- Tabla de contenidos
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Basic Setup
- 3. Using GBTcr
- 4. Mobil phone setup
- 5. Assigned key bindings
1. Introduction
GBTcr is a free software, It is meant to be a fast and functional remote control for GNOME Desktop working between a Sony Ericsson phone mobile (maybe others) and computer box using Bluetooth.
Now GBTcr supports Sony Ericsson T610 model (tested), add support for all others mobile phones like Sony Ericsson, Siemens, Samsung, Nokia... will be great! The biggest problem is that I have no one of these mobile phones, but I plan to try for now anyway.
Please see the file COPYING for details.
GNOME Desktop and GNU/Linux operating system will be remote controlled by the user. The current GBTcr version offers support for remote execution and control of principals applications of GNOME Desktop. In the Future i will be work for full support.
The remote mobil phone device must be compatible with Bluetooth technology for short wireless connection.
 | Mobil Phone Model tested: Sony Ericsson T610 |
GBTcr has a nice GUI GTK+ based, required GTK+>= 2.6 and use BlueZ stack and Libbtctl (from gnome-bluetooth subsystem proyect) for Bluetooth protocol access from Linux.
2. Basic Setup
For a good experience with GBTcr, must be configured the local Bluetooth device connected to system. This it's necessary for manage a connection between the mobil phone and computer box.
2.1. Hardware support with BlueZ
BlueZ it's the Official Bluetooth protocol stack for The Linux Kernel
BlueZ provides the basic drivers for low-level access to Bluetooth hardware and high-level access for Bluetooth protocol. Get BlueZ from precompiled packages for your favorite distro or compile from sources, any way it's accepted.
Installing precompiled packages it's very easy, in Debian GNU/Linux you must execute as root:
# apt-get install libbluetooth1 libbluetooth1-dev bluez-utils bluez-pin bluez-pcmcia bluez-hcidump bluez-cups libsdp2 libsdp2-dev
Loading Kernel modules:
# modprobe bluetooth # modprobe l2cap # modprobe rfcomm # modprobe hci_usb hci_uart bluecard_cs bt3c_cs dtl1_cs btuart_cs
 | Now you must connect your Bluetooth device on the system |
# hciconfig
This command show the local Bluetooth device properties. (depending of hardware):
hci0: Type: USB BD Address: 00:0B:0D:31:77:09 ACL MTU: 120:20 SCO MTU: 64:0 UP RUNNING PSCAN ISCAN RX bytes:378 acl:0 sco:0 events:16 errors:0 TX bytes:309 acl:0 sco:0 commands:16 errors:0
2.2. GBTcr Basic Configuration
The configuration it's managed with GConf engine and could be set in preferences dialog of GBTcr.
General preferences:
- username
Defines the username for login from mobil phone to grant access for control the GNOME desktop. Could be different of real username registered on the system. Use-full for future access control and load user profiles like: conference, multimedia player, admin (root) manager of the system, process control, any more?... GBTcr has infinite applications :-))
- password
Password for defined username, must be of 8 digits only.
- show splash
Boolean option for show or hide splash screen on start-up.
- show tooltips
Boolean option for show or hide tool-tips on widgets.
- log events
Path to log file. Tipically gbtcr.log
- cache dirs BT
Path to Bluetooth address used with GBTcr. Typically gbtcr.reg
Phone preferences:
- forward incoming calls
Boolean option for forward incoming call when mobil phone it's connected and working as remote control. The phone number to forward must be digits only and without + prefix.
- shutdown after connect
When true this Boolean option turn power off the mobil phone after disconnect as remote control otherwise do nothing on that.
- silent mode
When true this Boolean option turn 'silent mode on' in the mobil phone, very use-full for conferences when running the slide-show control. After disconnect return to normal state predefined by the real user of mobil phone.
- warning low battery
Show warning message when battery level has %d reminder. (>10% recommended)
When you run remote control with low battery the built-in modem mobil phone return a mysterious and freak responses.
