ASRock ION 330HT-BD

My notes on getting my ASRock ION 330HT-BD “nettop” media PC working.

1. Become root with sudo su, and remove cats from the vicinity of your keyboard
2. Install Linux Infra-Red Control with aptitude install lirc
3. Download source package from http://www.asrock.com/nettop/download.asp?Model=ION 330HT-BD&o=Linux
4. Use dpkg –install lirc-nct677x-src-1.0.4-ubuntu10.04.deb to install dependencies etc
5. Use dkms add -m lirc-nct677x-src -v 1.0.4-ubuntu10.04 to make the Dynamic Kernel Module System aware of the new source
6. Use dkms build -m lirc-nct677x-src -v 1.0.4-ubuntu10.04 to compile the source to binary
7. Use dkms install -m lirc-nct677x-src -v 1.0.4-ubuntu10.04 to install
8. Test manually
   1. Load the module manually with modprobe lirc_wb677
      1. This should have (re)created /dev/lirc0 or similar. Check with ls /dev/lirc*
   2. Start mode2 -d /dev/lirc* and press buttons on the remote. If all is well you will see something like the following:

      pulse 450
      space 400
      pulse 900
      space 400

   3. Remote is working! Kill mode2 with a ^C.
9. Check that /etc/lirc/hardware.conf looks sensible:

   # /etc/lirc/hardware.conf
   #
   #Chosen Remote Control
   REMOTE="Nuvoton Transceivers/Remotes"
   REMOTE_MODULES="lirc_dev lirc_wb677"
   REMOTE_DRIVER=""
   REMOTE_DEVICE="/dev/lirc0"
   REMOTE_SOCKET=""
   REMOTE_LIRCD_CONF="lirc_wb677/lircd.conf.wb677"
   REMOTE_LIRCD_ARGS=""
   
   #Chosen IR Transmitter
   TRANSMITTER="None"
   TRANSMITTER_MODULES=""
   TRANSMITTER_DRIVER=""
   TRANSMITTER_DEVICE=""
   TRANSMITTER_SOCKET=""
   TRANSMITTER_LIRCD_CONF=""
   TRANSMITTER_LIRCD_ARGS=""
   
   #Enable lircd
   START_LIRCD="true"
   
   #Don't start lircmd even if there seems to be a good config file
   #START_LIRCMD="false"
   
   #Try to load appropriate kernel modules
   LOAD_MODULES="true"
   
   # Default configuration files for your hardware if any
   LIRCMD_CONF=""
   
   #Forcing noninteractive reconfiguration
   #If lirc is to be reconfigured by an external application
   #that doesn't have a debconf frontend available, the noninteractive
   #frontend can be invoked and set to parse REMOTE and TRANSMITTER
   #It will then populate all other variables without any user input
   #If you would like to configure lirc via standard methods, be sure
   #to leave this set to "false"
   FORCE_NONINTERACTIVE_RECONFIGURATION="false"
   START_LIRCMD=""

10. Check /var/log/syslog, if it has this error Sep 25 14:19:53 skuld lircd-0.8.6[5475]: config file contains no valid remote control definition you need a definition file for the remote.
    1. Many are provided by the lirc package, they are kept under /usr/share/lirc/remotes. The mceusb should be compatible with the ASRock remote control.
    2. Try it out by starting a new LIRC service in your terminal with service lirc stop; lircd –nodaemon –device /dev/lirc* /usr/share/lirc/remotes/mceusb/lircd.conf.mceusb
       1. It should say lircd-0.8.6[1719]: lircd(default) ready, using /var/run/lirc/lircd
          1. Suspend this process to get your command prompt back by pressing ^Z
          2. Resume the process in the background with the bg command. The process will continue to run and log to your terminal until you return it to the foreground with the fg command.
       2. Start a client with irw
          1. Press buttons on the remote. You should see the name of the button:

             000000037ff07bee 00 VolDown mceusb
             000000037ff07bee 01 VolDown mceusb
             000000037ff07bf2 00 Home mceusb
             000000037ff07bf2 01 Home mceusb

          2. Exit the client with ^C
       3. Bring the backgrounded LIRC process to the foreground with fg
       4. Now kill the LIRC process with ^C
    3. Install this good configuration file by adding include “/usr/share/lirc/remotes/mceusb/lircd.conf.mceusb” to the end of /etc/lirc/lircd.conf:

       #This configuration has been automatically generated via
       #the Ubuntu LIRC package maintainer scripts.
       #
       #It includes the default configuration for the remote and/or
       #transmitter that you have selected during package installation.
       #
       #Feel free to add any custom remotes to the configuration
       #via additional include directives or below the existing
       #Ubuntu include directives from your selected remote and/or
       #transmitter.
       
       include "/usr/share/lirc/remotes/mceusb/lircd.conf.mceusb"

11. Restart (or start if you previously stopped it) the LIRC service: service lirc restart

Install polkit-1 and upower packages, and reboot.