Create remote.conf from scratch

ippon · Jan 6th 2017

I have a new TX3-Pro (S905X- Android 6) box. I run it with kszaq 7.0.2.009 version (thanks to kszaq, great job!). The only problem I had was that the remote control didn’t work at all. Also copying remote.conf from the Android /etc folder to libreelec /storage/.config didn’t help. I thought a while, that may be the device tree (dtb) was wrong for my box but this wasn’t. It was the remote.conf. It seems to me, that Android 6 uses a remote configuration different from the /system/etc/remote.conf.

After ‘googleing’ a while, I found a description from a openelec user. He build a romete.conf from scratch for a WeeTeck-Box. I tried and it works. I was able to generate a working remote.conf for my box and now may remote works perfectly. Another benefit is, I was able to do my preferred key mapping.

I’ve seen a lot of posts regarding a not working remote-control. Hopefully my post will help a little bit.

1) Peparation
Copy a remote.conf file to libreelec Configuration folder over SSH :
/storage/.config
or using Windows shares:
\\your_box_IP\Configuration

You can either use my file from the post or the file from your Android. If you use your file, take care that:

all lines between key_begin and key_end are deleted or marked as comment (leading #)
debug_enable = 1

Code

#******************************************************************************************
#
#    this file is configuration for each factory remote device
#
#    factory_code      each device has it's unique factory code.
#                      pattern: custom_code(16bit) + index_code(16bit)
#                      examble: 0xff000001 = 0xff00(custom_code) + 0001(index_code)
#
#    work_mode         0 :software mode  1 :hardware mode
#    repeat_enable     0 :disable repeat 1 :enable repeat
#
#    release_delay     unit: ms
#                      release will report from kernel to user layer after this period
#                      of time from press or repeat triggered.
#
#    debug_enable      0 :debug disable  1 :debug disable
#
# SW MODE:
#    bit_count         how many bits in each frame
#    tw_leader_act     time window for leader active
#    tw_bit0           time window for bit0 time.
#    tw_bit1           time window for bit1 time
#    tw_repeat_leader  time window for repeat leader
# REG:
#    reg_base_gen      set value for PREG_IR_DEC_BASE_GEN
#    reg_control       set value for PREG_IR_DEC_CONTROL
#    reg_leader_act    set value for PREG_IR_DEC_LEADER_ACTIVE
#    reg_leader_idle   set value for PREG_IR_DEC_LEADER_IDLE
#    reg_repeat_leader set value for PREG_IR_DEC_REPEAT_IDLE
#    reg_bit0_time     set value for PREG_IR_DEC_BIT0_TIME
#******************************************************************************************
#amlogic NEC remote
factory_code    = 0x7f800001
work_mode       = 0
repeat_enable   = 1
repeat_delay    = 130
repeat_peroid   = 120
release_delay   = 20
debug_enable    = 1


# fn_key_scancode       = 0x52 #MOUSE
# left_key_scancode     = 0x25 #LEFT
# right_key_scancode    = 0x27 #RIGHT
# up_key_scancode       = 0x26 #UP
# down_key_scancode     = 0x28 #DOWN
# ok_key_scancode       = 0x0d #OK


mouse_begin
#        0 0x25 #LEFT
#        1 0x27 #RIGHT
#        2 0x26 #UP
#        3 0x28 #DOWN
mouse_end


key_begin
#   0x51 116 #Power
#   0x4d 164 #PLAYPAUSE (MUTE)


#    0x09 398 #RED
#    0x11 399 #GREEN
#    0x54 400 #YELLOW
#    0x4f 401 #BLUE


#    0x56 104 #PAGEUP (VOL-)
#    0xbd 168 #REWIND
#    0xbb 208 #FASTFORWARD
#    0x4e 109 #PAGEDOWN (VOL+)


#    0x25 105 #LEFT
#    0x27 106 #RIGHT
#    0x26 103 #UP
#    0x28 108 #DOWN
#    0x0d 28  #ENTER (OK)
   
#    0x53 102 #HOME
#    0x1b 1   #ESC (BACK)
#    0x49 46  #C (CONTEXTMENU)
##   0x52 nn  #MOUSE (dont use this line, key is mapped in fn_key_scancode)
    
