Shutdown RetroPie/Pi using OSMC Remote Control Button

[serenity]

Hello,

This is my first post.

I am trying to restart Retropie using an OSMC remote home button to calls a bash script (not using the emulation station menu option). I think the home button issues a standard keyboard ”Escape” keystroke if I am not mistaken. I have been trying to do this for the past 3 days but to no avail.

I managed to do a similar thing easily in Raspbian by editing “Openbox” keyboard shortcut file but retropie doesn’t seem to have Openbox. I even tried to install openbox but it didn’t work. I know retropie is built on raspbian lite but I don’t want to go through the process of installing pixel desktop, openbox and such.

I tried several solution listed below and I know one of them should work but I couldn’t manage to do it and need help.

1. Bash & Python
   I managed to read keystrokes but only in Terminal and not in Retropie GUI
2. Xbindkeys
   Seems to need X windows or such
3. Tkinter
   Like Bash & Python Worked in Terminal
4. PyGame
   Worked on raspbian but required a window to be drawn and this will cause issues in retropie
5. Finally tried /dev/input/by-path approach it seemed crude and should work but it didn’t for some reason
   I think one of the above hold the solution but I couldn’t nail it. I would appreciate a working code samples that will let me accomplish this task.

Thanks in advance

[serenity]

Touch question I reckon.
I managed to solve the issue using the /dev/input/by-path approach.
I have found a script online and adapted it.I will post it shortly.

[serenity]

Here is the script I came up with. I used a base script for the internet and adapted it to my needs. I also added ability to find keyboards rather than having to input them manually into script and also added threading so you can monitor all keyboards in background.

[serenity]

# code block

#!/usr/bin/env python

import string
import os
import sys
import time
import threading

# pip install evdev
from evdev import InputDevice
from select import select

# Set function to be called for each keyboard
def keyDetectFunc( fullpath ):   
    # look for a /dev/input/by-id/usb...kbd or something similar
    #DEVICE = "/dev/input/by-id/usb-USB_USB_Keyboard-event-kbd"
    DEVICE = fullpath

    dev = InputDevice(DEVICE)

    while True:

        # wait for keypad command
        r, w, x = select([dev], [], [])

        # read keypad        
        for event in dev.read():
            if event.type==1 and event.value==1:
                # do something with this key press
                print ("KEY CODE: ", event.code)
                if event.code == 1:
                   print ("KEY CODE: ", event.code)
                   os.system('sudo shutdown -r now')
    return;


# Return list of all connected input devices
path = "/dev/input/by-id/"
dirs = os.listdir(path) # returns list

# This would get all files in dir and filter out Keyboards only
for file in dirs:
   if ("Keyboard" in file) or ("kbd" in file):
    print file
    keyfile = file
    fullpath = path + file
    
    #Call detection funtion in background
    keydetect_thread = threading.Thread(target=keyDetectFunc, args=(fullpath,))
    keydetect_thread.start()

[serenity]

Also you need to install the following for code to work:
sudo apt-get install python-dev python-pip gcc
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
sudo pip install evdev

Note it worked without installing the header i.e 2nd satement

Then you can call it on start up via a cron such as:
@reboot python /home/pi/scripts/keyreboot.py &

Remember to give the file execution permisions