The Webcam HOWTO Howard Shane Revision History Revision 1.1 2004-01-12 Revised by: jhs Update for 2.6 series kernel release and info on NW802-based webcams Revision 1.0 2003-12-4 Revised by: JP Initial Release / Reviewed by TLDP Revision 0.5 2003-11-07 Revised by: jhs Final revision after v4l mailing list feedback Revision 0.1 2003-10-12 Revised by: jhs Initial draft posted This document was written to assist the reader in the steps necessary to configure and use a webcam within the Linux operating system. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1.1. Copyright Information 1.2. Disclaimer 1.3. New Versions 1.4. Credits 1.5. Feedback 1.6. Conventions Used in this Document 2. Supporting the Connection Type 2.1. USB Webcams 2.2. IEEE 1394 (Firewire??, i.Link??) 2.3. Generic Parallel Port Support for Parport Webcams 3. Making and Accessing the Video Device 3.1. Device Filesystem 3.2. Creating Video Devices Manually 3.3. Groups and Permissions 4. Specific Webcam Models 4.1. 3com HomeConnect PC Digital Webcam 4.2. CPiA based Webcams 4.3. SE401, SE402 and EP800 based USB webcams 4.4. OmniVision based Webcams 4.5. Logitech (formerly Connectix) Quickcam Support 4.6. NW802 Based Webcams 4.7. Philips USB Webcams 4.8. STV0680 based Models 4.9. Winbond w9966cf 4.10. Xirlink C-it?? HDCS-1000 based Webcams 5. Framegrabbing Applications 5.1. Xawtv 5.2. MoTV 5.3. Streamer 5.4. Motion 5.5. Gqcam 5.6. camE 5.7. SANE 6. Troubleshooting 6.1. Help, How do I figure out what my USB camera chipset is if the model isn't listed in your HOWTO? 6.2. Help, I can't find the camera device in /dev! 6.3. Help, I can see the camera device, but I can't access it! 6.4. Help, my camera has a driver that is source-only, i.e., has to be built by me! Where do I start? 6.5. Help, my camera is supported by a driver that has to be patched into my kernel! What do I do? 6.6. Help--as in, where can I get more of it? 6.7. Help, I want to contribute to Video4Linux support in Linux! Who do I get in touch with? A. Gnu Free Documentation License 1. Introduction This document was written to assist the reader in setting up and configuring a webcam, digital camera, or other video device in the Linux operating system. It outlines how to enable the necessary kernel and/or software support and various frame-grabber applications that can be used to access your device. It does not discuss the differences in graphic and video formats, the features and/or capabilities of particular devices, or the encoding or conversion of video formats. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.1. Copyright Information This document is Copyright 2003, by Howard Shane. Permission is granted to copy, distribute, and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license can be found in Appendix A. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.2. Disclaimer No liability for the contents of this document can be accepted. Use the concepts, examples and other content entirely at your own risk. As this is a new edition, there may be technical or other inaccuracies that may result in the loss of irreplaceable data. In any case, proceed with caution, and realize that although errors are highly unlikely, the author can accept no responsibility for them. All copyrights are held by their respective owners, unless specifically noted otherwise. Use of a term in this document should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Naming of particular products or brands should not be seen as endorsements. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.3. New Versions This is the initial release. The latest version number of this document can be found [http:// www.hshanemd.net/docs/HOWTOS/Webcam/] here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.4. Credits I would like to thank all of the individuals that have pioneered video support for linux, in particular the v4l and v4l2 teams, Gerd Knorr, and the Metzler Brothers among others. Also, I would like to thank Marla, who has the grace to accept my imperfections and idiosyncrasies unconditionally, including my obsession with projects such as this. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.5. Feedback Please send any additions or comments pertaining to this document to the following email address: . In particular, if you have information about new devices or interfaces supported or errata, please contact me so we can keep this document up-to-date! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.6. Conventions Used in this Document The following conventions are used in this document and are outlined here for those who may not yet have a complete understanding of how to access and control the underlying operating system in Linux, which is almost always via the Bash shell. First, filenames are referenced in a paragraph like so: /path/file Commands in Linux are executed (or 'called') at the command prompt, otherwise known as the 'command line'. If you are in the non-graphical (text-based) environment, you will usually be presented with the Bash shell prompt which is a dollar sign: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |$ | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ...or the hash mark: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |# | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ...if you have logged in as root, have acquired root, or 'superuser' privileges. You can also access the Bash shell in the X window system, otherwise known as X or X11, with an [http://invisible-island.net/xterm/] xterm or similar X-terminal-emulator. Commands to be performed at the Bash prompt, but referenced in a paragraph of this document, usually look like this: do this now Commands and/or the resulting output of commands may also be outlined with screen output in their own paragraph or heading: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |$ date | |Sun Jul 27 22:37:11 CDT 2003 | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ When a command is written in front of the Bash prompt (e.g., $ date above), it is assumed the [Return] or [Enter] key has been pressed after the command, possibly followed by the output on a new line (e.g., as in the date in the above example). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Supporting the Connection Type 2.1. USB Webcams If you have a USB webcam, it is very possible your hardware has at least some support in Linux. There are two ways of supporting USB devices in Linux. One is the more tradtional kernel support, and the other is through libusb. If you would prefer the more conventional kernel support for USB devices, go on to Section 2.1.2. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1.1. Libusb Libusb is a library that allows access to the USB functions in linux through userspace and without the need to enable kernel support and insert modules. Most distributions, at this point, are offering [http:// libusb.sourceforge.net/] libusb in their stable branches (and some install it by default), so if you don't already have kernel support for USB devices, then you may only have to install the libusb package in order to access your device. You must have USB device filesystem support enabled in your kernel, which most distributions do. To find out for sure, issue the following at the command line: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |$ cat /proc/filesystems | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ You should see (among others): +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | nodev usbdevfs | | nodev usbfs | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ You may need to mount usbdevfs to enable it and see the device files, which you can do at the command line with mount -t usbdevfs none /proc/bus/usb. Don't try to use libusb while your particular kernel webcam support is enabled either statically or the module loaded; you can only use one at at time. You can obtain the libusb package in .rpm, .tgz or .deb format from your Linux distribution. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1.2. Linux Kernel USB Support Kernel support is required for USB webcam support (if not using libusb). Your stock kernel may already have support for what you need and the way to tell is to use the dmesg command and look for an acknowledgement that the driver in question was loaded at bootup. In general, USB webcams require the module usbvideo to function. If you don't see it, the driver may be present (but not necessarily loaded) as a module. To find out, you can type the following at the command line: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | $ ls -R /lib/modules/X.XX/kernel/drivers | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Where 'X.XX' is your kernel version number. The following output is an example of what you might find in a USB webcam-ready kernel, where everything is loaded as a module (though all but the relevant lines have been edited for brevity): +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | ./usb: | | usbvideo.o | | usbcore.o | | ibmcam.o | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ (A hint for newbies: if the info in dmesg or the above module list scrolls by too fast, you might try piping the output into 'less' (or 'more' if you don't have less): ls -R /lib/modules/X.XX/kernel/drivers | less or alternatively catching it in a file: ls -R /lib/modules/X.XX/kernel/drivers > file.txt, where 'file.txt' will contain the info that can then be accessed with cat [file] | less.) If your kernel doesn't contain the necessary support, you can always recompile your kernel. If you are unfamiliar with the process of compiling your own kernel, I direct you to the [http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/ Kernel-HOWTO.html] Kernel HOWTO for more information. For generic USB bus support in Linux, you will need USB subsystem support in your kernel, whether usb-ohci, usb-ehci, or whatever flavor of USB driver your system prefers. USB subsystem support has been present in the Linux kernel since the late 2.2 series. For a more in-depth discussion of USB support in general, I direct you to the [http://www.linux-usb.org/] linux-usb project site. If you want to find out which modules are loaded, at the command line or in an xterm, type the following: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |# lsmod | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ As shown by the prompt above, you will need to have root privileges to do this. You should get output similar to the following: +-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | cdrom 29312 0 (autoclean) [sr_mod] | | usb-ohci 17888 0 (unused) | | usbcore 56768 0 [scanner ibmcam usbvideo usb-ohci] | | ibmcam 39680 0 | | | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you don't have the particular module you're seeking loaded and you know you have it included as a module in your kernel, try loading it directly (using the usb ibmcam module as an example): +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |# modprobe -v ibmcam | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ...at which point you should see something like the following: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Using /lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/usb/ibmcam.o | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ By placing the entry ibmcam (for example) in /etc/modules (note that this varies by distribution), you can have the module load at boot-time automatically. You can then confirm the module was loaded by checking the syslog or in the boot-time record with dmesg | less), where you should see an entry such as the following: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Oct 18 12:43:12 K7 kernel: hub.c: new USB device 00:02.3-2, assigned address 3 | | Oct 18 12:43:12 K7 kernel: ibmcam.c: IBM PC Camera USB camera found (model 2, rev. 0x030a) | | Oct 18 12:43:12 K7 kernel: usbvideo.c: ibmcam on /dev/video1: canvas=352x240 videosize=352x240 | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2. IEEE 1394 (Firewire??, i.Link??) IEEE 1394 webcams require an IEEE 1394 PCI card in your computer for access. The IEEE interface has been supported in Linux since the early 2.4-series kernel. If you are lucky enough to own such a device, generic information on support of the IEEE 1394 bus in Linux can be found at [http:// www.linux1394.org] www.linux1394.org. If you have a kernel older than 2.4.2, you will need to patch your kernel with one of the patches found on [http:// download.sourceforge.net/linux1394] this page matched to your kernel version. In addition, you will require [http://download.sourceforge.net/libraw1394] libraw1394. The previously referenced linux1394.org site has a great installation guide. The [http://www.tele.ucl.ac.be/PEOPLE/DOUXCHAMPS/ieee1394/cameras/] IEEE1394 Digital Camera List, by Damien Douxchamps, offers an outstanding summary of the capabilities of IEEE 1394 cameras as well as the current status of support for individual models. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3. Generic Parallel Port Support for Parport Webcams For 2.2 and 2.4 kernel systems, parallel-port support must be enabled statically or as a module (stock kernels usually have this enabled by default). You may want to read [http://www.torque.net/linux-pp.html] more generic info about parallel-port device support under the Linux kernel before starting this process. To find out for sure if the module parport is loaded, you can check the dmesg file or use lsmod as outlined above. Using dmesg | less, you should see (among many other lines) the following: +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Mar 3 08:00:25 K7 kernel: parport0: PC-style at 0x378 (0x778) [PCSPP,TRISTATE] | | Mar 3 08:00:25 K7 kernel: parport0: irq 7 detected | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you are compiling your own kernel, enable 'Parallel Port support'. You should enable 'IEEE 1284 transfer modes', and if you have x86 type architecture, you should also enable 'PC-style hardware'. If modprobe returns an error when you attempt to load the module, note that you may need to determine and supply the hardware address when invoking modprobe. The most common address is 0x378 for an x86 system; 0x278 and 0x3BC are other possibilities for integrated or ISA parallel ports. Add-in PCI parallel ports may have unusual base addresses. You can also arrange multiple devices with either the parport_pc or parport_arc modules, though that topic is beyond the scope of this document. WARNING: Be sure you have the correct address before entering this information at the command line or else your machine may become unstable, crash or otherwise implode. Your parallel port should be set to preferably "EPP" mode, or alternatively ECP/EPP. "Bidirectional" (also known as "BPP" or "PS/2") may work, albeit much more slowly. "Unidirectional" mode is unsuitable for scanning. The above setting can usually be accessed through your BIOS menu, at least on x86 systems. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Making and Accessing the Video Device 3.1. Device Filesystem [http://www.atnf.csiro.au/~rgooch/linux/docs/devfs.html] Devfs, or 'device filesystem', has been an option in the Linux kernel since the late 2.2 series. If you haven't used it up to this point, then I would suggest you at least consider it. It can immensely simplify device management. Devfsd, the device filesystem daemon, creates and removes devices on your system dynamically without the need for user input. You can tell if your system is running devfsd if you run ls -f /dev/ at the command line or in an xterm, and see mostly symlinks pointing to a device file, or "node" within a logically ordered hierarchy of subdirectories within /dev. You can also see devfsd running when you check running programs with ps -A at the command line. The daemon consumes very little memory. If you are running devfsd/devfs, you can probably skip the following sections as the archaic process of creating device nodes will be done for you, and it's simply a matter of finding the device by selecting the appropriate symlink in /dev. If you want to give devfs a try, you need to enable '/dev file system' and 'Automatically mount at boot' in the 'File Systems' section of kernel configuration. Yes, it absolutely requires a recompile of your kernel if you don't have it in there already. WARNING: The only other supporting package required is 'devfsd', which you can obtain from your distribution vendor. WARNING: If you enable devicefs to automatically mount at boot-time without installing the devfs daemon, you will be left with an unbootable system! Devfs does not obviate the need to change permissions of devices for access by users. Naturally, the above comments about devfs are the opinion of your humble author (among others) and should be treated as just that, especially if you are a relative newbie or are not quite ready to compile your own kernel. Beginning in the 2.6 series kernel devfs has been deprecated in favor of a userspace (i.e., non-kernel) daemon known as udev, though devfs remains as an option. You can find information on udev [http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/ utils/kernel/hotplug/udev-FAQ] here if you are inclined to live on the bleeding edge. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.2. Creating Video Devices Manually If you aren't running devfs and devfsd, this is how it will need to be done, unless you are using libusb or udev in which case you can skip this step. A device can be created as a block (such as a drive), a fifo (file-in-file-out or pipe, as in xconsole) or a character device, which represents other hardware. Each device has a major and a minor number "coordinate" to tell the kernel what it is and where to access it. These numbers are not arbitrary. Video4linux device nodes are used to access video devices (including webcams) and have the major number 81 and minor number 0, 1, 2, etc... First, check / dev to see what directory your distribution lays out its video devices in. Some distributions might have the video device(s) in the root /dev directory, such as /dev/video0, /dev/video1...and so on. Others might place them within /dev/v4l or in /dev/video. If you find that the video devices are already present (made by your distributor or devfsd) then your work is done except for possibly permissions. If not, you will need to create the device nodes yourself. You can use the following script, which I have borrowed from the kernel source (located in linux/Documentation/video4linux/bttv/MAKEDEV of the source tree): +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | #!/bin/bash | | | | function makedev () { | | | | for dev in 0 1 2 3; do | | echo "/dev/$1$dev: char 81 $[ $2 + $dev ]" | | rm -f /dev/$1$dev | | mknod /dev/$1$dev c 81 $[ $2 + $dev ] | | chmod 666 /dev/$1$dev | | done | | | | # symlink for default device | | rm -f /dev/$1 | | ln -s /dev/${1}0 /dev/$1 | | } | | | | # see http://roadrunner.swansea.uk.linux.org/v4lapi.shtml | | echo "*** new device names ***" | | makedev video 0 | | makedev radio 64 | | makedev vtx 192 | | makedev vbi 224 | | # "*** old device names (for compatibility only) ***" | | #makedev bttv 0 | | #makedev bttv-fm 64 | | #makedev bttv-vbi 224 | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Simply copy and paste the above into your favorite editing program, save it as MAKEDEV or whatever name you like and then make it executable (i.e., chmod u+x MAKEDEV). Next, execute it as root: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | # ./MAKEDEV | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.3. Groups and Permissions It is a good idea to be sure that your user account can access the device once all modules are loaded and device nodes created. The most security-conscious way to do that is to add access for a particular group. On my system, the members of the group 'video' are allowed to use the webcam, scanner and other photographic devices. The way to accomplish this is to first change the ownership of the devices in /dev like so (as root): +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | # chown root.video /dev/usb/video1* | | | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ...where root.video are the owner and group the device will now belong to. Obviously, the specific command will vary by your system and the type of device. It is important that you change the ownership of the device node itself and not the symlink; symlinks' ownerships are affected only by changing the parent devices or files they point to. To see if your user account is a member of the group in question, as root issue the following command: grep -e video /etc/group. You should see something like the following: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | video:x:44: | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ...where '44' is the group number. Since no members follow the last colon in the 'video' group, we can add them, let's say user 'jhs' with the command +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | # adduser jhs video | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ After this, it's simply a matter of allowing read and write access for the user in question of the device like so: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | # chmod g+rw /dev/v4l/video0 | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ...where g+rw means add read and write access for group. See the documentation for chmod (man chmod or info chmod) for further info. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Specific Webcam Models Note that this information is frequently changing. The [http://http:// www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/index.php] Linux-USB Device Overview site is a great place to look if you have a USB webcam. Also, you will want to check for your model's homepage at [http://www.exploits.org/v4l/] http://www.exploits.org/ v4l/. The information compiled below on specific webcam models is from the same source, so you may find more up-to-date information through the previous link. If you can't find an entry for your particular hardware, you can find links to resources on how to write your own driver! It is important to note that if your camera isn't listed, the easiest way to find out if your camera is supported is to find out what chipset is used in its manufacture. This information is usually present in the specifications published in your webcam's manual or on the manufacturer's website. If you can't find your camera model listed and aren't sure what chipset your camera is made with, you should consider searching and/or subscribing to [https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/video4linux-list] the video4linux-list mailing list hosted by Redhat. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.1. 3com HomeConnect PC Digital Webcam This driver is supported with the kernel patch located at [http:// homeconnectusb.sourceforge.net/] the homeconnectusb project web page. It may require a kernel recompile after patching depending on your kernel version. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.2. CPiA based Webcams Please see the [http://webcam.sourceforge.net/] project home page for up-to-date information. This chipset has been used in the manufacture of both USB and parallel port webcams including the following:   * Aiptek HyperVcam Fun USB (non-OV511 based)   * Creative Video Blaster WebCam II USB and parallel-port   * CVideo-Mail Express parallel-port   * Digicom Galileo USB and Digicom Galileo Plus   * Dynalink Digital Camera   * Ezonics EZCam (not Pro or Plus)   * I-View NetView NV200M   * Microtek EyeStar USB   * Pace Color Video Camera USB   * SuperCam WonderEye   * TCE Netcam 310 USB   * Terracam USB (non-OV511 based or Terracam Pro)   * Trust SpaceC@m Lite USB and SpaceC@m 100   * Utopia USB Camera   * ZoomCam USB and parallel-port ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.3. SE401, SE402 and EP800 based USB webcams This project is a work in progress. The drivers and other useful information are available at the project homepage located[http:// members.brabant.chello.nl/~j.vreeken/se401] here. As of writing this, it is necessary to patch and recompile your kernel in order to obtain support for these models. The driver supports the following: SE401 chipset via the 'se401' driver:   * Aox SE401 camera   * Philips PCVC665 USB VGA webcam 'Vesta Fun'   * Kensington VideoCAM PC Camera (Models 67014-67017) SE402 and EP 800 chipsets via the 'epcam' driver   * Spypen Actor   * Rimax Slim Multicam   * Concord Eye-Q Easy   * Creative PD1001   * Chicony DC-100   * Endpoints SE402 and EP800 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.4. OmniVision based Webcams This category includes a multitude of webcam and video-capture devices manufactured by Omnivision, including the OV511(+), OV518(+), OV6620, OV6630, OV7610, and OV7620AE. The project homepage is [http://alpha.dyndns.org/ov511] here. Supported models include:   * Aiptek HyperVcam Home and Mobile   * Amitech AWK-300   * I-view NetView NV300M   * TEVion MD9308   * Intel Me2Cam   * Dlink DSB C100, C300   * Hawking Tech. UC-110, UC-300 and UC-310   * Puretek PT-6007   * Alpha Vision Tech AlphaCam SE model AC-520   * Creative Labs WebCam model PD1001 with OV518 chipset   * Creative Labs WebCam 3, WebCam Go, Webcam Go Plus   * Elecom UCAM-C1C20   * Elta WEBCam 8211 PCC   * Ezonics EZPhone Cam   * Philips ToUCam XS (old version with OV518)   * LG Electronics LPC-UM10   * Lifeview various USB Life TV models   * Genius VideoCam Express   * AverMedia Intercam Elite   * Maxxtro Cam22U   * MediaForte MV300, PC Vision 300   * Terratec TerraCam PRO and some TerraCam models   * OmniVision (except those with OV519)   * TRENDNet TV-PC301   * Trust Sp@ceC@m USB   * Lifetec LT9388   * BestBuy EasyCam U   * Maxell Maxcam   * TCE NetCam 310u   * Medion MD9388   * Webeye 2000B   * Suma eON   * Prochips PCA-3100   * Ezonics EZ USB Cam II (the OV511+ models)   * Waytech I-Pac VIC-30   * Zoom Telephonics ZoomCam III USB (model 1598) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.5. Logitech (formerly Connectix) Quickcam Support The QuickCam VC USB and parallel port model webcams are supported by the driver offered [ http://digilander.libero.it/demarchidaniele/qcamvc/ quickcam-vc.html] here. A kernel patch and recompile are necessary for support of this model. The Quickcam Express Linux project offers two different flavors of driver for certain Quickcam models, both of which are stand-alone drivers that do not require a kernel patch or recompile. The [http://qce-ga.sourceforge.net/] qce-ga and [http://www.ee.oulu.fi/~tuukkat/quickcam/quickcam.html] qc-usb drivers support the following models:   * Logitech Quickcam Express   * Quickcam Web   * Legocam   * Dexxa Webcam   * Labtec Webcam The qc-usb driver is more experimental but reportedly works better on some models such as the Quickcam Web. See the above links for more information. Note to Redhat users: The qce-ga driver doesn't compile properly using the modified kernel source provided in Redhat 9, but a fix is available [http:// www.ee.oulu.fi/~tuukkat/quickcam/FAQ] here. Some Logitech camera models are supported by the Philips driver in Section 4.7. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.6. NW802 Based Webcams This chipset, manufactured by DIVIO, is supported by the driver found [http:/ /nw802.sourceforge.net] here. The models supported include the following:   * BTC SurfCam CMOS300k   * Mustek WCam 300   * Logitech QuickCam Pro USB (the earlier "dark focus ring" model) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.7. Philips USB Webcams Supported Philips models include the following. The up-to date PWC driver and list can be found at [http://www.smcc.demon.nl/webcam/release.html#pwc] the project homepage.   * PCA645VC   * PCA646VC   * PCVC675K Vesta, Vesta Pro and Vesta Scan   * PCVC720K/40 ToUCam XS, ToUCam Fun, ToUCam Pro and ToUCam Scan   * Askey VC010   * Creative Labs Webcam 5, Pro Ex   * Logitech 3000 and 4000 Pro, Notebook Pro, and Zoom   * Samsung MPC-C10 and MPC-C30   * Sotec Afina Eye   * Visionite VCS UM100 and UC300 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.8. STV0680 based Models The USB version of webcams made with this chipset are supported by the 2.4.18 and above kernel with the stv680.o module. Alternatively, you can obtain the source from [http://stv0680-usb.sourceforge.net] the project homepage. This driver supports models including the Aiptek Pencam and the Nisis Quickpix 2. If you have a serial version, the main one of which is the Scan e-Studio, you should go [http://stv0680.sourceforge.net] here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.9. Winbond w9966cf This is a driver for the parallel-port interface that supports the Philips SAA7111 CCD-control chip as found on the Lifeview Flycam SUPRA webcam. It is included in the late 2.4 kernel series and later under the heading 'video4linux' support. The homepage for this project is [http:// hem.fyristorg.com/mogul/w9966.html] here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.10. Xirlink C-it?? HDCS-1000 based Webcams This driver is for the USB webcams manufactured by Xirlink, IBM (PC Camera) and Veo Stingray model webcams. Support has been in the linux kernel USB section since 2.2.12. The homepage is at [http://www.linux-usb.org/ibmcam] http://www.linux-usb.org/ibmcam. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Framegrabbing Applications ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.1. Xawtv Xawtv is a suite of tools available for accessing video devices in linux, the workhorse of which is the Xawtv program itself. The home page is at [http:// bytesex.org/xawtv] http://bytesex.org/xawtv. You'll probably want to install an already packaged rpm, tgz or deb of xawtv; though, courageous or curious types can always get the latest source from the previous link. When you first try out your webcam, and you think things are configured right, use the -hwscan option: +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | $ xawtv -hwscan | | This is xawtv-3.72, running on Linux/i686 (2.4.21) | | looking for available devices | | | | /dev/v4l/video0: OK [ -device /dev/v4l/video0 ] | | type : v4l | | name : BT878(Hauppauge (bt878)) | | flags: overlay capture tuner | | | | /dev/v4l/video1: OK [ -device /dev/v4l/video1 ] | | type : v4l | | name : IBM USB Camera | | flags: capture | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ...so now you can see the available devices (your output may differ substantially). Try opening an xterm and running xawtv, grabbing from your webcam video device: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | $ xawtv -c /dev/video1 | | This is xawtv-3.72, running on Linux/i686 (2.4.21) | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ...and (hopefully) your camera will begin capturing to a window on your desktop. You may see some error messages in your xterm if things don't work that can be helpful to diagnose configuration problems. If you aren't interested in all that, and things work for you, launch from your window manager's menu next time. You can read about more xawtv options with man xawtv. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.2. MoTV MoTV is a rewrite of Xawtv using the Motif toolkit, and as such functions similarly to Xawtv. It looks more polished but otherwise differs very little from Xawtv. You can get it from the Xawtv home page. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.3. Streamer Streamer is a versatile program that allows a capture from a webcam or video device using only the command line. It may be in your Xawtv package already (or may need to be fetched separately as in Debian), and is available at the Xawtv homepage referenced in Section 5.1. It is a great program for automating camera functions. For example, to take a standard JPEG picture from the command line where the camera is accessed through /dev/video1: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | $ streamer -c /dev/video1 -b 16 -o outfile.jpeg | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ...where -b is the number of colors (in bpp, whether 15, 16, 24 or 32) and -o is the output filename that will be dropped into the current directory (specify -o /path/outfile.jpg to place it elsewhere). To make an .avi file: +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | $ streamer -q -c /dev/video1 -f rgb24 -r 3 -t 00:30:00 -o /home/jhs/outfile.avi | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ...where -q is for 'quiet' execution (no message output), -f is 'format' (rgb24 is TrueColor avi), -r is the frames per second and -t is the time of recording (30 minutes). Streamer can capture raw and Quicktime?? (non-Sorensen) formats and can capture audio as well. See streamer --help for more information. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.4. Motion Motion is a brilliant program that is able to monitor the video signal from one or several webcams. It can record periodic snapshots, and when motion is detected, record an mpeg and/or perform another action such as sending an email or executing a command. It can track and graphically mark the motion it detects, feed files via an http server to your website, stream them to another application and more. It is accessed through the command line and the number of options may be intimidating; there is however, a [http:// www.lavrsen.dk/sources/webcam/motion_guide.htm] guide available online that outlines the various command and configuration file options nicely. The motion homepage can be found at [http://motion.sourceforge.net] http:// motion.sourceforge.net. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.5. Gqcam [http://cse.unl.edu/~cluening/gqcam/] Gqcam is a graphical GTK+-based application originally written to access Connectix QuickCams but now supports nearly all Video4Linux compatible webcam devices. It has an intuitive interface that makes viewing, taking snapshots, and configuring webcam settings blissfully easy. It is highly recommended for newbies and those who only want to look at the camera and take a picture here and there without editing a configuration file or using the command line. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.6. camE CamE is a command-line program that works in daemon mode to capture frames from your v4l device for archive or upload (to a webserver, for example) via ftp or scp. You can overlay other graphics, timestamp the frames, or add other dynamic text all by altering the appropriate line in the configuration file. See [http://linuxbrit.co.uk/camE/] the camE homepage for more information. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.7. SANE SANE, or Scanner Access Now Easy, supports access of cameras including webcams in later versions. If you are familiar with using a photographic scanner device in Linux, you may be interested in using SANE for image capture, especially since a few devices double as both scanners and digital cameras. See the relevant sections of the Scanner-HOWTO [http://tldp.org/ HOWTO/Scanner-HOWTO/sane.html#getting-SANE] here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Troubleshooting 6.1. Help, How do I figure out what my USB camera chipset is if the model isn't listed in your HOWTO? If you have a usb camera (and /proc filesystem support and usb-filesystem support), issue the following at the command line: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | $ cat /proc/bus/usb/devices | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ You should receive output including (but not necessarily limited to) the following: +----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=01 Cnt=01 Dev#= 3 Spd=12 MxCh= 0 | | D: Ver= 1.01 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff MxPS= 8 #Cfgs= 1 | | P: Vendor=0545 ProdID=8080 Rev= 3.0a | | S: Product=USB IMAGING DEVICE | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ The line beginning "T:" is the USB bus the device is attached to. The "P:" indicates (obviously) the vendor and product ID, which are catalogued at the [http://www.linux-usb.org] linux USB Project homepage. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.2. Help, I can't find the camera device in /dev! Assuming your connection type is supported, and your camera is working, see Section 3.2. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.3. Help, I can see the camera device, but I can't access it! See Section 3.3. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.4. Help, my camera has a driver that is source-only, i.e., has to be built by me! Where do I start? First, check if your Linux distribution offers a pre-compiled binary of the driver. If that is not the case, be sure you have kernel sources installed. You will also need at a minimum GNU make, gcc, binutils and perhaps other programs installed depending on your distribution. Download the driver source (in this example named src.tar.gz) and uncompress/untar it: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | $ tar -xvzf src.tar.gz | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Then, change to the directory of your kernel source: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | # cd /usr/src/linux | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Make the necessary source files: +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | # make oldconfig | | # make dep | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Now, change to the directory where you unpacked the driver source and read the README and/or INSTALL files for instructions on how to make the driver. Usually this involves some combination of "make" "make all" and/or "make install." Assuming it compiles correctly, you can simply load the new module with modprobe. If you have any problems, see Section 6.6. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.5. Help, my camera is supported by a driver that has to be patched into my kernel! What do I do? See [http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Kernel-HOWTO/patching_the_kernel.html] the section on patching of the Kernel-HOWTO at [http://tldp.org] The Linux Documentation Project. The short and unguaranteed version of patching, by your humble author, goes as follows: Be sure you have the same prerequisites outlined in Section 6.4 installed. First, on the command line or in an xterm change to the source directory of the kernel version you are (or will be) running with the camera patch (in this example named patch.diff). +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | # cd /usr/src/linux | | # patch -p1 -E patch.diff | | | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ You should see a confirmation that the 'hunks' were successfully applied. At this point, you can make menuconfig or whatever program you use to recompile, enabling the appropriate support. If any of the hunks failed, or you run into any problems in addition to the link referenced above you, should consult man patch and Section 6.6. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.6. Help--as in, where can I get more of it? See the video4linux mailing list headquarters at [https://listman.redhat.com/ mailman/listinfo/video4linux-list] https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/ listinfo/video4linux-list. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.7. Help, I want to contribute to Video4Linux support in Linux! Who do I get in touch with? See [http://www.thedirks.org/v4l2/peopleprojects.htm] this page. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Gnu Free Documentation License Version 1.2, November 2002 Copyright (C) 2000,2001,2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document but changing it is not allowed. 0. PREAMBLE The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other functional and useful document "free" in the sense of freedom: to assure everyone the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it, with or without modifying it, either commercially or noncommercially. Secondarily, this License preserves for the author and publisher a way to get credit for their work, while not being considered responsible for modifications made by others. This License is a kind of "copyleft", which means that derivative works of the document must themselves be free in the same sense. It complements the GNU General Public License, which is a copyleft cense designed for free software. We have designed this License in order to use it for manuals for free software, because free software needs free documentation: a free program should come with manuals providing the same freedoms that the software does. But this License is not limited to software manuals; it can be used for any textual work, regardless of subject matter or whether it is published as a printed book. We recommend this License principally for works in which its purpose is instruction or reference. 1. APPLICABILITY AND DEFINITIONS This License applies to any manual or other work, in any medium, that contains a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it can be distributed under the terms of this License. Such a notice grants a world-wide, royalty-free license, unlimited in duration, to use that work under the conditions stated herein. The "Document", below, refers to any such manual or work. Any member of the public is a licensee and is addressed as "you". You accept the license if you copy, modify, or distribute the work in a way, thus requiring permission under copyright law. A "Modified Version" of the Document means any work containing the Document or a portion of it, either copied verbatim, or with modifications and/or translated into another language. A "Secondary Section" is a named appendix or a front-matter section of the Document that deals exclusively with the relationship of the publishers or authors of the Document to the Document's overall subject (or to related matters) and contains nothing that could fall directly within that overall subject. (Thus, if the Document is in part a textbook of mathematics, a Secondary Section may not explain any mathematics.) The relationship could be a matter of historical connection with the subject or with related matters, or of legal, commercial, philosophical, ethical, or political position regarding them. The "Invariant Sections" are certain Secondary Sections in which titles are designated, as being those of Invariant Sections, in the notice that says that the Document is released under this License. If a section does not fit the above definition of Secondary, then it is not allowed to be designated as Invariant. The Document may contain zero Invariant Sections. If the Document does not identify any Invariant Sections, then there are none. The "Cover Texts" are certain short passages of text that are listed, as Front-Cover Texts or Back-Cover Texts, in the notice that says that the Document is released under this License. A Front-Cover Text may be at most five words, and a Back-Cover Text may be at most 25 words. A "Transparent" copy of the Document means a machine-readable copy, represented in a format where its specification is available to the general public, that is suitable for revising the document straightforwardly with generic text editors or (for images composed of pixels) generic paint programs or (for drawings) some widely available drawing editor, and that is suitable for input to text formatters or for automatic translation to a variety of formats suitable for input to text formatters. A copy made in an otherwise Transparent file format in which its markup, or absence of markup, has been arranged to thwart or discourage subsequent modification by readers is not Transparent. An image format is not Transparent if used for any substantial amount of text. A copy that is not "Transparent" is called "Opaque". Examples of suitable formats for Transparent copies include plain ASCII without markup, Texinfo input format, LaTeX input format, SGML or XML using a publicly available DTD, and standard-conforming simple HTML, PostScript or PDF designed for human modification. Examples of transparent image formats include PNG, XCF, and JPG. Opaque formats include proprietary formats that can be read and edited only by proprietary word processors, SGML or XML for which the DTD and/or processing tools are not generally available, and the machine-generated HTML, PostScript or PDF produced by some word processors for output