#    0x30 11  #No.0
#    0x31 2   #No.1
#    0x32 3   #No.2
#    0x33 4   #No.3
#    0x34 5   #No.4
#    0x35 6   #No.5
#    0x36 7   #No.6
#    0x37 8   #No.7
#    0x38 9   #No.8
#    0x39 10  #No.9


#    0x44 14  #BACKSPACE
#    0x58 23  #INFO


#   0x4d 113 #MUTE
#   0x56 114 #VOLUMEDOWN
#   0x4e 115 #VOLUMEUP
#   0x09 364 #FAVORITES
#   0x11 102 #HOME
#   0x54 158 #BACK
#   0x4f 171 #CONFIG
key_end
repeat_key_begin
repeat_key_end

Display More

2) Set Factory Code
Open the /storage/.config/remote.conf in any editor. You can also use the windows share \\your_box_IP\Configuration.
Open a SSH session to your box (I use putty for this. User root, password libreelec).
Type ‘dmesg –c’ in the ssh terminal. Ignore the message, it’s only for clearing the cache.
Press any key in your remote control and directly dmesg -c in the ssh terminal. You will get something like this:

Code

wrong custom code is 0xXXYYZZZZ

Go to the editor with the remote.conf. You will find a line like this:

Code

factory_code = 0x12340001

Change the factory_code with this 0xZZZZ0001 (ZZZZ is the digits you have got as 'wrong custom code is' from the ssh above).
For example if you get in the dmesg wrong custom code is 0x14fg76ad then your factory_code should be 0x76ad0001.
Save the remote.conf and type 'remotecfg remote.conf' in the shell (or reboot your box). Factory code is set.

3) Key Map
Open the remote.conf in editor and the ssh in 2nd window again. Type Type ‘dmesg –c’ in the ssh terminal and ignore the message.
Press any key in your remote control and directly dmesg -c in the ssh terminal. You will now get something like this:

Code

remote: scancode is 0x0043,invalid key is 0x0000.

If you get this, the Factory code was set correctly.

Now you can start the do the keymapping. In my remote.conf file, you’ll find the lines between key_begin and key_end likes this:
# 0xca 116 ;POWER
# 0x07 105 ;KEY_LEFT
Start with the fist line. Press the POWER button on your remote. Type dmesg -c in the ssh terminal. You will now get something like this:

Code

remote: scancode is 0x0043,invalid key is 0x0000.

Change the 1st line in the remote.conf to
0x43 116 ;POWER
This means:
- removing the leading # (line is active)
- change 0xca to 0x43 (change old/wong remote code with the correct code.)
- keep 116 (this is the linux code for POWER button).You need to do this for all lines in the file. Don’t forget to save from time to time.

Do this for all lines in the file.
If you have no corresponding button on the remote, keep the line unchanged or delete it.
If you have keys on the remote with no corresponding line in the file, you can create a new line. For this, you need to now the right linux code. In the link below, you’ll find all avalible codes. Not all of them work in Kodi, so you need to play a bit with the codes.
linux/input-event-codes.h at master · torvalds/linux · GitHub

If you set the code for all buttons on your remote, save the remote.conf and and type 'remotecfg remote.conf' in the shell (or reboot your box). Key Maping is done.

4) Mouse
If you like to use the mouse function on your remote, you have to define one key on your remote as mouse key. To get the mouse working, you also need to set the values in the upper section of the remote.conf. This are the lines you need to change. The '0x25' is the value you need to change with the value you got bavk from the ‘dmesg –c’. You also need to remove the leading '#'.

Code

# fn_key_scancode       = 0x52 #MOUSE
# left_key_scancode     = 0x25 #LEFT
# right_key_scancode    = 0x27 #RIGHT
# up_key_scancode       = 0x26 #UP
# down_key_scancode     = 0x28 #DOWN
# ok_key_scancode       = 0x0d #OK


mouse_begin
#        0 0x25 #LEFT
#        1 0x27 #RIGHT
#        2 0x26 #UP
#        3 0x28 #DOWN
mouse_end

Display More

5) repeat key section
This is for keys on your remote where you like to have a repeat function if you press the key and keep it pressed. The only thing you need to do is to copy the relevant lines from the key section into the repeat_key section. I did it with the for lines for 'left', 'right', 'up', 'down'.

