i went to the electronics store to buy a v4l webcam, and all that i found were windows webcams. where can i find a variety of v4l webcams that i can take a look at and select which one i want? don't stores carry v4l webcams??

what v4l webcam do you suggest?

thx

There is a list of supported devices and compatible software at the Video for Linux web site.

There is additional information in the V4L Wiki.

I've been to this site before. It does not tell you where you can purchase V4L webcams. Don't electronics stores stock these webcams? The site mostly lists software for linux video, and is not what I was looking for. I want to find out where I can buy V4L webcams. Thx.

There is really no such thing as a v4l webcam

AFAIK there is no consumer hardware marketed specifically for linux. Different manufacturers cooperate to greater or less degree in supplying details of their hardware so that volunteer or 3rd party developers can write drivers. Some even supply linux drivers themselves.

When buying this sort of hardware the decision process is more like:

1. What's on the market? Almost invariably it will be marketed at Windows users.

2. Is there a linux driver?

3. How good/reliable/well-supported is the driver. e.g. is it already available in the kernel or do I have to compile it myself.

Generally anything not already supported in the kernel is going to involve more than just running an installation script. For steps 2 and 3 just use Google or LQ reviews. Make sure you have exactly the right model.

Lots of luck!

thx.
I thought that vendors would have put the "V4L" symbol on their webcam box to let people know that the webcam will work with Linux. Or, at least they could put the "Linux" os name alongside the Windows 95/2000/XP symbols as supported. Webcams seems like such an essential thing for home computer systems. It is disappointing that vendors don't seem to recognize it as something they should support with "V4L" symbols and Linux drivers.

When I read up a bit on V4L, I thought that I had read that vendors would put V4L symbols on supported devices. I then went to the electronics store, expecting to see V4L webcams, and found none. Maybe the V4L information is ahead of the vendors.

thx.

I think the bigger problem is that most vendors barely recognize Linux exists...
Keep in mind that the v4l drivers weren't created by the vendors themselves, and the vendor won't help you out if you have a problem with using their camera in linux... That's why they put that windows logo on the box, they'll support Windows

Thx.
That sucks! Why don't vendors support Linux? Are they chicken of open source? What is the buzz about supporting Windows but not Linux? It doesn't make $en$e!

Who can stick it out with Linux when in Windows you can go to the store, buy a webcam and load the CDROM software and see it work, while in Linux you first got to go and search the web to find out if there is a driver for a webcam, find out if it will work for your distro, and then go to the store to see if they even have that webcam. If they don't, then you are ******. Come on! Where is the vendor support when you need it.

From the vendor's point of view it makes pretty good sense. Not long ago someone released web stats from the BBC (British Broadcasting Corp.) website which showed that less than 1 in 200 page accesses came from linux machines, vs. a few percent from Mac and the rest from Windows. Perhaps a fair indication of the level of linux use on the home desktop? In which case 1% share of the Windows home market would be bigger than the entire home linux market.

While Windows is fairly standardised, linux is evolving continuously and it would be a big effort for the vendor to keep up in an area where low cost is everything. Better they just make their hardware specs available and provide help when asked. And buyer beware!

Stuff like printers and network cards, used in servers and commercial installations, are starting to advertise linux compatibility on the box. So when the demand appears in other areas I'm sure the vendors will step up.