# KDE Infrared Remote Control Configuration

Gav Wood

    gav@kde.org

2004-01-02
1.0
2004 Gav Wood
&FDLNotice;

&kdelirc; configuration: The infrastructure for the KDE's Infrared Remote Control functionality.

KDE irkick kdelirc kcmlirc lirc

## Introduction

### Requirements

For the KDELirc framework to be utilised you must have setup a LIRC on your KDE machine. If it is properly set up, the &kdelirc; icon in the system tray (show icon here) will light up red. If not, it will be grey and crossed out.

For more information about LIRC, visit their website at http://www.lirc.org.

## Usage

There are several sections of the configuration. The list on the left details the remote controls and modes. The selection of that dictates the contents of the right-most list, which shows button/action bindings. Flicking the main tab over to Loaded Extensions will show a list of applications and remote controls that are recognised for the advanced functionality; some data is also viewable by selecting one of the items.

### Remote Controls and Modes

Each remote control can have a number of modes. Having multiple modes allows the same button to conduct different actions in difference situations, and is how many remote controls handle many different appliances with a limited number of buttons. A good example are the TV/Video/Satellite/DVD multi-purpose remote controls - rather than having several sets of number buttons for each appliance they have only one set which works for the currently selected appliance only.

Each remote control can be in at most one mode at once (it may also be in no mode at all). The remote control also has a "default mode", which is the mode that it starts in, and the mode that it gets reset to normally. This may be set by using the Edit button.

The list contains any remote controls detected on your system. Modes may be added and removed by selecting the desired remote control and using the buttons directly below the list Add, Remove. Modes may be renamed "inline" in the standard KDE fashion by first selecting the mode in the list box, and then clicking it again after a short pause. The Edit button allows mode names to be edited, and also allows you to define an icon that will show up in the system tray when that mode is entered.

### Action-Button Bindings

An action/button binding ("action") is a connection between a button press and an effect. The effect may be to switch modes, to start a KDE program or to execute a function in a KDE program (using DCOP).

Actions may be associated with a mode of the remote control; if it is, the action will only have effect when the remote control is in that mode. Actions may also be placed out of any mode. Such actions will always have their desired effect no matter what mode that remote control happens to be in.

To add an action/button binding simply use the Add button. Removal may be performed by selecting the action(s) to be removed and clicking the Remove button. Actions may be Edited with the Edit button, and moved to different modes by dragging and dropping onto the desired mode in the remotes/modes list.

Actions may also be "automatically" populated. This handles the instance when you have a supported remote control and you wish to map its buttons to a supported application's functions. &kdelirc; can attempt to match buttons to functions for you; this behaviour may have to be tweaked, however.

### Loaded Extensions

There is another tab available named "Loaded Extensions". This details the applications and remote controls that &kdelirc; recognises. &kdelirc; can also use unsupported remote controls and applications, but the Auto-Populate function will not work as well (if at all).

By clicking on an entry you can see information on it such as the author's details.

## Credits and Licenses

&kdelirc; KDE LIRC Framework Copyright (c) 2004 Gav Wood gav@kde.org.

Documentation Copyright (c) 2004 by Gav Wood gav@kde.org.

&underFDL; &underGPL;

## Installation

&install.intro.documentation; &install.compile.documentation;