If no one else is having lircd(8) problems, ignore this bug report and I will make a work around for me. After upgrading from 13.<what-ever-current> to 14.04 my IR remote stopped working, no output from irw(1) or mode2(1). After some digging I found it worked right if I started lircd(8) with no argument. Please note the lines below:
# grep REMOTE_SOCKET /etc/lirc/hardware.conf
REMOTE_SOCKET=""
# service lirc start
# ps -ef | grep lirc
root 4601 2201 0 11:34 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/lircd --output=/run/lirc/lircd --device=/dev/lirc0
# irw (does not work)
(So I set REMOTE_SOCKET to default settings per manual stating what default is)
# grep REMOTE_SOCKET /etc/lirc/hardware.conf
REMOTE_SOCKET="/var/run/lirc/lircd"
# service lirc start
# ps -ef | grep lirc
root 4694 2201 0 11:42 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/lircd --output=/var/run/lirc/lircd --device=/dev/lirc0
(it looks right but)
# irw (does not work)
# ps -ef | grep lirc
root 4694 2201 0 11:42 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/lircd --output=/var/run/lirc/lircd --device=/dev/lirc0
# service lirc stop
(copy command from ps output above and past it as a command)
# /usr/sbin/lircd --output=/var/run/lirc/lircd --device=/dev/lirc0
# irw (it works)
(I know this is usually an environment issue so here is my environment before launching the above /usr/sbin/lircd)
# env
SHELL=/bin/bash
TERM=xterm
OLDPWD=/etc/init.d
USER=root
SUDO_USER=dan
SUDO_UID=1000
USERNAME=root
MAIL=/var/mail/root
PATH=/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
PWD=/
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
SHLVL=1
SUDO_COMMAND=/bin/bash
HOME=/home/dan
LANGUAGE=en_US
LOGNAME=root
LESSOPEN=| /usr/bin/lesspipe %s
SUDO_GID=1000
DISPLAY=:0.0
LESSCLOSE=/usr/bin/lesspipe %s %s
XAUTHORITY=/home/dan/.Xauthority
_=/usr/bin/env
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: ubuntu-release-upgrader-core 1:0.220.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CrashDB: ubuntu
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Apr 24 11:03:22 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-02-06 (441 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: ubuntu-release-upgrader
Symptom: dist-upgrade
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-04-24 (0 days ago)
VarLogDistupgradeTermlog:
So I just had to have my IR remote so I dug deep into the IR processes. Bottom line, when the "rc_core" module is loaded it includes many components, some of which has no meaning to your system. I learn how data flowed from the USB IR through the driver and other modules and how to exclude module components that were not needed. Rebooted, problem solved.
How to exclude unnecessary module components.
To see module components:
# lsmod | grep rc_core
To exclude the Sanyo Decoder component from rc_core module create a file in /etc/modules.d. Use a name that has meaning such as "blacklist-IR.conf. Put the following line in that file. Do the same with other unneeded elements.
install ir_sanyo_decoder /bin/true
F.Y.I. Here is what I put in my Blacklist file.
install ir_sony_decoder /bin/true
install ir_jvc_decoder /bin/true
install ir_rc5_decoder /bin/true
install ir_nec_decoder /bin/true
install cx23885 /bin/true
install rc_hauppauge /bin/true
install ir_sanyo_decoder /bin/true
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