What Webcam are you using on Slackware?

NightSky · 04-08-2012, 04:23 AM

I'm running slackware64 current with Xfce 4.6.2. Did a search on webcam suggestions for linux. I was directed to the worst old 2004 thread under Hardware ever on linuxquestions.org.
1. What webcam and/or camrecorder are you using on slackware?
2. What are you using it for? With what video card?
3. On what Desktop Manger?
4. How did you configure it to work (specifics please) Software config files + commands or code used?
5. Are the drivers built into the kernel now or better as modules?
6. Would you recommend it or another, brand, model, price?

Thank you, I need this information and am sure many more do too.

lukkon · 04-08-2012, 06:51 AM

I use a built-in laptop webcam. It works out of the box on most GNU/Linux distributions. To record I use wxcam (installed from sbo). I also like Cheese, but it has some gnome dependencies, so it's not good choice for my KDE desktop. Of course this webcam also works in Skype or on websites with flash plugin. No configuration needed.

em21701 · 04-08-2012, 07:52 AM

Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd 2.0M UVC Webcam / CNF7129
Built-in on my Asus laptop
Took some digging to turn it right side up but it works well now.

Slackovado · 04-08-2012, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightSky

I'm running slackware64 current with Xfce 4.6.2. Did a search on webcam suggestions for linux. I was directed to the worst old 2004 thread under Hardware ever on linuxquestions.org.
1. What webcam and/or camrecorder are you using on slackware?
2. What are you using it for? With what video card?
3. On what Desktop Manger?
4. How did you configure it to work (specifics please) Software config files + commands or code used?
5. Are the drivers built into the kernel now or better as modules?
6. Would you recommend it or another, brand, model, price?

Thank you, I need this information and am sure many more do too.

I stick with Logitech webcams because they provide good quality image in low light and their built in microphones work quite well too.
And most importantly they have been well supported in Linux.
I myself have the Notebook Pro but have tried several others like the 9000 Pro and recently the C525.
Used them in both KDE and XFCE but only 32bit Slack.
No configs needed any more, drivers are built in to the kernel but some years back the drivers had to be compiled and installed.
You can get some good info from this page and it might help you choose which webcam to buy.
http://www.ideasonboard.org/uvc/

Gerardo Zamudio · 04-08-2012, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightSky

I'm running slackware64 current with Xfce 4.6.2. Did a search on webcam suggestions for linux. I was directed to the worst old 2004 thread under Hardware ever on linuxquestions.org.
1. What webcam and/or camrecorder are you using on slackware?
2. What are you using it for? With what video card?
3. On what Desktop Manger?
4. How did you configure it to work (specifics please) Software config files + commands or code used?
5. Are the drivers built into the kernel now or better as modules?
6. Would you recommend it or another, brand, model, price?

Thank you, I need this information and am sure many more do too.

1. I'm using a Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000
2. I use it with Skype for video chatting with family in another country and I have an Nvidia GeForce 8400 GS
3. I use Xfce 4.6 (running slackware -current)
4. I didn't really do anything. The web cam gets detected at boot time, and Skype automatically detected it.
5. I'm guessing they're built into the kernel since I didn't have to do anything.
6. It's just a webcam for me. It works for what I need it to and it's the first one I bought. It was around $35USD so go for it.

Martinus2u · 04-09-2012, 02:49 AM

It is well worth sticking with the UVC standard.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slackovado

I stick with Logitech webcams because they provide good quality image in low light and their built in microphones work quite well too. [...]

full ack

ottavio · 04-09-2012, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slackovado

You can get some good info from this page and it might help you choose which webcam to buy.
http://www.ideasonboard.org/uvc/

How can I check if my installation came with the uvc driver? I'm using kernel-huge-3.2.2-i486-1 and kernel-modules-3.2.2-i486-1.

schmatzler · 04-10-2012, 03:19 PM

Microsoft Lifecam HD-3000.

This camera is a real piece of sh*t. Driver works fine, but the camera produces kernel panics all the time. This also happens on Windows, it locks up the system randomly. Never again.

First I thought that it was faulty hardware, so I sent it back and bought another one. Same problem again.

aocab · 04-10-2012, 07:14 PM

Am using an old Logitech QuickCam Zoom + Motion on Slackware 13.37.
It is used as a make shift surveillance camera. Whenever motion is
detected an image is posted online so I can check what is going on remotely.

NightSky · 04-12-2012, 12:25 AM

Slackovado, great link

ottavio uvc means usb video class and the driver referred to in Slackovado's link is v4l2

Code:

$slocate v4l2

Looks like its built into the kernel (huge has everything)

Quote:

unSpawn 2008 post
Maybe you didn't know it but it's not related to distro but kernel. If the kernel can recognise the chipset used and load a matching driver it should work. The http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/ lists webcams, chipsets and installation instructions as should searching LQ (or look at the Qbik USB database).

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ckware-634533/

kingbeowulf · 04-14-2012, 04:58 PM

You can't miss with any UVC standare webcam. I picked up a simple Creative Labs webcam for $11 US!

Code:

Bus 001 Device 006: ID 041e:406c Creative Technology, Ltd Live! Cam Sync [VF0520]

Plug and play. Does the job via Google talk/video pluging, wxcam etc. on Slackware64 13.37 multilib Xfce 4.6.2

This webcam won't win any HD or low light prizes, but it works just fine. And did I say $11!!!!

ottavio · 04-15-2012, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightSky

ottavio uvc means usb video class and the driver referred to in Slackovado's link is v4l2

Code:

$slocate v4l2

Looks like its built into the kernel (huge has everything)

I can't find it with either slocate or find:

Code:

bash-4.1# slocate v4l2
slocate: fatal error: Could not find user database '/var/lib/slocate/slocate.db':  No such file or directory
bash-4.1# slocate 
slocate: fatal error: Could not find user database '/var/lib/slocate/slocate.db':  No such file or directory
bash-4.1# locate v4l2 
locate: fatal error: Could not find user database '/var/lib/slocate/slocate.db':  No such file or directory
bash-4.1# find / -name  v4l2
bash-4.1#

NightSky · 04-15-2012, 05:09 PM

ottavio, Did you do
#touch /var/lib/slocate/slocate.db
#updatedb
after your initial install? If not do it now to setup your slocatedb, add yourself to /etc/group/slocate then you can use slocate to find files as regular user.
$cd /var/log/packages and scroll up to see if you have v4l-utils ?? Hope this helps.

NightSky · 04-16-2012, 04:28 PM

Great responses, thank you menches. I would like to use the least expensive most efficient webcam to make youtube like tutorials, as go about learning howto do things myself. How do microphones work with webcams? Can webcam video be edited, what open source apps are simple to use for such projects?

ottavio · 04-21-2012, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightSky

ottavio, Did you do
#touch /var/lib/slocate/slocate.db
#updatedb
.

Thnaks, now I've found the module

Code:

bash-4.1# slocate v4l2
/lib/modules/3.2.2/kernel/drivers/media/video/v4l2-common.ko
/lib/modules/3.2.2/kernel/drivers/media/video/v4l2-mem2mem.ko
/lib/modules/3.2.2/kernel/drivers/media/video/v4l2-int-device.ko
bash-4.1#