purposes only. The "Title Page" means, for a printed book, the title page itself, plus such following pages as are needed to hold, legibly, the material this License requires to appear in the title page. For works in formats, which do not have any title page as such, "Title Page" means the text near the most prominent appearance of the work's title, preceding the beginning of the body of the text. A section "Entitled XYZ" means a named subunit of the Document in which its title either is precisely XYZ or contains XYZ in parentheses following text that translates XYZ in another language. (Here XYZ stands for a specific section name mentioned below, such as "Acknowledgements", "Dedications", "Endorsements", or "History".) To "Preserve the Title" of such a section, when you modify the Document, means that it remains a section "Entitled XYZ", according to this definition. The Document may include Warranty Disclaimers next to the notice which states that this License applies to the Document. These Warranty Disclaimers are considered to be included by reference in this License, but only as regards disclaiming warranties: any other implication that these Warranty Disclaimers may have is void and has no effect on the meaning of this License. 2. VERBATIM COPYING You may copy and distribute the Document in any medium, either commercially or noncommercially, provided that this License, the copyright notices, and the license notice saying this License applies to the Document are reproduced in all copies, and that you add no other conditions whatsoever to those of this License. You may not use technical measures to obstruct or control the reading or further copying of the copies you make or distribute. However, you may accept compensation in exchange for copies. If you distribute a large enough number of copies you must also follow the conditions in section 3. You may also lend copies, under the same conditions stated above, and you may publicly display copies. 3. COPYING IN QUANTITY If you publish printed copies (or copies in media that commonly have printed covers) of the Document, numbering more than 100, and the Document's license notice requires Cover Texts, you must enclose the copies in covers that carry, clearly and legibly, all these Cover Texts: Front-Cover Texts on the front cover, and Back-Cover Texts on the back cover. Both covers must also clearly and legibly identify you as the publisher of these copies. The front cover must present the full title with all words of the title equally prominent and visible. You may add other material on the covers in addition. Copying with changes limited to the covers, as long as they preserve the title of the Document and satisfy these conditions, can be treated as verbatim copying in other respects. If the required texts for either cover are too voluminous to fit legibly, you should put the first ones listed (as many as fit reasonably) on the actual cover, and continue the rest onto adjacent pages. If you publish or distribute Opaque copies of the Document numbering more than 100, you must either include a machine-readable Transparent copy along with each Opaque copy, or state in or with each Opaque copy a computer-network location from which the general network-using public has access to download using public-standard network protocols a complete Transparent copy of the Document, free of added material. If you use the latter option, you must take reasonably prudent steps, when you begin distribution of Opaque copies in quantity, to ensure that this Transparent copy will remain thus accessible at the stated location until at least one year after the last time you distribute an Opaque copy (directly or through your agents or retailers) of that edition to the public. It is requested, but not required, that you contact the authors of the Document well before redistributing any large number of copies, to give them a chance to provide you with an updated version of the Document. 4. MODIFICATIONS You may copy and distribute a Modified Version of the Document under the conditions of sections 2 and 3 above, provided that you release the Modified Version under precisely this License, with the Modified Version filling the role of the Document, thus licensing distribution and modification of the Modified Version to whoever possesses a copy of it. In addition, you must do these things in the Modified Version: A. Use in the Title Page (and on the covers, if any) a title distinct from that of the Document, and from those of previous versions (which should, if there were any, be listed in the History section of the Document). You may use the same title as a previous version if the original publisher of that version gives permission. B. List on the Title Page, as authors, one or more persons or entities responsible for authorship of the modifications in the Modified Version, together with at least five of the principal authors of the Document (all of its principal authors, if it has fewer than five), unless they release you from this requirement. C. State on the Title page the name of the publisher of the Modified Version, as the publisher. D. Preserve all the copyright notices of the Document. E. Add an appropriate copyright notice for your modifications adjacent to the other copyright notices. F. Include, immediately after the copyright notices, a license notice giving the public permission to use the Modified Version under the terms of this License, in the form shown in the Addendum below. G. Preserve in that license notice the full lists of Invariant Sections and required Cover Texts given in the Document's license notice. H. Include an unaltered copy of this License. I. Preserve the section Entitled "History", Preserve its Title, and add to it an item stating at least the title, year, new authors, and publisher of the Modified Version as given on the Title Page. If there is no section Entitled "History" in the Document, create one stating the title, year, authors, and publisher of the Document as given on its Title Page, then add an item describing the Modified Version as stated in the previous sentence. J. Preserve the network location, if any, given in the Document for public access to a Transparent copy of the Document and likewise the network locations given in the Document for previous versions it was based on. These may be placed in the "History" section. You may omit a network location for a work that was published at least four years before the Document itself, or if the original publisher of the version it refers to gives permission. K. For any section Entitled "Acknowledgements" or "Dedications", Preserve the Title of the section, and preserve in the section all the substance and tone of each of the contributor acknowledgements and/or dedications given therein. L. Preserve all the Invariant Sections of the Document, unaltered in their text and in their titles. Section numbers or the equivalent are not considered part of the section titles. M. Delete any section Entitled "Endorsements". Such a section may not be included in the Modified Version. N. Do not retitle any existing section to be Entitled "Endorsements" or to conflict in title with any Invariant Section. O. Preserve any Warranty Disclaimers. If the Modified Version includes new front-matter sections or appendices that qualify as Secondary Sections and contain no material copied from the Document, you may at your option