inputlirc doesn't work with irexec from lirc 0.8.6

[Ben Lings]

Binary package hint: inputlirc

$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
Release: 10.04

$ apt-cache policy inputlirc
inputlirc:
  Installed: 16-1
  Candidate: 16-1
  Version table:
 *** 16-1 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/universe Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ apt-cache policy lirc
lirc:
  Installed: 0.8.6-0ubuntu4.1
  Candidate: 0.8.6-0ubuntu4.1
  Version table:
 *** 0.8.6-0ubuntu4.1 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     0.8.6-0ubuntu4 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages

I set up inputlirc and this was working correctly (with MythTV frontend). IrExec wouldn't start.

inputlirc by default creates the LIRC socket in /dev/lircd. Since 0.8.6, LIRC creates the socket in /var/run/lirc/lircd and irexec expects to connect to the socket in this location.

I've worked around the problem by making the following changes:

diff --git a/default/inputlirc b/default/inputlirc
index 34b8847..2bff0fb 100644
--- a/default/inputlirc
+++ b/default/inputlirc
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # Options to be passed to inputlirc.
 EVENTS="/dev/input/by-id/usb-HOLTEK_YaoCoo-event-kbd"
-OPTIONS="-m0 -c -g -r 253"
+OPTIONS="-m0 -c -g -r 253 -d/var/run/lirc/lircd"
diff --git a/init.d/inputlirc b/init.d/inputlirc
index 0f7cc66..7cbcdac 100755
--- a/init.d/inputlirc
+++ b/init.d/inputlirc
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ test -x $DAEMON || exit 0

 case "$1" in
   start)
+ [ -d /var/run/lirc ] || mkdir -p /var/run/lirc
     echo "Starting $DESC"
     start-stop-daemon --exec $DAEMON --start -- $OPTIONS $EVENTS
+ rm -f /dev/lircd && ln -s /var/run/lirc/lircd /dev/lircd
   ;;
   stop)
     echo "Stopping $DESC"

I've copied the logic for this from the /etc/init.d/lirc script. This makes inputlircd create its socket in /var/run/lirc/lircd and then creates a symlink for compatibility in the old location. (Other apps, eg. MythFrontend expect the socket in the old location).