Opensuse 11.4 getting Logitech Quickcam Messenger to work

English Multimedia
#1

I have been given a USB Logitech Quickcam Messenger webcam and I am trying to get it to work.
I am using Opensuse 11.4 64bit with Gnome.
I have followed posts to the Logitech site where they recommend downloading and running their qu-usb-messenger-1.8 driver. The webcam apparently uses the Quickcam Messenger and Quickcam Communicate software.
I have done this and tried to install as per the README instructions and get the following errors:

garth@linux-garth:~/Downloads/qc-usb-messenger-1.8> make install
which: no depmod in (/home/garth/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/games:/usr/lib64/jvm/jre/bin)
awk: cmd. line:1: fatal: cannot open file `/lib/modules/2.6.37.6-0.7-desktop/build/include/linux/version.h’ for reading (No such file or directory)
/bin/sh: line 0: : -ge: unary operator expected
/bin/sh: line 0: : -ge: unary operator expected
cc -I/lib/modules/2.6.37.6-0.7-desktop/build/include -nostdinc -iwithprefix include -DMODULE -D__KERNEL__ -DNOKERNEL -O2 -fomit-frame-pointer -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wno-trigraphs -DHAVE_UTSRELEASE_H= -pipe -c qc-driver.c
make: cc: Command not found
make: *** [qc-driver.o] Error 127
garth@linux-garth:~/Downloads/qc-usb-messenger-1.8>

Please help as I don’t understand the error.
I did install make when the make command didn’t work.

The webcam is seen by a lsusb command:

garth@linux-garth:~/Downloads/qc-usb-messenger-1.8> lsusb
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 03f0:0405 Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 3400cse
Bus 005 Device 002: ID 046d:08f0 Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Messenger
Bus 006 Device 002: ID 03f0:7604 Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 3940
garth@linux-garth:~/Downloads/qc-usb-messenger-1.8>

The microphone is working from the webcam but Cheese and Skype just show a black video screen.
Any help to get this webcam going would be appreciated.

#2

I have no idea if you need qu-usb-messenger-1.8 to get it working, but what I can see from the error messages is:

  1. depmod is /sbin/depmod (in the root path). You would have to run ‘make install’ as root.

  2. /lib/modules/2.6.37.6-0.7-desktop/build/include/linux/version.h: you need to install kernel development pattern to compile modules.

  3. cc: Command not found: you have to install gcc (Development pattern)

#3

AFAIK this cam is supported. Should work.

#4

You appear to be trying to install the webcam driver qc-usb-messenger-1.8 which I believe to be out of date, old and inappropriate.

Unfortunately the HCL:Web cameras - openSUSE does not cover all webcam drivers, … but rather it only covers the major ones.

IMHO its best to search on the vendor-id/device-id … ie 046d:08f0

From which you will note reference to the quick cam express (qce) driver: qc-usb: Linux Driver for Quickcam USB cameras

… that page in turn references a separate driver: Quickcam Messenger & Communicate driver for Linux which includes the 046d:08f0

The driver is referred to as the qc-usb-messenger.

Now I posted about the qc-usb-messenger driver a couple of years ago in this post: How to install logitech Quickcam E2500 … a caution about that thread, as there is advice in that thread which is bad advice.

I note that after research in trying to support that user, I discovered that the development of “qc-usb-messenger” stopped at version 1.8, where “qc-usb-messenger” was migrated to a kernel module called “quickcam-messenger” and from then on maintenance (if any) of the code will take place in the “quickcam-messenger” kernel module.

Since this is a kernel module, you ALREADY HAVE THE DRIVER and trying to custom compile is MOST LIKELY NOT a good idea.

Note the user in that thread with same hardware as you, had the webcam inappropriately identified as a gspca, and they were able to get it to function with command (with root permissions)


modprobe -r gspca_stv06xx
modprobe quickcam_messenger

But before sending that, you could check to see what is loaded ?

Type as a regular user:


dmesg | grep uvc
dmesg | grep gspca
dmseg | grep messenger
lsmod | grep uvc
lsmod | grep gspca
lsmod | grep messenger

and post here any output. Most of those should give no feedback, but I’m hoping the lines with ‘messenger’ give some feedback.

