Linn Majik
 

On 6/07/2015 7:00 PM, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In article , Trevor Wilson
wrote:
On 5/07/2015 6:33 PM, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In article , Trevor Wilson
wrote:
On 4/07/2015 10:32 PM, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article , Brian-Gaff
wrote:
How can you copy the codes if you do not have the original remote
though?

They give you a list of the control codes protocol numbers by maker.
Thousands of them. You enter the correct four digit code via the
handset, and it should then work. Assuming they have the correct 4
digit code, of course. Which I doubt they'd have for a Linn. ;-)


**No, that is not how the Logitech systems works at all. You
programme the remote via a USB cable connected to your computer. You
go on-line and tell the Logitech people what you have (brand, model
number, etc) and it feeds the codes direct to your remote.

So you have to let someone else run software on your machine? Or do
they 'simply' let you fetch an executable you have to run blind?

Or do they provide a data file and a simple explanation of how to get
it into the remote by some standard method like telnet, ftp, etc?

That raises all kinds of questions like:

How do you know the execution doesn't introduce some form of malware,
etc, into the host machine you use?

Does it require you to have bought and use a closed-source OS from an
foreign (i.e. non-UK, non-EU) company beyond the jurisdiction of your
local law?

**I missed your smiley. You are kidding, right?

Nope.

I read your "You go online...", "via USB cable", and "...it feeds the code
direct to your remote". To me that seems to imply fetching and running an
executable. Hence my questions to clarify precisely what is going on.

Did you mean "they give you a code string to type into the remote"?

**No. The remote is programmed directly with the codes via the USB
connection.


It's a remote control. You download the codes to allow the remote to
function with specific appliances.

That doesn't clarify what I'm asking about *how* this is done, or if it can
be done using any OS, etc. Note that "any OS" isn't a synonym for "Windows
or Mac". :-)

**I suspect you over-estimate the intelligence inside the remote control.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Linn Majik
 

I've found an instruction booklet for this amp online, and it says:-

RC5 Amplifier address. 0=16
1=19

Leave at 16 for handset.

Not quite sure what this refers to given most of the codes seem to be 4
digit ones?

I have a few other remotes some of which claim to be programmable to
control extra devices. But finding the instructions may take some time.
;-)

A Philips one for a VCR operates the volume control, but nothing else.
If I could find one which does volume and mute and channel I'd probably
settle for that - before lashing out for an expensive one.

--
*When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Linn Majik
 

On 06/07/15 15:47, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
I've found an instruction booklet for this amp online, and it says:-

RC5 Amplifier address. 0=16
1=19

Leave at 16 for handset.

Not quite sure what this refers to given most of the codes seem to be 4
digit ones?

Those are the two bytes of the address in the RC5 bit stream. It is
highly unlikely that will have any relation to the code from a universal
remote manufacturer.

I have a few other remotes some of which claim to be programmable to
control extra devices. But finding the instructions may take some time.
;-)

A Philips one for a VCR operates the volume control, but nothing else.
If I could find one which does volume and mute and channel I'd probably
settle for that - before lashing out for an expensive one.

The better One-For-All ones allow you to re-program the keys to send
specific codes. There are usually only a maximum of 256 key codes (as
opposed to device codes), so once you have a working volume button you
either need to try up to 255 of the possibilities, or contact them for
support (if they still do that). If you have a One-For-All manual,
programming of additional codes is covered in the section called "Key
Magic". Just trying and individual code before you program it is done by
pressing the magic key followed by the number of the code you want to
try. Don't be put off if your manual doesn't have the "Key Magic"
section - sometimes it's there despite not being in the documentation.

--
╔�╦�╦�����╦���╗
â•‘ â•‘ â•‘ â•‘ â•‘
╔�� ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╔��
╚���╩�╩�╩�╩�╩�� -- JimP.

Linn Majik
 

On 06/07/2015 10:42, Trevor Wilson wrote:

**No. The remote is programmed directly with the codes via the USB
connection.

Trevor, it isn't.

USB will connect your computer to the remote. You then need something on
the computer which will send the right sequence of bytes down the USB.
USB will tell you how to send the bytes, but not what they are.

You're running Windows 7 on a 64-bit Intel processor. You've installed a
program to program the remote, even if you don't know it.

Andy

Linn Majik
 

You're running Windows 7 on a 64-bit Intel processor. You've installed a
program to program the remote, even if you don't know it.

Andy

It might well be written in JavaScript. The same program could then run
in Mac/Windows/Linux etc. so long as a JavaScript enabled browser was
installed.

Linn Majik
 

In article , Sumatriptan
wrote:


You're running Windows 7 on a 64-bit Intel processor. You've installed
a program to program the remote, even if you don't know it.

Andy

It might well be written in JavaScript. The same program could then run
in Mac/Windows/Linux etc. so long as a JavaScript enabled browser was
installed.

If its 'pure' JavaScript then OTOH it means it will essentially be source
code, so could be checked. OTOH it may mean its a dialect that not all
browsers can correctly run - or have permission to access the relevant
hardware. The term 'JavaScript' can be used to cover at least three
different but vaguely similar scripting languages, each of which probably
have variations introduced over the years. As I recall, there was

JavaScript, JScript, and something like ECMAScript (or whatever the
acronym) all competing to be the scripting language. Or has that all long
been resolved? I've not bothered with it for many years.

If you mean 'Java' that's a different bag of nails.

So that might be a step forward, but doesn't actually resolve all the
potential issues I asked about.

I can see that the makers may not want to have to explain things to users
like how to run, say, telnet, and download a sequence. But something like
this must be happening.

