Identify the input path
A remote can reach a LibreELEC device through infrared, Bluetooth, a USB receiver or HDMI control. This guide concerns infrared handled by the documented Linux receiver route. Identify the actual receiver before applying an IR keytable to an unrelated input method.
Keep a working keyboard or other navigation method available during testing. Choose a small set of essential actions: Up, Down, Left, Right and OK. A remote with some working buttons is a more specific case than a receiver that produces no recognized input at all.
Inspect the documented receiver and keytable layer
LibreELEC’s IR guide describes ir-keytable for receiver protocol and scancode mappings, followed by Kodi’s own action mapping. A problem can occur at either stage. Record the actual receiver and any diagnostic output before editing Kodi’s keymap files.
Use the current guide’s supported inspection and test procedure for the installed release. If a protocol is not supported by the receiver, a Kodi menu assignment will not create that missing reception capability. Preserve the exact error and model rather than treating every infrared remote as interchangeable.
Test one suitable existing map
The developer documentation provides existing keytables and a test-loading route. Choose a plausible documented map for the actual remote, retain the original state and test only the essential navigation keys initially. Do not make an untested map persistent just because it loads without an error.
Record the physical button and resulting action for each test. If a scan code is recognized but the wrong Kodi action occurs, retain that narrower observation. A custom action mapping is a later task; it should not erase the evidence that the receiver is already decoding the press.
Persist only the verified mapping
LibreELEC documents persistent override files under its storage configuration area rather than edits to the read-only system template. Follow that actual route and preserve any existing custom file. Verify the essential controls again after a normal restart.
The expected outcome is a usable map on the actual receiver with a recovery input still available. It does not certify every remote protocol or require replacing the whole player configuration. Keep the receiver, keytable and Kodi action notes together so a future update can be assessed against a known working baseline.
Questions answered
Can a Kodi keymap make the receiver decode an unsupported IR protocol?
No. Establish the receiver and protocol stage first, then assess the action mapping.
What should be tested before persistence?
Verify the essential navigation buttons on the actual receiver and keep an alternative control available for recovery.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.