#5

Thanks for the inputs. Here are the outputs of the commands suggested by oldcpu.

linux-garth:/home/garth # dmesg | grep uvc
linux-garth:/home/garth # dmesg | grep gspca
5.757063] gspca: v2.10.0 registered
5.763054] gspca: probing 046d:08f0
6.075126] gspca: video1 created
[43292.921057] gspca: video1 disconnect
[43292.935233] gspca: video1 released
linux-garth:/home/garth # dmseg | grep messenger
linux-garth:/home/garth # lsmod | grep uvc
linux-garth:/home/garth # lsmod | grep gspca
linux-garth:/home/garth # lsmod | grep messenger
linux-garth:/home/garth #
linux-garth:/home/garth # modprobe -r gspca_stv06xx
linux-garth:/home/garth # modprobe quickcam_messenger
FATAL: Module quickcam_messenger not found.
linux-garth:/home/garth #

#6

That is clear, … dmesg has identified your webcam as a gspca device. But research suggests that it is not a gspca device.

Assuming I did not give you the wrong command, then that is clear as it appears the gspca module is not loaded, even though the device was recognized in dmesg as a gspca device. I see from the dmesg that you disconnected and reconnected the webcam. I hope you ran that command when the webcam was connected, else it was pointless.

That is puzzling, although maybe the module is not called ‘quickcam_messenger’ but rather has another name, and perhaps I typed the module name wrong !

I’m not at home now and I don’t have access to my notes, so I can not do much further at this time (not until I return home). If you know how you could check to see what modules are on your openSUSE to determine the exact name of the quickcam_messenger module. Again, thats not something I can do this instance, nor is it something I can off the top of my head away from a Linux PC explain to you where to look.

#7

Just FYI: I was wrong. Did not include the “Messenger” part :(. I did some searching, but couldn’t find a solution.

#8

I note the kernel module quickcam_messenger.ko should be located under:

/lib/modules/your-kernel/kernel/drivers/media/video/usbvideo/quickcam_messenger.ko

So you should have the driver installed.

#9

Please confirm your webcam was plugged in when you typed that !

#10

Yes the webcam was plugged in. I have rechecked the command and done a lsusb with this output

linux-garth:/home/garth # lsusb
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 03f0:0405 Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 3400cse
Bus 005 Device 002: ID 046d:08f0 Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Messenger
Bus 006 Device 002: ID 03f0:7604 Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 3940

linux-garth:/home/garth # modprobe -r gspca_stv06xx
linux-garth:/home/garth # modprobe quickcam_messenger
FATAL: Module quickcam_messenger not found.

I have also checked the directory you gave and this is what is in it.

linux-garth:/lib/modules/2.6.37.6-0.7-desktop/kernel/drivers/media/video/usbvideo # dir
total 176
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 59504 Jul 26 19:31 ibmcam.ko
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 24000 Jul 26 19:31 konicawc.ko
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 20496 Jul 26 19:31 ultracam.ko
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 47232 Jul 26 19:31 usbvideo.ko
-rw-r–r-- 1 root root 20344 Jul 26 19:31 vicam.ko
linux-garth:/lib/modules/2.6.37.6-0.7-desktop/kernel/drivers/media/video/usbvideo #

By the way - I checked this directory on my laptop which runs the same system, but 32bit, and the contents are the same as above.

#11

I have not yet moved to openSUSE-11.4 but I am still on openSUSE-11.3. I was doing my checks on openSUSE-11.3 which has the kernel module quickcam_messenger.ko. So I booted to a test partition running openSUSE-11.4, and it turns out that the kernel module quickcam_messenger.ko is included with openSUSE-11.3 but it is not included in openSUSE-11.4. Out of curiousity I checked openSUSE-12.1 Milestone4, and then entire directory /lib/modules/some-kernel-version/kernel/drivers/media/video/usbvideo is removed from openSUSE-12.1 M4.

So it appears this has changed, and I do not know where (if anywhere) there is documentation explaining why the quickcam_messenger.ko module was dropped, nor where it is clearly documented as to what is replacing it. Nor do I know why the entire directory ‘usbvideo’ is being dropped in 12.1 M4.

I suspect a google search to figure out ‘why’ the quickcam_messenger.ko was dropped may help. I note: ATrpms - by Distribution > f13 > kernel-tuxonice which has an obscure reference:

Fri Jul 3 14:00:00 2009 Hans de Goede

  • Disable v4l1 ov511 and quickcam_messenger drivers (obsoleted by
    v4l2 gspca subdrivers)

which suggests that as of the newer kernels (such as that in openSUSE-11.4) that the quickcam_messenger has been replaced by gspca drivers and also v4l2.

Its annoying to me that coupled with that, the gspca web page does not list your webcam, and the gspca2 webcam page link is broken. Hence it is not easy to confirm that your webcam is supported by the gspca. Its for reasons like that , where I will not purchase a gspca compatible webcam but I always puchase a UVC compatible webcam. I also note that UVC is the recommended standard to follow for MS-Windows for webcams (but I diverge). …

Anyway, this supports the dmesg output, indicating that your webcam was identified as a gspca webcam.

linux-garth:/home/garth # dmesg | grep gspca
5.757063] gspca: v2.10.0 registered
5.763054] gspca: probing 046d:08f0
6.075126] gspca: video1 created

What it does not explain is why


lsmod | grep gspca

gave no indication of a gspca kernel module being loaded.

