LIRC - Linux Infrared Remote Control
Keywords: linux remote control, multimedia

# Default driver.

The default driver reads/writes data to the `/dev/lirc[0-9]` devices. It's a LIRC_LIRCMODE2 type driver handling timing information.

The `/dev/lirc[0-9]` devices are created by certain kernel modules (most of which former LIRC drivers which have been moved into the kernel). They reflect a IR remote driver loaded by the kernel.

The kernel drivers will by default recieve and decode the timing data from the remote and send them as events on a /dev/input device. However, the will also make the raw timing data available on a /dev/lirc device. The default driver listens to this data, and decodes it to events presented to the applications on a (default)`/var/run/lirc/lircd` socket.

Without further configuration, this means that a single button press can reach the application both on the /dev/input and the /var/run/lirc/lircd interfaces. The symptoms of this is that each press is doubled.

To fix this, force the kernel driver to use the lirc protocol, which effectively mutes the /dev/input device. On a simple system with only one remote this is done using

           sudo echo 'lirc' > /sys/class/rc/rc0/protocols

From 0.9.3+ this is done automatically by the driver.

The driver also supports sending (IR blasting).

Contrary to most drivers, the default driver probes the loaded kernel modules about their capabilities. This means that the static capability information displayed by lirc-lsplugins(1) doesn't make much sense.