Skype cannot find my new webcam!

**jwesleycooper** · 09-Jul-2011, 21:21

I just got a Logitech c210 webcam, as from what I gathered this UVC cam/microphone device works with Linux ...

However ... skype 2.1.0.47 can't seem to see my webcam when it's connected, even though it appears to be configured when plugged in, as the following output from dmesg shows:

Code:

[20227.480098] usb 2-1: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 6
[20227.741045] usb 2-1: New USB device found, idVendor=046d, idProduct=0819
[20227.741051] usb 2-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=2
[20227.741055] usb 2-1: SerialNumber: 68C623D0
[20227.741493] uvcvideo: Found UVC 1.00 device <unnamed> (046d:0819)
[20227.842630] input: UVC Camera (046d:0819) as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb2/2-1/2-1:1.0/input/input17

Can somebody tell me what might be going wrong here, and how I might fix it?

EDIT: webkam seems to have no trouble utilizing it, thus this is clearly an issue with skype.

**jwesleycooper** · 09-Jul-2011, 22:02

Also, my webcam's mic doesn't seem to work either ... or at least isn't being utilized by any apps. Some help here, please?

**deano_ferrari** · 09-Jul-2011, 23:43

See if this SDB:Skype - openSUSE helps.

Sometimes, it is necessary to load the v4l library ahead of skype like this:

Code:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

For 64-bit systems

Code:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

There is some advice about configuring your audio system to cope with the webcam mic as well.

**oldcpu** · 10-Jul-2011, 00:03

Originally Posted by jwesleycooper

EDIT: webkam seems to have no trouble utilizing it, thus this is clearly an issue with skype.

Most likely a problem with Skype.

How did you install it ?

Is your PC a 32-bit or 64-bit PC ?

Note the commands provided by deano_ferrai to the best of my knowledge only work with webcams that use the gspca webcams and their driver, so if you find that works with the 'uvc' webcams I would be MOST interested in learning that.

**oldcpu** · 10-Jul-2011, 00:10

Originally Posted by jwesleycooper

Also, my webcam's mic doesn't seem to work either ... or at least isn't being utilized by any apps. Some help here, please?

I assume you do not have your mic working in any application. Is that correct ?

As you probably know, there are dozens and dozens of different types of audio hardware. In order to help one with their mic, one needs to know a number of things, such as openSUSE version, alsa driver version, alsa driver apps installed, one's kernel version (where kernel provides alsa drivers), one's hardware details, one's mixer configuration details, etc ....

I created a stickie with instructions as to how to find the needed information for support and what to post in a help thread. Please look here: Welcome to multimedia sub-area and look ONLY at the quoted information in that stickie. Please post everything that the quoted section says to post.

Also, when testing one's mic, one should use a basic application such as arecord, in order to remove application misconfiguration issues from the testing. The command I recommend for that is:

Code:

arecord -vv -f cd test.wav

and then stop the recording with < ctrl> < c > and then playback test.wav with a media application.

IMHO when troubleshooting for a mic problem, only AFTER one has their mic working with such a basic application, should one then go on to troubleshooting with Skype

**hendersj** · 10-Jul-2011, 11:15

On Sun, 10 Jul 2011 05:06:03 +0000, jwesleycooper wrote:

> Also, my webcam's mic doesn't seem to work either ... or at least isn't
> being utilized by any apps. Some help here, please?

Assuming you have the v4l libraries installed, start skype with the
command:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so skype

This is a known issue and this workaround should get the camera working
for you.

Jim

--
Jim Henderson
openSUSE Forums Administrator
Forum Use Terms & Conditions at http://tinyurl.com/openSUSE-T-C

**jwesleycooper** · 10-Jul-2011, 13:00

Though I do have the needed libraries none of the LD_PRELOAD commands change anything ... and though pulseaudio indicates the mic is indeed receiving input and is not muted, aplay test.wav produces no audio output.

Here's the output from arecord:

Code:

jwesleycooper@linux-twom:~> arecord -vv -f cd test.wav
Recording WAVE 'test.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo
Plug PCM: Rate conversion PCM (48000, sformat=S32_LE)
Converter: libspeex (builtin)
Protocol version: 10002
Its setup is:
  stream       : CAPTURE
  access       : RW_INTERLEAVED
  format       : S16_LE
  subformat    : STD
  channels     : 2
  rate         : 44100
  exact rate   : 44100 (44100/1)
  msbits       : 16
  buffer_size  : 15052
  period_size  : 940
  period_time  : 21333
  tstamp_mode  : NONE
  period_step  : 1
  avail_min    : 940
  period_event : 0
  start_threshold  : 1
  stop_threshold   : 15052
  silence_threshold: 0
  silence_size : 0
  boundary     : 986447872
Slave: Soft volume PCM
Control: Digital Capture Volume
min_dB: -30
max_dB: 30
resolution: 121
Its setup is:
  stream       : CAPTURE
  access       : MMAP_INTERLEAVED
  format       : S32_LE
  subformat    : STD
  channels     : 2
  rate         : 48000
  exact rate   : 48000 (48000/1)
  msbits       : 32
  buffer_size  : 16384
  period_size  : 1024
  period_time  : 21333
  tstamp_mode  : NONE
  period_step  : 1
  avail_min    : 1024
  period_event : 0
  start_threshold  : 1
  stop_threshold   : 16384
  silence_threshold: 0
  silence_size : 0
  boundary     : 1073741824
Slave: Direct Snoop PCM
Its setup is:
  stream       : CAPTURE
  access       : MMAP_INTERLEAVED
  format       : S32_LE
  subformat    : STD
  channels     : 2
  rate         : 48000
  exact rate   : 48000 (48000/1)
  msbits       : 32
  buffer_size  : 16384
  period_size  : 1024
  period_time  : 21333
  tstamp_mode  : NONE
  period_step  : 1
  avail_min    : 1024
  period_event : 0
  start_threshold  : 1
  stop_threshold   : 16384
  silence_threshold: 0
  silence_size : 0
  boundary     : 1073741824
Hardware PCM card 0 'HDA Intel' device 0 subdevice 0
Its setup is:
  stream       : CAPTURE
  access       : MMAP_INTERLEAVED
  format       : S32_LE
  subformat    : STD
  channels     : 2
  rate         : 48000
  exact rate   : 48000 (48000/1)
  msbits       : 32
  buffer_size  : 16384
  period_size  : 1024
  period_time  : 21333
  tstamp_mode  : ENABLE
  period_step  : 1
  avail_min    : 1024
  period_event : 0
  start_threshold  : 1
  stop_threshold   : 1073741824
  silence_threshold: 0
  silence_size : 0
  boundary     : 1073741824
  appl_ptr     : 0
  hw_ptr       : 1025
#+                                                 | 00%^C
Aborted by signal Interrupt...

Oh yes, I installed skype from the opensuse repos via yast, and I'm on a 32-bit system

Also ... Pastebin for alsa-info.sh: upload=true&script=true&cardinfo= !!################################ !!ALSA In - Pastebin.com

... and the remaining output requested by oldcpu:

Code:

jwesleycooper@linux-twom:~> rpm -qa '*alsa*'
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.24-6.1.i586
alsa-1.0.24.1-4.7.1.i586
alsa-utils-1.0.24.2-3.1.i586
alsa-plugins-1.0.24-6.1.i586
alsa-devel-1.0.24.1-4.7.1.i586
alsa-oss-1.0.17-32.1.i586
jwesleycooper@linux-twom:~> rpm -qa '*pulse*'
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.24-6.1.i586
pulseaudio-module-bluetooth-0.9.22-6.11.1.i586
pulseaudio-utils-0.9.22-6.11.1.i586
libxine1-pulse-1.1.19-4.4.i586
libpulse-mainloop-glib0-0.9.22-6.11.1.i586
libpulse0-0.9.22-6.11.1.i586
pulseaudio-module-zeroconf-0.9.22-6.11.1.i586
pulseaudio-module-x11-0.9.22-6.11.1.i586
pulseaudio-module-lirc-0.9.22-6.11.1.i586
libpulse-browse0-0.9.22-6.11.1.i586
pulseaudio-module-jack-0.9.22-6.11.1.i586
pulseaudio-0.9.22-6.11.1.i586
jwesleycooper@linux-twom:~> rpm -q libasound2
libasound2-1.0.24.1-4.7.1.i586
jwesleycooper@linux-twom:~> uname -a
Linux linux-twom.site 2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT 2011-04-25 21:48:33 +0200 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
jwesleycooper@linux-twom:~> cat /etc/modprobe.d/50-sound.conf

options snd slots=snd-hda-intel
# u1Nb.fZ+FGOqHolB:82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller
alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel

**oldcpu** · 10-Jul-2011, 13:26

Originally Posted by jwesleycooper

Though I do have the needed libraries none of the LD_PRELOAD commands change anything ...

I would have been VERY surprised had that worked. As I noted above, that command is for gspca webcams which yours is NOT. Your webcam is a uvc webcam and hence that command is simply not appropriate. So don't be surprised there. If it had worked it would have been a major surprise.

I am suspicious of your skype install. I recommend you send the following commands with your Dell connected to the internet (with root permissions) which will remove skype and then re-install it:

Code:

rpm -e skype
zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/broumbroum23/openSUSE_11.4 skyperepos
zypper in skype
zypper rr skyperepos

and then try skype.

That installs a slightly older version of skype and if that can be made to work then it should be easy to update to a newer skype version.

Reference your webcam mic, I note this from the diagnostic script that you ran for me:

Code:

Simple mixer control 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume penum
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-30.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-30.00dB]

A webcam mic can be the digital mic, and you have that muted ! So move up the digital mic capture to 80% or so, and then backoff if capture works and it is too noisy.