designate some or all of these sections as invariant. To do this, add their titles to the list of Invariant Sections in the Modified Version's license notice. These titles must be distinct from any other section titles. You may add a section Entitled "Endorsements", provided it contains nothing but endorsements of your Modified Version by various parties--for example, statements of peer review or that the text has been approved by an organization as the authoritative definition of a standard. You may add a passage of up to five words as a Front-Cover Text, and a passage of up to 25 words as a Back-Cover Text, to the end of the list of Cover Texts in the Modified Version. Only one passage of Front-Cover Text and one of Back-Cover Text may be added by (or through arrangements made by) any one entity. If the Document already includes a cover text for the same cover, previously added by you or by arrangement made by the same entity you are acting on behalf of, you may not add another; but you may replace the old one, on explicit permission from the previous publisher that added the old one. The author(s) and publisher(s) of the Document do not by this License give permission to use their names for publicity for or to assert or imply endorsement of any Modified Version. 5. COMBINING DOCUMENTS You may combine the Document with other documents released under this License, under the terms defined in section 4 above for modified versions, provided that you include in the combination all of the Invariant Sections of all of the original documents, unmodified, and list them all as Invariant Sections of your combined work in its license notice, and that you preserve all their Warranty Disclaimers. The combined work need only contain one copy of this License, and multiple identical Invariant Sections may be replaced with a single copy. If there are multiple Invariant Sections with the same name but different contents, make the title of each such section unique by adding at the end of it, in parentheses, the name of the original author or publisher of that section if known, or else a unique number. Make the same adjustment to the section titles in the list of Invariant Sections in the license notice of the combined work. In the combination, you must combine any sections Entitled "History" in the various original documents, forming one section Entitled "History"; likewise combine any sections Entitled "Acknowledgements", and any sections Entitled "Dedications". You must delete all sections Entitled "Endorsements". 6. COLLECTIONS OF DOCUMENTS You may make a collection consisting of the Document and other documents released under this License, and replace the individual copies of this License in the various documents with a single copy that is included in the collection, provided that you follow the rules of this License for verbatim copying of each of the documents in all other respects. You may extract a single document from such a collection and distribute it individually under this License, provided you insert a copy of this License into the extracted document and follow this License in all other respects regarding verbatim copying of that document. 7. AGGREGATION WITH INDEPENDENT WORKS A compilation of the Document or its derivatives with other separate and independent documents or works, in or on a volume of a storage or distribution medium, is called an "aggregate" if the copyright resulting from the compilation is not used to limit the legal rights of the compilation's users beyond what the individual works permit. When the Document is included in an aggregate, this License does not apply to the other works in the aggregate which are not themselves derivative works of the Document. If the Cover Text requirement of section 3 is applicable to these copies of the Document, then if the Document is less than one half of the entire aggregate, the Document's Cover Texts may be placed on covers that bracket the Document within the aggregate, or the electronic equivalent of covers if the Document is in electronic form. Otherwise, they must appear on printed covers that bracket the whole aggregate. 8. TRANSLATION Translation is considered a kind of modification, so you may distribute translations of the Document under the terms of section 4. Replacing Invariant Sections with translations requires special permission from their copyright holders, but you may include translations of some or all Invariant Sections in addition to the original versions of these Invariant Sections. You may include a translation of this License, and all the license notices in the Document, and any Warranty Disclaimers, provided that you also include the original English version of this License and the original versions of those notices and disclaimers. In case of a disagreement between the translation and the original version of this License or a notice or disclaimer, the original version will prevail. If a section in the Document is Entitled "Acknowledgements", "Dedications", or "History", the requirement (section 4) to Preserve its Title (section 1) will typically require changing the actual title. 9. TERMINATION You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Document except as expressly provided for under this License. Any other attempt to copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Document is void and will automatically terminate your rights under this License. However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such parties remain in full compliance. 10. FUTURE REVISIONS OF THIS LICENSE The Free Software Foundation may publish new, revised versions of the GNU Free Documentation License from time to time. Such new versions will be similar in spirit to the present version but may differ in detail to address new problems or concerns. See http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/. Each version of the License is given a distinguishing version number. If the Document specifies that a particular numbered version of this License "or any later version" applies to it, you have the option of following the terms and conditions either of that specified version or of any later version that has been published (not as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation. If the Document does not specify a version number of this License, you may choose any version ever published (not as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation. ADDENDUM: How to use this License for your documents To use this License in a document you have written, include a copy of the License in the document and put the following copyright and license notices just after the title page: Copyright (c) YEAR YOUR NAME. Permission is granted to copy, distribute, and/ or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License". If you have Invariant Sections, Front-Cover Texts and Back-Cover Texts, replace the "with...Texts." line with this: with the Invariant Sections being LIST THEIR TITLES, with the Front-Cover Texts being LIST, and with the Back-Cover Texts being LIST. If you have Invariant Sections without Cover Texts, or some other combination of the three, merge those two alternatives to suit the situation. If your document contains nontrivial examples of program code, we recommend releasing these examples in parallel under your choice of free software license, such as the GNU General Public License, to permit their use in free software.