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

Linn Majik
 

I can see that the makers may not want to have to explain things to users
like how to run, say, telnet, and download a sequence. But something like
this must be happening.


I went to the Logitech Harmony remote setup page and immediately found
an invitation to download and install 'MyHarmony desktop software' for
Windows XP SP3 and/or Mac 10.6. followed by the usual disclaimers page.
So 'something' definitely happens.

Linn Majik
 

In article:

Sumatriptan says...

I went to the Logitech Harmony remote setup page and immediately found
an invitation to download and install 'MyHarmony desktop software' for
Windows XP SP3 and/or Mac 10.6. followed by the usual disclaimers page.
So 'something' definitely happens.

I should hope it does, the remote would be pretty useless without it!

A couple of days ago when Jim posted his concerns about trusting the
software and the possibility of malware being introduced, I downloaded
and installed the MyHarmony software on this laptop.
..
The download, a 400KB executable named MyHarmony-App.exe was checked
with Microsoft Security Essentials anti virus and uploaded to
https://www.virustotal.com/ for an on-line scan, both reported nothing
found.

I then looked inside the file using Resource Hacker
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/
and HexEdit
http://www.hexedit.com/

and couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

I started up Nirsoft DNS sniffer
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/dns_query_sniffer.html
and currports.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/cports.html
also running (as always) were WinPatrol, WinPrivacy and Comodo programs
manager.

I then started the MyHarmony-app which connected to app.myharmony.com
and downloaded and ran what appears to be a front end to a web based
app which allows one to create a Harmony account and "Set up your
harmony" I created an account, then logged out of it.

I then uninstalled the MyHarmony thing using the standard Windows
method and it uninstalled cleanly leaving no leftover files, folders or
registry entries.

The whole process was painless and I thought it a well behaved app
which did nothing naughty.
I then forgot to post the results till I read this follow up, (Try and
avoid having a stroke, the loss of short term memory is very hard to
cope with:-() so I went through the whole rigmarole again just now with
the same results.

I must say I'm impressed with the Harmony remote, I have a a couple of
One For All universals which are good but limited in the number of
items that can be controlled, so I may look into it further when/if my
latest ebay buy arrives from Shenzen
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131465808261


--
Ken O'Meara

List of UK hi-fi & audio dealers:
http://unsteadyken.esy.es/

Linn Majik
 

On 07/07/2015 19:02, UnsteadyKen wrote:


The whole process was painless and I thought it a well behaved app
which did nothing naughty.



That all seems very sensible. If everyone were as careful as you then
malware would cease to be much of an issue.

I was just agreeing with Jim that some sort of software had to run on
the PC to download the required remote codes from a website and send
them via USB to the remote controller itself. And now you have confirmed
that.

Linn Majik
 

On 07/07/2015 19:02, UnsteadyKen wrote:

In article:

Sumatriptan says...

I went to the Logitech Harmony remote setup page and immediately found
an invitation to download and install 'MyHarmony desktop software' for
Windows XP SP3 and/or Mac 10.6. followed by the usual disclaimers page.
So 'something' definitely happens.

I should hope it does, the remote would be pretty useless without it!

A couple of days ago when Jim posted his concerns about trusting the
software and the possibility of malware being introduced, I downloaded
and installed the MyHarmony software on this laptop.


Despite the concerns? ;-)

I decided to live a little too, and resurrected a Harmony 525 I hadn't
used for at least 10 years.

The software for this remote, an older version of MyHarmony, wouldn't
run on W8.1, but the Mac version did once a Java variant was added. It
obviously uses a current database, as it picked up reasonably new
TV/amp/BR kit, and seems to work very well. Might well go back to using it.

To the OP - the return for 'Linn Majik' is 'Linn Amplifier 2 (Majik)'.


The download, a 400KB executable named MyHarmony-App.exe was checked
with Microsoft Security Essentials anti virus and uploaded to
https://www.virustotal.com/ for an on-line scan, both reported nothing
found.

I then looked inside the file using Resource Hacker
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/
and HexEdit
http://www.hexedit.com/

and couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

I started up Nirsoft DNS sniffer
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/dns_query_sniffer.html
and currports.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/cports.html
also running (as always) were WinPatrol, WinPrivacy and Comodo programs
manager.

I then started the MyHarmony-app which connected to app.myharmony.com
and downloaded and ran what appears to be a front end to a web based
app which allows one to create a Harmony account and "Set up your
harmony" I created an account, then logged out of it.

I then uninstalled the MyHarmony thing using the standard Windows
method and it uninstalled cleanly leaving no leftover files, folders or
registry entries.

The whole process was painless and I thought it a well behaved app
which did nothing naughty.
I then forgot to post the results till I read this follow up, (Try and
avoid having a stroke, the loss of short term memory is very hard to
cope with:-() so I went through the whole rigmarole again just now with
the same results.


Good grief! Nice of you to be so thorough, but I'd suggest the concerns
expressed by Jim are (erm) remote. If people remain worried they can
always get a Mac :-)

All the best with the stroke recovery by the way. 3 or 4 quite close
friends have been hit over the years. One couldn't use proper nouns for
about 6 months - he'd substitute people's names with random words for
example. Happy to report that all are back to full health.

I must say I'm impressed with the Harmony remote, I have a a couple of
One For All universals which are good but limited in the number of
items that can be controlled, so I may look into it further when/if my
latest ebay buy arrives from Shenzen
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131465808261


Yes, they are good once you get used to the 'Activities' mode (control
multiple devices from one set of keys). I doubt the splitter (clever
looking thing!) you've bought is in the database but it can always 'learn'.

The software is to say the least an acquired taste, but gets there in
the end.

--
Cheers, Rob