Can you try:


lsmod | grep video

and post here the output.

also type


rpm -qa '*v4l*'

and post here the output.

I think you will need the application libv4l and libv4l2 and also possible libv4l2-0-32bit and I want to see if those are installed.

Since it appears gspca may again support this webcam after all, that may also mean you may need the command (to use your webcam)


LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so <application>

And if you have a 64 bit system, you preload the library with:


LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so <application>

so for example, on a 32-bit openSUSE, before starting the respective application, i.e. for skype you may need to type:


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

This compat-library can be found in the package “libv4l”, which is available from OSS-Repo or from Packman.

#12

Thanks. I appreciate the full replies you give.
I will take a look at any answers re why this camera support was dropped in 11.4. Maybe I should have stayed with 11.3 :slight_smile: but I have enjoyed upgrading to see what’s new. But I agree it’s frustrating to find modules dropped. I claimed the webcam as it was being thrown away so if we can’t get to to work it doesn’t matter.
Here are the outputs you want:

linux-garth:/home/garth # lsmod | grep gspca
linux-garth:/home/garth # dmesg | grep gspca
5.681740] gspca: v2.10.0 registered
5.688673] gspca: probing 046d:08f0
5.999308] gspca: video1 created
[16710.868111] gspca: video1 disconnect
[16710.883840] gspca: video1 released
linux-garth:/home/garth # lsmod | grep gspca
linux-garth:/home/garth # lsmod | grep video
videodev 81448 3 tuner,saa7134,v4l2_common
v4l1_compat 17505 1 videodev
v4l2_compat_ioctl32 10573 1 videodev
videobuf_dma_sg 11235 2 saa7134_alsa,saa7134
videobuf_core 22220 2 saa7134,videobuf_dma_sg
linux-garth:/home/garth #

linux-garth:/home/garth # rpm -qa ‘v4l’
libv4l-0.6.4-9.1.x86_64
v4l-conf-3.95-217.1.x86_64
libv4l2-0-0.6.4-9.1.x86_64
libv4l1-0-0.6.4-9.1.x86_64
v4l-tools-3.95-217.1.x86_64
libv4lconvert0-0.6.4-9.1.x86_64
libpt2_6_7-plugins-v4l-2.6.7-6.1.x86_64
linux-garth:/home/garth # LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype
ERROR: ld.so: object ‘/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so’ from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded: ignored.
g_dbus_connection_real_closed: Remote peer vanished with error: Underlying GIOStream returned 0 bytes on an async read (g-io-error-quark, 0). Exiting.
linux-garth:/home/garth # LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype
ERROR: ld.so: object ‘/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so’ from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded: ignored.
g_dbus_connection_real_closed: Remote peer vanished with error: Underlying GIOStream returned 0 bytes on an async read (g-io-error-quark, 0). Exiting.
linux-garth:/home/garth #

#13

This saa7134. Is that a TV card driver ?

#14

Unfortunately the TV card in your PC (which I believe you to have) is complicating my assessement. I don’t have such a beast, and I do not know what v4l libraries would be associated with that only. Hence I can not tell if any of the loaded v4l / v4l2 libraries from the ‘lsmod’ are associated with your webcam.

You ran this twice . Why ? You clearly have a 64-bit system, so running the 32-bit made no sense to me.

Did you have a specific reason for wanting to run the 32-bit ?

#15

The more I look at this, the more I think that a gspca module should have been loaded.

There should be some sort of error message somewhere stating why there is no ‘gspca’ being loaded, even thou the webcam is called a ‘gspca’ in the dmesg.

Possibly there is an entry in /var/log/messages …

Out of curiousity, what does this line give when typed (enter root password when prompted) :


su -c 'cat /var/log/messages | grep gspca'

If that is too long, paste it on http://susepaste.org. Do NOT post a long output here. Please .

You could try to force the loading of what ‘might’ be the correct gspca kernel module ? … using this unknown blog as a reference : Slitaz’s Notes - Alanyih: Slitaz – webcam that suggests that the gspca_stv06xx.ko kernel module could be the correct module (driver) for the 046d:08f0 webcam.

so try this command:


modprobe gspca_stv06xx

and if you get no error messages, try your webcam .

