Remote control for pc

Once I got tired of getting up from the sofa every time to pause a movie or track. And I was puzzled by the choice of the remote control for the PC. A Google search showed that there are a lot of ready-made solutions (for example, this: http://irlink.ru ) but, as it seemed to me, they use their proprietary software, which works only under Win. This situation does not suit me, because I use Ubuntu.

Google also showed that there is a geeky way: buy / solder an irda receiver and use any standard remote control. This solution, of course, has many pitfalls: starting from setting up the remote control itself (not the fact that it will work under Linux), you may need to conjure with a COM port, as well as configure the entire software layer yourself: transmitting and processing IR -signal (I know only one solution - LIRC), setting up programs that must directly respond to requests from the console: Amarok, Kaffeine, etc ...

So I want to ask you, dear, maybe someone had experience with a remote control in the Linux environment?

PS I understand that on Habré do not like topics of this kind, but, firstly: the audience gathered at otvety.google.ru no better than on answers.mail.ru . Why are there such questions: “How to send a letter to Anyuta from Ranetok?” Or “Are you a geek or a noob?”.
Secondly: I promise, in case of success, to write a detailed topic with screenshots, revealing the topic of using the remote control in Linux.
')
Thanks for attention.