Possible Issues & Solutions

1. macOS May Not Expose the IR Device Properly

macOS might not expose low-level IR drivers the same way Linux does. You can check this by running:

ioreg -p IOUSB -l

This will list connected USB devices and help determine if macOS detects the IR receiver at all.

2. Check If LIRC Is Installed and Working

Ensure LIRC is installed using MacPorts:

sudo port install lirc

Verify that lircd is running correctly:

ps aux | grep lircd

3. Check /dev for IR Devices

If the device isn’t listed in /dev, macOS may not be exposing it properly. Try:

ls /dev

Look for IR-related devices like /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/hidraw*.

4. Try Manually Loading the Driver

If macOS doesn't detect the IR device, try using kextload:

sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext

(Note: This may not work on macOS versions with strict driver signing.)

5. Configure LIRC Properly

Ensure the lircd.conf file is correctly set for the Sony IR receiver.

Run:

sudo lircd --device=/dev/

(Replace with the correct device path.)

Alternative Solutions

If LIRC does not work on macOS, consider using:

A Raspberry Pi with LIRC and sending IR commands remotely.

Flirc USB IR Transmitter, which works natively with macOS.