Starting with version 3.71 xawtv + friends do not need a ~/.lircrc config file any more. There is a new config mechanism to map input events (lirc, joystick, keyboard) into xawtv commands which is called "eventmap". Check the xawtvrc manpage ([eventmap] section) for details. There also is an default configuration now, so lirc support should simply work out-of-the-box. If there is no ~/.lircrc config file present, xawtv will generate lirc-key-* events for every key pressed on the IR remote. If ~/.lircrc is present, xawtv will still use it. As strings for "config" are the usual xawtv commands (the traditional way to configure lirc support, see "man xawtv-remote") and the keyword "eventmap" allowed. Specifying "eventmap" will make xawtv simply generate lirc-key-* events. The main difference between using no config file at all and one with "config = eventmap" is that the later allows you to filter the keypresses depending on the current mode. The simpliest way to make xawtv use the default eventmap configuration, but respond to key presses in xawtv mode only looks like this: begin xawtv begin prog = xawtv config = eventmap end end xawtv You probably need this if you are going to control multiple applications with your IR remote, check out the lirc documentation for details. Have fun, Gerd