bin/changelircchannel dish1 1 %s
lirc2,/usr/local/bin/changelircchannel dish1 2 %s
custom,/usr/local/bin/changechannel.py %s

In the Tuner Plugin, when LoadRemotes is called, it would parse the configuration and present each remote listed as a remote option. In this way, you can use a single TunerPlugin instance to control multiple STBs using commands. When the command executed %s would be replaced with the remote command being played (ie, channel # or command). All other parameters specified in the command would be passed as an arg.

Also, there is no reason why the same code couldn't generate both a shared object and dll depending on the system on which it is built.

I didn't go with this route since my modifications to the LIRCTuner.so worked in my case

[bcjenkins]

[shameless blog reference] http://tvwhere.wordpress.com/2008/06...ting-in-linux/ [/shameless blog reference]

The author of the plugin is working to make a general release. Right now the plugin in its current form still requires lirc, but it doesn't require lirc to actually do anything other than return a list of remote names. After that, the remote name is passed as a variable to the script at which point you can benignly ignore it and change channels however you prefer.

B

[jvbunte]

Originally Posted by bcjenkins

[shameless blog reference] http://tvwhere.wordpress.com/2008/06...ting-in-linux/ [/shameless blog reference]

The author of the plugin is working to make a general release. Right now the plugin in its current form still requires lirc, but it doesn't require lirc to actually do anything other than return a list of remote names. After that, the remote name is passed as a variable to the script at which point you can benignly ignore it and change channels however you prefer.

B

Is this plugin available? It wasn't listed on that blog, just the script.

[lambda379]

Has anyone gotten the USB-UIRT to work in Ubuntu 8.04 with this plugin? I haven't had any luck, but I'm certainly no Linux expert. The USB-UIRT is found during boot:

Aug 15 05:53:31 ubuntu-sagetv kernel: [ 56.246298] ftdi_sio 1-1:1.0: FTDI USB Serial Device converter detected
Aug 15 05:53:31 ubuntu-sagetv kernel: [ 56.246313] drivers/usb/serial/ftdi_sio.c: Detected FT232BM
Aug 15 05:53:31 ubuntu-sagetv kernel: [ 56.246663] usb 1-1: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0
Aug 15 05:53:31 ubuntu-sagetv kernel: [ 56.246698] usbcore: registered new interface driver ftdi_sio
Aug 15 05:53:31 ubuntu-sagetv kernel: [ 56.246703] drivers/usb/serial/ftdi_sio.c: v1.4.3:USB FTDI Serial Converters Driver

But as soon as I try to configure the tuner, the following error is generated and SageTV shuts down.

Aug 15 05:54:36 ubuntu-sagetv lircd-0.8.3pre1[6162]: accepted new client on /dev/lircd
Aug 15 05:54:37 ubuntu-sagetv lircd-0.8.3pre1[6162]: uirt2_raw: checksum error
Aug 15 05:54:37 ubuntu-sagetv lircd-0.8.3pre1[6162]: uirt2_raw: UIRT version 0905 ok
Aug 15 05:54:47 ubuntu-sagetv lircd-0.8.3pre1[6162]: removed client

From my research on the subject, the driver (kernel 2.6.24) for the USB-UIRT is causing the error. I've tried some of the solutions, but none have worked. Has anybody figured this out successfully.

Or should I stop fooling around and order an iguanaIR? Does the iguanaIR work "out-of-box"?

John

[bcjenkins]

NO IGUANA! I was so bummed when I could get past 2 devices and they weren't responsive at all for support.. I use a CommandIR II and it is great. Twice the price but no hassle at all.

B

[jpwegas]

Originally Posted by lambda379

Or should I stop fooling around and order an iguanaIR? Does the iguanaIR work "out-of-box"?

It doesn't quite work "out of the box". The iguanaIR requires a daemon to be running, and a version of LIRC to be compiled that knows how to talk to the daemon. The iguana lirc driver code is apparently included in the lirc source tree, but Ubuntu (my current distro) doesn't compile it in.

So it's Sage -> LIRC tuner plugin -> lircd -> igdaemon -> usb blaster -> STB

You can download rpm or dpkg packages from their web site if you don't want to roll your own, so it's relatively easy to get the right software installed. Make sure you use the most recent versions of igdaemon and lirc (with igdaemon support added). There were some bugs in the older versions.

I have been using the USB iguanaIR successfully, but as bcjenkins mentioned, he had some serious issues getting it to work, so if you don't mind the extra money it might be worth it to look at the CommandIR II.

--John

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by stuckless

With the permission of Narflex, the LIRCTuner plugin now includes it's full source and Makefile. It should be trivial for anyone to rebuild it under Linux.

Old thread, I know.

What is the current status of USB-UIRT support? I'm thinking about building a new Linux based Sage server to replace my aging Windows server.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

Old thread, I know.

What is the current status of USB-UIRT support? I'm thinking about building a new Linux based Sage server to replace my aging Windows server.

I can't say much about USB-UIRT, but my setup uses Command-IR and the Gentuner plugin. If you use Command-IR you need to learn all the keystrokes, etc, but I was having issues with LIRC (ie, dropped keys, etc), so I eventually with with Command-IR and it's been rock solid.

[jrhees]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

Old thread, I know.

