lirc_web

lirc_web is a nodejs app that creates a web interface & JSON API for the LIRC project. It uses lirc_node to handle communication between LIRC and nodejs.

This project allows you to control LIRC from any web browser - phone, tablet, or desktop. The mobile web interface is responsive and optimized for all sized displays. In addition, with the JSON API, you can control LIRC from any web connected device - pebble watch, myo armband, emotiv EEG headset, or beyond.

This is part of the Open Source Universal Remote project.

Installation

You'll need to have LIRC installed and configured on your machine to use lirc_web. In addition, you'll need to install nodejs. Once you have LIRC and nodejs installed and configured, you'll be able to install lirc_web:

npm install -g lirc_web
lirc_web

Note that you may need to run the npm install command with sudo.

Viewing

Verify the web interface works by opening http://SERVER:3000/ in a web browser.

If you want to have lirc_web available via port 80 and start on boot, there are example NGINX and Upstart configuration files included in the example_configs/ directory.

Mobile optimizations

lirc_web includes performance and user experience optimizations for mobile devices. These can be enabled by adding the lirc_web URL as a bookmark to the home screen of your device. Bookmarking lirc_web is performed from your phone's web browser. lirc_web will then load full screen, as if it was a native iOS or Android app. The URL bar will no longer be visible and lirc_web will be selectable from the device's multitasking screen.

Bookmarking is higly recommended for the best mobile experience.

As of v0.3.0, lirc_web uses an Application Cache. The enables all assets to be cached locally on the phone. This reduces load time dramatically.

Configuration

As of v0.0.8, lirc_web supports customization through a configuration file.

You may place this configuration file in one of two locations and lirc_web will detect it:

1. Place a file named .lirc_web_config.json in the home directory of the user running lirc_web (global installation)
2. Place a file named config.json in the root of the lirc_web project directory (local / development installation)

These are the available configuration options:

1. repeaters - buttons that repeatedly send their commands while pressed. A common example are the volume buttons on most remote controls. While you hold the volume buttons down, the remote will repeatedly send the volume command to your device.
2. macros - a collection of commands that should be executed one after another. This allows you to automate actions like "Play Xbox 360" or "Listen to music via AirPlay". Each step in a macro is described in the format [ "REMOTE", "COMMAND" ], where REMOTE and COMMAND are defined by what you have programmed into LIRC. You can add delays between steps of macros in the format of [ "delay", 500 ]. Note that the delay is measured in milliseconds so 1000 milliseconds = 1 second. You can also add a repeater macro with a delay by using the format [ "REMOTE", ["COMMAND", delay]] in place of a normalCOMMAND (Refer to Xbox Off command below).
3. commandLabels - a way to rename commands that LIRC understands (KEY_POWER, KEY_VOLUMEUP) with labels that humans prefer (Power, Volume Up).
4. remoteLabels - a way to rename the remotes that LIRC understands (XBOX360) with labels that humans prefer (Xbox 360).
5. blacklists - a way to hide unused commands from your remotes.
6. server - server configuration settings (ports, SSL).
7. socket - to specify the lircd socket for irsend.

Example config.json:

{
  "server" : {
    "port" : 3000,
    "ssl" : false,
    "ssl_cert" : "/home/pi/lirc_web/server.cert",
    "ssl_key" : "/home/pi/lirc_web/server.key",
    "ssl_port" : 3001
  },
  "repeaters": {
    "SonyTV": {
      "VolumeUp": true,
      "VolumeDown": true
    }
  },
  "macros": {
    "Play Xbox 360": [
      [ "SonyTV", "Power" ],
      [ "delay", 500 ],
      [ "SonyTV", "Xbox360" ],
      [ "Yamaha", "Power" ],
      [ "delay", 250 ],
      [ "Yamaha", "Xbox360" ],
      [ "Xbox360", "Power" ]
    ],
    "Listen to Music": [
      [ "Yamaha", "Power" ],
      [ "delay", 500 ],
      [ "Yamaha", "AirPlay" ]
    ],
    "Xbox Off": [
      [ "XboxOne", [ "Power", "1600" ] ],
      [ "delay", "1010" ],
      [ "XboxOne", "Up" ],
      [ "XboxOne", "Select" ]
    ],
  },
  "commandLabels": {
    "Yamaha": {
      "Power": "Power",
      "Xbox360": "Xbox 360",
      "VolumeUp": "Volume Up",
      "VolumeDown": "Volume Down"
    }
  },
  "remoteLabels": {
     "Xbox360": "Xbox 360"
  },
  "blacklists": {
     "Yamaha": [
       "AUX2",
       "AUX3"
     ]
  },
  "socket": "/run/lirc/lircd1"
}

Please see the example_configs/ directory.

Using the JSON API

Building an app on top of lirc_web is straight forward with the included JSON based RESTful API.

API endpoints:

• GET /remotes.json - Returns all known remotes and commands
• GET /remotes/:remote.json - Returns all known commands for remote :remote
• GET /macros.json - Returns all known macros
• POST /remotes/:remote/:command - Send :command to :remote one time
• POST /remotes/:remote/:command/send_start - Begin sending :command
• POST /remotes/:remote/:command/send_stop - Stop sending :command
• POST /macros/:macro - Send all commands for :macro one time

Development

Would you like to contribute to and improve lirc_web? Fantastic. To contribute patches, run tests or benchmarks, install lirc_web locally:

git clone git://github.com/alexbain/lirc_web.git
cd lirc_web
npm install

Next, you'll need to setup the development environment. lirc_web uses the GruntJS built system to make development easier.

Install GruntJS (build environment):

npm install -g grunt-cli
npm install -g grunt-init
grunt server

You may need to reload your shell before continuing so the Grunt binares are detected.

• grunt will create all of the static assets.
• grunt server will start a development server (using sample data) and watch all static assets for change

You can run the test suite by running:

npm test

If you develop test driven, you may want to launch a continuous test which automatically restarts when server or tests are modified:

npm run test:watch

You can run the linter to confirm JS conforms to standards by running:

npm run lint-js

You can also run the linter continuously via grunt:

grunt watch

Contributing

Before you submit a pull request with your change, please be sure to:

• Add new tests that prove your change works as expected
• Ensure all existing tests are still passing
• Run the linter to ensure your code conforms to the js styleguide
• Update CHANGELOG.md file ('Unreleased' section) with concise bullet points

Once you're sure everything is still working, open a pull request with a clear description of what you changed and why. I will not accept a pull request which breaks existing tests or adds new functionality without tests.

The exception to this would be refactoring existing code or changing documentation.

License

(The MIT License)

Copyright (c) 2013-2016 Alex Bain <alex@alexba.in>

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.