I also note this from the diagnostic script that you ran for me:

Code:

ARECORD
 
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
  Subdevices: 2/2
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
card 1: U0x46d0x819 [USB Device 0x46d:0x819], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

and that tells us that hw:0,0 is your motherboard mic and tells us that hw:1,0 is your webcam mic.

So lets run the arecord command and specify EXACTLY what mic (the webcam mic in this case) that you want to record from:

Code:

arecord -D hw:1,0 -vv -f cd test.wav

and you can stop that by pressing <CTRL><C> and play back test.wav with a media player.

I also recommend you install the pulse audio volume control 'pavucontrol' and run 'pavucontrol' the first time you run any multimedia application so as to tune pulse audio for that multimedia application. It is IMPORTANT that in pavucontrol under the Input Devices TAB that you have SHOW for 'all input devices' and under the RECORDING tab you have selected under SHOW 'all streams'.

I also note your hardware has a 92HD81B1C5 hardware audio codec. I am not familiar with that hardware. I note the HD-Audio-Models.txt file there are options for a 92HD71*, 92HD72, 92HD73*, ad 92HD83*, but no entry for a 92HD81* . Lets hope that does not matter.

**jwesleycooper** · 10-Jul-2011, 13:50

Originally Posted by oldcpu

I would have been VERY surprised had that worked. As I noted above, that command is for gspca webcams which yours is NOT. Your webcam is a uvc webcam and hence that command is simply not appropriate. So don't be surprised there. If it had worked it would have been a major surprise.

I am suspicious of your skype install. I recommend you send the following commands with your Dell connected to the internet (with root permissions) which will remove skype and then re-install it:

Code:

rpm -e skype
zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/broumbroum23/openSUSE_11.4 skyperepos
zypper in skype
zypper rr skyperepos

and then try skype.

That installs a slightly older version of skype and if that can be made to work then it should be easy to update to a newer skype version.

Just tried that, no joy.

Originally Posted by oldcpu

Reference your webcam mic, I note this from the diagnostic script that you ran for me:

Code:

Simple mixer control 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume penum
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-30.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-30.00dB]

A webcam mic can be the digital mic, and you have that muted ! So move up the digital mic capture to 80% or so, and then backoff if capture works and it is too noisy.

Um, stupid question: how do I do that? Can't find an obvious entry for it in any of the mixer controls ...

Originally Posted by oldcpu

I also note this from the diagnostic script that you ran for me:

Code:

ARECORD
 
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
  Subdevices: 2/2
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
card 1: U0x46d0x819 [USB Device 0x46d:0x819], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

and that tells us that hw:0,0 is your motherboard mic and tells us that hw:1,0 is your webcam mic.

So lets run the arecord command and specify EXACTLY what mic (the webcam mic in this case) that you want to record from:

Code:

arecord -D hw:1,0 -vv -f cd test.wav

and you can stop that by pressing <CTRL><C> and play back test.wav with a media player.

I also recommend you install the pulse audio volume control 'pavucontrol' and run 'pavucontrol' the first time you run any multimedia application so as to tune pulse audio for that multimedia application. It is IMPORTANT that in pavucontrol under the Input Devices TAB that you have SHOW for 'all input devices' and under the RECORDING tab you have selected under SHOW 'all streams'.

I also note your hardware has a 92HD81B1C5 hardware audio codec. I am not familiar with that hardware. I note the HD-Audio-Models.txt file there are options for a 92HD71*, 92HD72, 92HD73*, ad 92HD83*, but no entry for a 92HD81* . Lets hope that does not matter.

The result of the suggested arecord command:

Code:

jwesleycooper@linux-twom:~> arecord -D hw:1,0 -vv -f cd test.wav
Recording WAVE 'test.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo
arecord: set_params:1065: Channels count non available

... any idea why that's happening?

**oldcpu** · 10-Jul-2011, 14:15

Originally Posted by jwesleycooper

Just tried that, no joy.

Sorry to read of your frustation, and my apologies, but 'no joy' is not helpful when trying to help you. Did you run skype from a terminal ? And when trying to configure the webcam in the skype menu, did any messages show up in the terminal ?

Did you try to remove any of the skype configuration files so as to start with a clean slate ... ie rename /home/yourusername/.Skype to .Skype-backup and restart and configure Skype.

Originally Posted by jwesleycooper

Um, stupid question: how do I do that? Can't find an obvious entry for it in any of the mixer controls ...

Did you try 'pavucontrol' like I recommended ?

Some openSUSE-11.4 KDE users install the xfce-mixer because they are unhappy with kmix. You can also use the amixer command with the appropriate arguments. Type:

Code:

man amixer

for instructions on how to use amixer.

Originally Posted by jwesleycooper

The result of the suggested arecord command:

Code:

jwesleycooper@linux-twom:~> arecord -D hw:1,0 -vv -f cd test.wav
Recording WAVE 'test.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo
arecord: set_params:1065: Channels count non available

... any idea why that's happening?

Is this an integrated webcam ? Or is it an external webcam ?