I changed OS from WINDOWS XP to Linux Mint 17.1 and now my web cam doesn't work.
 

Is there somewhere I can get the drivers for mt Acer Aspire 1 net book and how do I do it?

Welcome to Linux Questions Norm Carreck. There are a lot of Acer Aspire 1 models, so a more defintive model description might be helpful. To start with open a terminal and do
That will produce a list of device chipsets connected to the USB subsystem. That might help us determine if the webcam is detected/recognised.

This might also be useful
It will report any kernel messaging associated with a detected video device.

Report back with the output from those commands. Please enclose within code tags. (Refer to the '#' button in the editor.)

There was no video device detected. The only device that was detected was my Logitech V220 mouse. There was nothing in the editor about video commands either.

Exact model details? Hardware switch (or function key) for disabling the camera perhaps? BIOS setting? Other than that you could try contacting Acer for support.

It is a Model KAV10 and I know that the web cam is a built in Crystal Eye. I am finding the use of the "Terminal" a bit daunting not knowing what commands to input.

Okay, thanks.

There is a learning curve involved when going under the hood, but don't worry too much as those responding will give you the commands to type as I have. What you're supposed to do is copy/paste the output (if any) for others to review. We're not able to peer over your shoulder, so the general idea is to get the information so that we can gain a better understanding of the issue, otherwise we're left to guess. :)

A quick google 'Acer Aspire One Ubuntu' and similar turns up lots of results with many threads discussing similar issues. Here's a previous LXQ thread describing the same model and no webcam found. I'd expect to see the webcam chipset reported in the lsusb results as per these threads...

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2139420
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2139420

I have another terminal command for you to type
This time copy the output produced and post here. Please enclose it within code tags. (Refer to the'#' button in the forum editor.) The reason I ask for that is that the above threads mention the crystal eye in the kernel output and associated with an input device. This makes me wonder whether it can be enabled/disabled somehow. Are you sure that you don't have some kind of hardware switch for it?

you can try lspci too, and or install cheese and see if that picks it up, it is software to use the webcam with.

I've never known of a webcam connected to the PCI bus. Cheese is an application, so if no webcam device recognised (or no kernel driver loaded) it isn't going to do anything.

exactly at least he or she'd know for sure.

I suspect the device is simply disabled (perhaps when Windows was installed), hence now not visible to the kernel. If active, it should be enumerated via 'lsusb', and 'usb-devices' would also confirm a driver bound to the device. Without a Windows environment available, I'm not sure what it might take to enable the device.

0. make sure your system is up-to-date. (this is ALWAYS step zero)
1. install an application called "hardinfo".
2. run it, make it create a full report
3. post the full report here.

personally, i think it would've been much easier to simply provide what was requested in post #2, but why not this way.

Norm Carreck,

I believe that your webcam is this one:

ID:
064e:d101
Acer Crystal Eye webcam (manufactured by Suyin).

This webcam is listed for a similar Acer Aspire One ( AOA150-Ab) as functioning here:
http://www.ideasonboard.org/uvc/

Despite this, I can find no record of anybody actually getting this particular webcam to work in Linux.

There is also a listed bug:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...x/+bug/1170802

Your quickest solution is to find a cheap used/new Linux-compatible webcam such as a Logitech Quickcam E3500 (046d:09a4) which is listed as working on:
http://www.ideasonboard.org/uvc/

I have used this particular model and I can confirm that it works in Linux.

Here is one on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Logitech-Qui...AAAOSw-kdXyw16

Skype:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Skype

I have another issue - my battery is dying so maybe its time buy a new net book and pursue this later. I was also having trouble copy and pasting when I did control a it didn't select everything so that I could copy it so I used the mouse to highlight everything and did the control "C" and control "V" to paste it and nothing happened??

$ ls /dev/video*

If it's detected, it'll create one of those. Most are usb devices these days.

$ guvcview

One of the simpler webcam gui's.

inxi is installed by default, but "rock on"! :)
from an internet connected terminal.fu

works also
and has a very short url as output. 4 chars or something. :)

"inxi -Fsz -c0"
z strips mac and ip details - "<filter> in http://termbin.com/ksap
-c0 strips ansii colors codes from output in same.


http://termbin.com/suyc