LINK IR Remote and Ubuntu?

[mtn]

Hi - just wondering if the IR receiver and remote sold for the Link (http://store.neurostechnology.com/receiver-neuros-link-p-89.html) will work with any Ubuntu 10.04 installation? i.e. if I bought the IR receiver and remote and plugged it into my laptop that is running Ubuntu 10.04 would the remote "just work" with XBMC, Boxee etc?

Cheers, Mike - Scotland

[Ogre]

The pages for those are a bit misleading.  The remote sold on that page (in the "Customers who bought this product also purchased" link) isn't an IR remote at all.  It uses the same USB dongle that the keymote does.

To actually answer the question, that remote and the keymote should "just work" with any computer, Windows, Mac, or Linux, since it's really just a USB keyboard and mouse as far as the computer knows, not an actual remote.

I haven't messed with the IR receiver and other remotes yet (it's supposed to work out of the box with anything labelled as a "windows media center remote"), but it ought to be possible to get any IR remote working with it.  It might take some tweaking of configuration files on an OS other than Neuros' modified Ubuntu image, but the software they're using is available in the standard distributions.

[JoeBorn]

Hi - just wondering if the IR receiver and remote sold for the Link (http://store.neurostechnology.com/receiver-neuros-link-p-89.html) will work with any Ubuntu 10.04 installation? i.e. if I bought the IR receiver and remote and plugged it into my laptop that is running Ubuntu 10.04 would the remote "just work" with XBMC, Boxee etc?

You have to install LIRC (from the ubuntu package manager) but once that is done, the IR receiver just works in Boxee, XBMC.  You have to make sure that your remote is sending signals that the reciever understands, this is possible with a universal remote, just set it to the "microsoft" code and it should work.  I've tested this with a handful of universal remotes and they all had a Microsoft code setting.

[mtn]

I have spent ages looking for a Linux (Ubuntu/XBMC) compatible IR receiver dongle. I have XBMC running on a softmodded XBOX with 300gb HD that I have been using for a couple of years now. It is great for the cheap price of the second hand hardware but I am getting a bit frustrated as the You Tube plugin isn't working and I watch streaming movies on LoveFim.co.uk for which Xbmc dose not (and likely, will not ever) have a plugin (loveFilm are being awkward about who has access to thier API). Basically, I'm finding I watch more and more streamed content and it would be nice to have a media centre that can also browse the web. I have an oldish laptop with decent Nividia graphics card (I'm not bothered about HD content) in it and I'm going to put Ubuntu/XBMC on it and I would like a remote to work with XBMC (I could use my Android phone but it is a bit frustrating and fiddly to use as a remote control). I have a couple of Xbox DVD IR remote/dongles and I thought I had cracked my IR remote problem when I came accross a guide to convert them to USB and use with Linux/LIRC, however, I have spent hours trying to get them to work (following guides and forum threads) and have had no joy at all. So, I started looking for an out-the-box Linux IR remote, but I can't find any easily avaliable on Amazon or Ebay. The ones I read about I can't seem to find for sale, with the exception of the Streamzap PC Remote (but it is a bit expansive and ships from the States). Anyway, I bought a Neuros OSD a few years ago and have kept an eye on Neuros products, and when I came across that IR receiver I thought that might be a good and easy solution - I have just now tried to buy one and the postage is 10 times the cost of the product, $70.00 (I'm in the UK!) After all the hassle I have had with the Xbox DVD dongle I really want something that is easy to setup and well supported in Ubuntu - something listed in the GNOME LIRC Properties GUI would be good.

Sorry for the long ramble (I'm still on the journey with this one) and thanks for the helpful replies. If you have any ideas about cheap Linux media centre (XBMC) IR receiver (and remote - though a universal one should do, that's right isn't it?) your thought would be much appreciated. Cheers, Mike