3. Using GBTcr
GBTcr has a nice GUI, easy, simple and intuitive.
- Activate remote control
This option activate the remote device and configure it for be convert in remote control for desktop in interactive and real-time mode.
For connect it's necessary type a Bluetooth address of remote device and press connect button.
In advance this dialog offers options for scan remote device for get his Bluetooth address; Delete temporary Bluetooth address last used; Do ping to remote devices (still progress).
- Show Bluetooth devices
For a correctly function of GBTcr, first is plug in the Local Bluetooth device in the system. The option "Show Local Bluetooth Device" show a brief and optionally advanced info about this local Bluetooth device.
This information it's very similar to the information obtained from execute as root the command hciconfig -a
hciconfig -a it's only for root.
- Show Logs
This dialog show every event logs for success, warnings and failures occurred in the execution of GBTcr. Show Red (error) , Green (success) and Yellow (warning) colors for type of actions occurred; Date@Time; Host-name; Kernel Version and the Message of action.
- Preferences
This dialog manage the global preferences of GBTcr.
- Help
Show this Help.
- About...
Show dialog info about authors of GBTcr.
- Exit
Quit from GBtcr whit-out any confirmation.
4. Mobil phone setup
First all it's activate the Bluetooth.
Now connect from GBTcr running in the computer.
Enter the password (max length 8 digits only) configured in preferences dialog of GBTcr.
The main menu it's loaded into the mobil phone, this could be acceded from connectivity option in the accessory main menu. Then select the sub option GBTcr. This contain all option of remote control manager.
His options have a "Audio Player control" ; "Video Player control"; "Image Viewer control"; "Mouse control".
5. Assigned key bindings
Tabla 1. Control Video Player (MPlayer, Totem, XINE)
| Desktop Key | Function | Phone Key |
|---|---|---|
| SPACE | Pause / Play | 3 |
| 0 | Volume Up | joystick up |
| 9 | Volume Down | joystick down |
| RIGHT | Seek +10 seconds | joystick right |
| LEFT | Seek -10 seconds | joystick left |
| f | Full-screen on/off | 5 |
| o | OSD on partial/on full/off | * |
| m | Mute | # |
| q | Quit | C |
Tabla 2. Control Image Viewer (GThumb)
| Desktop Key | Function | Phone Key |
|---|---|---|
| i | Image Information | * |
| FORWARD PAGE | Next Image | joystick right |
| BACKWARD PAGE | Prev Image | joystick left |
| + | Zoom in | joystick up |
| - | Zoom out | joystick down |
| f | Full-screen on/off | 5 |
| x | Fit Image | # |
| q | Quit Image | C |
Tabla 3. Control Slides Show (OOImpress, Magic Point)
| Desktop Key | Function | Phone Key |
|---|---|---|
| F9 | Start/Stop Press | 5 |
| LEFT | Next Slide | joystick left, # |
| RIGHT | Prev Slide | joystick right, * |
| Home | First Slide | joystick up |
| End | Last Slide | joystick down |
| q | Quit control Slides | C |
Tabla 4. Control Mouse
| Real Event | Function | Phone Key |
|---|---|---|
| MOVE UP SHORT | move up cursor 20 pxl | 2 |
| MOVE UP LARGE | move up cursor 80 pxl | joystick up |
| MOVE DOWN SHORT | move down cursor 20 pxl | 8 |
| MOVE DOWN LARGE | move down cursor 80 pxl | joystick down |
| MOVE LEFT SHORT | move left cursor 20 pxl | 6 |
| MOVE LEFT LARGE | move left cursor 80 pxl | joystick right |
| MOVE RIGHT SHORT | move right cursor 20 pxl | 4 |
| MOVE RIGHT LARGE | move right cursor 80 pxl | joystick left |
| Left Click | left click | # |
| Right Click | right click | * |
| Double Click | double click | 5 |
| End | Quit control mouse | C, 0 |