Re: TBS 6920 remote

[Tony Houghton <h@realh.co.uk>]

On Mon, 6 Feb 2012 11:48:43 +0000
Simon Jones <sijones2010@gmail.com> wrote:

> > Thanks. It seems that there was a bug in their driver which
> > prevented some keys from working, but AFIACT it's fixed now. The
> > code is GPL so is it just lack of interest/demand that's stopped it
> > from going into the main kernel?
> 
> They have an NDA with a chip supplier so can't release the full
> source, I think there is a binary blob somewhere that makes it so you
> can't include them.

The 6920 uses a Conexant chipset and everything except the remote works
with a standard kernel, but I did have to install the firmware manually.
Is the binary part for the remote? I would have thought it was only for
other chipsets.

> > I think I'll pass on having to maintain a 3rd party driver whenever
> > the Debian kernel upgrades. The remote is missing some quite
> > important keys like Play, so they seem to have only considered it
> > for live viewing, not for PVRs. I'll probably end up buying a
> > separate USB remote or continuing to use a portable keyboard.
> 
> I have an MCE remote, ebay has HP remote and receiver cheap enough,
> they are also rc6 encoding so you can use one-for-all remote etc easy
> enough, and drivers are in kernel so only a manor change to lirc to
> get it working.

Ah yes, those HP ones look serviceable and affordable, thanks.

> You don't have to use lirc but I couldn't be bothered trying to map
> the keys in X.

It would be better if more applications had a nice frontend to "train"
them to use certain keys, either as the remote appearing as a keyboard,
or by reading input events (which is very easy).