Webcam problem: It starts working when plugged in, but stops when it's enabled

phodopus · 08-26-2010, 12:04 PM

Hello all,

My system: Slackware 13.0, 512MB RAM, x86

This is the webcam I'm trying to get working:

Quote:

Originally Posted by lsusb

2460 Pixart Imaging, Inc. Q-TEC WEBCAM 100

This is the problem:

When I plug the webcam in (usb), the led starts to shine, indicating that it is filming. When I use a program (XSane for example) and click the 'scan' button, the led turns off! It seems that the cam works when it shouldn't, and vice versa.

Any suggestions?

phodopus · 08-26-2010, 01:54 PM

Quote:

xxx@xxxxx:# spcagui
SpcaGui version: 0.3.5 date: 18 September 2005
video device /dev/video0
Camera found: CIF Single Chip
VIDIOCGPICT brightnes=1028 hue=0 color=0 contrast=0 whiteness=0depth=8 palette=0
Bridge found: pac207
Unable to find a StreamId !!
StreamId: 6 Unknow Camera
try palette 15 depth 12
Damned second try fail
try palette 3 depth 16
Damned second try fail
try palette 4 depth 24
Damned second try fail
try palette 5 depth 32
Damned second try fail
probe size in
skip size 640 x 480
skip size 384 x 288
Available Resolutions width 352 heigth 288
Available Resolutions width 320 heigth 240
Available Resolutions width 192 heigth 144
Available Resolutions width 176 heigth 144
Available Resolutions width 160 heigth 120
grabbing method default MMAP asked
VIDIOCGMBUF size 409600 frames 4 offets[0]=0 offsets[1]=102400
VIDIOCGPICT brightnes=1028 hue=0 color=0 contrast=0 whiteness=0depth=8 palette=0
VIDIOCGPICT brightnes=1028 hue=0 color=0 contrast=0 whiteness=0depth=8 palette=0
VIDIOCGPICT brightnes=1028 hue=0 color=0 contrast=0 whiteness=0depth=8 palette=0
VIDIOCSPICT brightnes=1028 hue=0 color=0 contrast=0 whiteness=0depth=65535 palette=0
cvsync err
: Invalid argument
ByeBye !!

So the cam is installed, and should work.. The odd thing is that is constantly works, and when you ask it to work, the led goes out.. :s Looks like 'working' and 'not-working' mode are switched, like a misconfigured boolean somewhere..

Any ideas?

bgeddy · 08-26-2010, 02:27 PM

I have spent much time trying to get my USB attached webcam working in Linux - I have a low end Trust device which lsusb shows as "Bus 003 Device 002: ID 093a:2468 Pixart Imaging, Inc. SoC PC-Camera". In the end the only way I got it working was by using Vlc with it's "Media->Open Capture device" which opens the camera and grabs the output. It may be worth trying this - although your "on being off" problems sound strange and I have not experienced them.

phodopus · 08-26-2010, 03:17 PM

@Bgeddy: I've tried you suggestion, with no result. Thanks though.

Any other suggestions? Is it possible that there is a config file somewhere? Changing 'true' into 'false' in some sort of 'toggle on/off' section could fix it...

bgeddy · 08-26-2010, 04:27 PM

I've been playing around with my setup some more and discovered some tools I have installed that I had forgotten about - they are part of standard Slackware and the package is called v4l-utils-0.8.0-x86_64-1 on a 64bit system. This contains the utilities v4l2-dbf,qv4l2,v4l2-compliance,andv4l2-ctl amongst others which may help you. I have just discovered that qv4l2 captures my webcam just fine. One of these utilities might give you settings to pass to the camera module or perhaps show how it is currently set. Other than that I'm afraid I'm a bit stumped with suggestions so hopefully someone else can be more helpful.

phodopus · 08-27-2010, 03:01 AM

@bgeddy: Thanks for you reply, but the fact is that my cam already work, just in the opposite way... So I don't think it's a driver related problem. Just need to figure out how to switch the on/off mode.