Webcam setup questions

NightSky · 11-08-2011, 04:28 AM

Hello Slackers! Is there a native slackware64-13.37, Xfce usb webcam viewer?

Following are device stats:

Code:

:~#dmesg
[ 2.115182] usb 5-1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 2
[ 2.299164] loop: module loaded
[ 2.397318] usb 5-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0553, idProduct=0202
[ 2.402564] usb 5-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[ 2.407888] usb 5-1: Product: USB Dual-mode Camera
[ 2.413291] usb 5-1: Manufacturer: STMicroelectronics
[ 2.487758] usb 2-1.1: new low speed USB device using uhci_hcd and
address 3
[ 2.619199] udev[1344]: starting version 165
[ 2.649808] WARNING! power/level is deprecated; use power/control*** instead
[ 3.120795] Linux video capture interface: v2.00
input1
[ 4.246319] stv0680: Camera supports CIF mode
[ 4.253426] stv0680: Camera supports QCIF mode
[ 4.260382] stv0680: Firmware rev is 1.0
[ 4.267197] stv0680: ASIC rev is 7.6
[ 4.273885] stv0680: Sensor ID is 410
[ 4.294473] gspca: video0 created
[ 4.301132] usbcore: registered new interface driver stv0680
[ 4.470379] HDA Intel 0000:00:1b.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 19 (level, low) IRQ 19

:~# lsmod | grep gspca
gspca_stv0680           5053  0 
gspca_main             24488  1 gspca_stv0680
videodev               64912  1 gspca_main

~# lsmod
gspca_stv0680           5053  0
gspca_main             24488  1 gspca_stv0680
videodev               64912  1 gspca_main
v4l2_compat_ioctl32     7200  1 videodev
video                  11411  1 nouveau

Regular digital camera loads pics to geekie no problem. Not sure how to test webcam or best utilize driver and modules associated with it?
Clicked on Xsane- (no i don't have a scanner), but USB Dual-Mode Camera appeared in across 'Xsane's title bar'. So I searched /usr/bin till I found xcam - with no useful documentation to configure or use it; Just fired it up.
Xcam Device Options show up as "v4l:/dev/video0". For xcam to capture images you must keep pressing play button?? Think xcam is part of Xsane making webcam function as a camera? But fps & av display on bottom of xcam boarder?
Need clarification & suggestions for webcam viewer.
Do I need 32bit lib to make use of v4l2 utilities? Documentation in slackware forum & google for webcam setup refer to drivers & modules that are comparatively old to newer OS lib versions. More of a headache trying to piece info across linux platforms. Is v4l2 backward compatible? Thank you

fukawi1 · 11-08-2011, 04:32 AM

Im not a slackware user, so I cant speak Slack specific.

But cheese and camorama are two webcam viewers.

I got them both to work with 64bit v4l. But IIRC i had to install the 32bit v4l libraries in order to get skype to install on Fedora 15.

willysr · 11-08-2011, 04:54 AM

guvcview (http://guvcview.sourceforge.net/)
I maintain a SBo package for this http://slackbuilds.org/repository/13...edia/guvcview/

pgeek · 11-08-2011, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willysr

I maintain a SBo package for this http://slackbuilds.org/repository/13...edia/guvcview/

The homepage link on the SBo package site is broken.

NightSky · 11-08-2011, 06:15 PM

Thank you, Willsyr you SBo include dependencies? lol guvciew looks good.

Anyone look at Xcam? Question: if get error message:"Webcam could not open invalid argument". Is there a config file for these drivers and modules that can be tweaked?? Where are they in slackware? Something like:

Code:

~:$cd /sys/module/gspca/parameters

Found some code for v4l2 utiliies here:http://code.google.com/p/v4lctrl/sou...uct-v4l2.c?r=3Maybe someone can look at this and report back to clarify for mere mortals

Is this to provide front-end functions or utility for webcam drivers?

Martinus2u · 11-09-2011, 03:01 PM

alternatively you could use

Code:

mplayer tv:// -tv driver=v4l2:width=640:device=/dev/video0 -really-quiet

ymmv

dc_eros · 11-09-2011, 04:50 PM

You can also try wxcam.

frankbell · 11-10-2011, 08:06 PM

I installed the guvcview Slackbuild today (32-bit Dell 1545n). For it to compile, I had first to install the portaudio SlackBuild.

Then it worked like a charm. (Aside: Thanks, willysr.)

NightSky · 11-14-2011, 10:59 PM

Martinus2, i don't have v4l2. So I will build ffmpeg because it will satisfy dependencies for multiple multimedia apps. Just one question - Alien has the latest ffmpeg-0.8.6 while SlackBuilds.org has ffmpeg-0.6.1. Downloaded all the dependencies from .SlackBuild but am wondering if I can use the latest ver. ffmpeg. Seems there were many bug fixes and security fixes? Alien's and SlackBuilds' dependencies appear the same except slackbuilds have added patches - I think. In any case thank you. Have to take closer look at the build scripts.

NightSky · 11-15-2011, 03:38 PM

Can I use Alien's latest ffmpeg-0.8.6 + source with SlackBuilds.org ffmpeg-0.6.1 build script and dependency packages?

Martinus2u · 11-16-2011, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightSky

Martinus2, i don't have v4l2.

if you have a kernel new enough (like the distro kernel) you do have it. The kernel option is simply called "video for linux" but it contains the v4l2 API...