If (and only if) that does not work, then try with that gspca_stv06xx module still loaded:


LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so some-webcam-app

where ‘some-webcam-app’ needs to be replaced by YOU with the name of an application for a webcam that YOU have installed.

For example, assuming that you still have skype installed.


LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

I still do not understand that “g_dbus_connection_real_closed: Remote peer vanished with error: Underlying GIOStream returned 0 bytes on an async read (g-io-error-quark, 0). Exiting.” message and it makes me think you have not told me all that you have set up ? … (and I am not able to guess it) .

#16

I also note from here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SkypeWebCams the reference:

Logitech Quickcam Messenger

Ubuntu 8.04 - 9.10

046d:08f6, 046d:08f0

quickcam, gspca_stv06xx

For older 32-bit Ubuntu versions (<9.04) use this tutorial or the tutorial for 9.04 to get the webcam working properly, it works with the “quickcam” driver and gstfakevideo. On 64-bit systems gstfakevideo is not available, and the camera is not recognized by Skype at all. More info can be found at this Skype forum entry. The webcam works automatically in 9.10 (the 2.6.30+ kernels) with the gspca_stv06xx driver, to run Skype with this driver type “LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype”.

… although I have never heard of the gstfakevideo and recommend that be ignored and instead attention focussed on the gspca_stv06xx
and that is consistent with my recommendation and hence I think I may be on the right track

… and finally, another request … can you check for the output of:


lsmod | grep quickcam
dmesg | grep stv06xx
dmesg | grep STV06xx
#17

Okay - lets start with the TV card.
I have a dual boot system so I can use Windows. The card is a Compro Video Mate C500 that I use in Windows to convert my old VHS video tapes to DVD etc.
I can take the card out of the PC if this will help.

#18

It might, but lets do that as a last resort. I would like to try the other modprobe, lsmod, dmesg items first.

#19

Okay here goes the tests you asked for
I have sent the output of … su -c ‘cat /var/log/messages | grep gspca’ … to the website suggested under “garthkh” as author and title as “For oldcpu 2011/08/25”

Why did I run the 32bit command? … I don’t know, sorry. This is a 64bit machine.

linux-garth:/home/garth # modprobe gspca_stv06xx
linux-garth:/home/garth #

You said to carry on if there was no error…

linux-garth:/home/garth # LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype
ERROR: ld.so: object ‘/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so’ from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded: ignored.
g_dbus_connection_real_closed: Remote peer vanished with error: Underlying GIOStream returned 0 bytes on an async read (g-io-error-quark, 0). Exiting.
linux-garth:/home/garth #

linux-garth:/home/garth # lsmod | grep quickcam
linux-garth:/home/garth # dmesg | grep stv06xx
5.465582] STV06xx: Probing for a stv06xx device
5.776497] STV06xx: Probing for a stv06xx device
5.776503] STV06xx: Probing for a stv06xx device

linux-garth:/home/garth # dmesg | grep STV06xx
5.465582] STV06xx: Probing for a stv06xx device
5.465585] STV06xx: Configuring camera
5.465586] STV06xx: st6422 sensor detected
5.465588] STV06xx: Initializing camera
5.776415] input: STV06xx as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:13.0/usb5/5-3/input/input5
5.776497] STV06xx: Probing for a stv06xx device
5.776503] STV06xx: Probing for a stv06xx device
5.776520] usbcore: registered new interface driver STV06xx
linux-garth:/home/garth #

#20

The lack of error there is good.

Thats annoying. It suggests the “modprobe gspca_stv06xx” did not work with Skype. Is this a Skype problem ? or is it a driver problem ? Have you tried that command with apps OTHER than Skype ?

I don’t know if that is significant, but it is discouraging to see no evidence of a webcam kernel module (ie a webcam driver) being loaded. I do not know enough about your webcam to suggest another module to look for. “lsmod | grep gspca” did not show anything. “lsmod | grep v4l” only illustrated your TV card but not the webcam ! :frowning:

OK, that was interesting, and it shows for the ‘dmesg’ that using the ‘upper-case’ ‘STV06’ is more important for collecting information than the ‘lower-case’ ‘stv06’.

Note the lines in red …

ie the webcam and device was dedected, and the new interface driver registered, so there should be a driver loaded.

Can you type:


lsmod > lsmod-output.txt

and open up the file ‘lsmod-output.txt’ and copy its contents and paste it to SUSE Paste and press ‘create’ on that side, which will give you a website address/url and post that address here, so that we can look at the contents. Maybe I will recognize a webcam module that currently I can not think of ??

Have you tried a webcam application OTHER than Skype using the “LD_PRELOAD” command and the instructions I gave?