Gregoir3 · Jan 6th 2017

What if I get a parity check error?

Code

remote: parity check error code=0x3fff p30=0xf parity=0x3

ippon · Jan 6th 2017

Sorry, I've no idea. I've never seen this parity check error with my 3 boxes (TX3 S905X, MXQ-Pro-4k S905, Nexbox A95 S905).

Gregoir3 · Jan 6th 2017

I understand. Confuses the hell out of me.

mmpp · Jan 7th 2017

Thanks for the very good writeup!

Dakota76 · Jan 16th 2017

Quote from Gregoir3
What if I get a parity check error?
Code
remote: parity check error code=0x3fff p30=0xf parity=0x3

I also have this error. Anyone have an idea about it

fuccio · Jan 16th 2017

great tutorial guy,all work!

i have a question, i want add on the remote control a shortcut to scan video library and clean video library(on 2 different button),do u know the code? i search on google but i find nothing

thanks

Bruur · Jan 17th 2017

Quote from fuccio

i have a question, i want add on the remote control a shortcut to scan video library and clean video library(on 2 different button),do u know the code? i search on google but i find nothing

Install the Add-on Keymap Editor. It's in the official Kodi repository, so it's not hard to find. Using this Add-on, which will be installed under Programs, you can set any key on your remote control to control a certain function of your choosing in Kodi. Of course the key on the remote should give out a signal that is recognised by the box to do so.

fuccio · Jan 17th 2017

Quote from Bruur

Install the Add-on Keymap Editor. It's in the official Kodi repository, so it's not hard to find. Using this Add-on, which will be installed under Programs, you can set any key on your remote control to control a certain function of your choosing in Kodi. Of course the key on the remote should give out a signal that is recognised by the box to do so.

I have already tried to use keymap editor but it does not work, the buttons assigns them but do not change their basic function, in fact, to remap some functions on the remote I've used this method, for example: play stop pause. I took from your example, the command file to go into my favorites that is not a function present in the standard linux commands and I think there are also codes to scan the library, but I can not find what they are.

trogggy · Jan 17th 2017

Quote from fuccio

I have already tried to use keymap editor but it does not work, the buttons assigns them but do not change their basic function, in fact, to remap some functions on the remote I've used this method, for example: play stop pause. I took from your example, the command file to go into my favorites that is not a function present in the standard linux commands and I think there are also codes to scan the library, but I can not find what they are.

You're talking about kodi's built-in functions.
eg

Code

UpdateLibrary(video)

fuccio · Jan 17th 2017

Quote from trogggy
You're talking about kodi's built-in functions.
eg
Code
UpdateLibrary(video)

Yes, right

Bruur · Jan 18th 2017

I still don't understand why Keymap editor is being brushed off that quickly. Just install it and go to: Global > Other > Update Video Library

fuccio · Jan 18th 2017

Quote from Bruur

I still don't understand why Keymap editor is being brushed off that quickly. Just install it and go to: Global > Other > Update Video Library

It does not work, check for example to a number key function that wilt but he does not, I also tried to add on the remote control play pause stop but with keymap editor did not work, instead going to change the remote.config files have succeeded!

puked · Jan 25th 2017

That worked, thank you.

Did not have to change anything =D - seems like we have the same box/remote

Gregoir3 · Jan 25th 2017

Quote from Dakota76

I also have this error. Anyone have an idea about it

Anyone any idea?

kodiuser1 · Jan 25th 2017

Can I copy my remote.conf from Android after I flash LE or should I have done that before I flashed it?

max2222 · Jan 29th 2017

Anyone have a working remote.conf for ott mxq pro 4k 905X?
All buttons except the down button works with my original remote.conf

linelis22 · Jan 30th 2017

How can I find/scan the IR remote hex codes of any rcu buttons?