What is the current status of USB-UIRT support? I'm thinking about building a new Linux based Sage server to replace my aging Windows server.

I would like to update direct support for the USB-UIRT in Linux. I only recently found out that SageTV was open-sourced and am now starting to look at the repo.

It's been a while since I wrote the original USB-UIRT plugin (13+ years!) so bear with me...

Jon

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by jrhees

I would like to update direct support for the USB-UIRT in Linux. I only recently found out that SageTV was open-sourced and am now starting to look at the repo.

It's been a while since I wrote the original USB-UIRT plugin (13+ years!) so bear with me...

Jon

Thank you for poking back into this Jon. For what it's worth, we were just having a discussion in the github issues about a complete overhaul/update of the tuning plugin system, so you might want to look at that and maybe provide some insight.

https://github.com/google/sagetv/issues/202

[mibsy]

Originally Posted by jrhees

I would like to update direct support for the USB-UIRT in Linux. I only recently found out that SageTV was open-sourced and am now starting to look at the repo.

It's been a while since I wrote the original USB-UIRT plugin (13+ years!) so bear with me...

Jon

This would be outstanding! I have two USB-UIRT's and the only drawback to moving to unRaid/Linux from Windows was the great support for them under Windows. I have only been able to get the primary transmitter in one USB-UIRT to work under LIRC and it was not trivial. Being able to utilize a single USB-UIRT with multiple transmitters via the port on the back is sorely missed.

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Thank you for poking back into this Jon. For what it's worth, we were just having a discussion in the github issues about a complete overhaul/update of the tuning plugin system, so you might want to look at that and maybe provide some insight.

https://github.com/google/sagetv/issues/202

I'm making some progress on updating the API's right now and hope to have some UI screenshots posted on that issue soon to give everyone who is interested a better idea of what I'm doing. I'm trying to make this flexible enough that most developers will have no reason to implement their own custom STV to configure their tuner plugin.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Thank you for poking back into this Jon. For what it's worth, we were just having a discussion in the github issues about a complete overhaul/update of the tuning plugin system, so you might want to look at that and maybe provide some insight.

https://github.com/google/sagetv/issues/202

do you feel the USB UIRT will be functional with Sage and or Windows 7 / 10 for sone time to come? I'm thinking of getting one, but noticed manufacturer support ended some time ago. Also, I'm not a programmer - I've heard they can be difficult to set up...true?
thanks

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

do you feel the USB UIRT will be functional with Sage and or Windows 7 / 10 for sone time to come? I'm thinking of getting one, but noticed manufacturer support ended some time ago. Also, I'm not a programmer - I've heard they can be difficult to set up...true?
thanks

Don't know where you got that impression, but the USB-UIRT works flawlessly on Windows, and is very easy to configure in sagetv. My goal, really, would be for the Linux situation to have parity with Windows in this regard.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Don't know where you got that impression, but the USB-UIRT works flawlessly on Windows, and is very easy to configure in sagetv. My goal, really, would be for the Linux situation to have parity with Windows in this regard.

ok, thanks for the clarification, although I assume you are much better at quirky devices and 1's and 0's than I
Do you have any good links which would help explain it's setup to a novice?

[Fuzzy]

Might actually be in the SageTV Manual. In essence, when you are adding a source to sage, it will ask you if you will be tuning and external box. Then it will ask you what you are using. You select the USB-UIRT, and then it will give yo the abilility to learn each of the numbers from the remote. When learning, hold the remote about 2 inches from the front of the USB-UIRT, and hold down the appropriate number button until sage says it's done learning that one, then go o to the next.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Might actually be in the SageTV Manual. In essence, when you are adding a source to sage, it will ask you if you will be tuning and external box. Then it will ask you what you are using. You select the USB-UIRT, and then it will give yo the abilility to learn each of the numbers from the remote. When learning, hold the remote about 2 inches from the front of the USB-UIRT, and hold down the appropriate number button until sage says it's done learning that one, then go o to the next.

wow, that does sound simple. Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes

[n9cqs]

I also have a SageTV machine running on a Dell 745 since 2007 (yes, it has run continuously for going on a decade... still running WinXP... been doing the "ain't broke, don't fix it" but it is making me nervous). Just installed SageTV 9 on my Linux (Ubuntu) server and so far, so good! I have HDHomerun tuners for local stuff, but three DISH tuners. Running LM Gestion Keymap and USB-UIRT with no problems all that time.

I agree with Fuzzy... a multi-blaster IR control system for Linux as easy and reliable as what is available on Windows would be great.

Please post any files, solutions and hints that you come up with!
Jeff

[mibsy]

Originally Posted by n9cqs

I also have a SageTV machine running on a Dell 745 since 2007 (yes, it has run continuously for going on a decade... still running WinXP... been doing the "ain't broke, don't fix it" but it is making me nervous). Just installed SageTV 9 on my Linux (Ubuntu) server and so far, so good! I have HDHomerun tuners for local stuff, but three DISH tuners. Running LM Gestion Keymap and USB-UIRT with no problems all that time.

I agree with Fuzzy... a multi-blaster IR control system for Linux as easy and reliable as what is available on Windows would be great.

Please post any files, solutions and hints that you come up with!
Jeff

Jeff,

What Dish receivers are you using? There is a way to tune some Dish receivers directly over the network.