Web Cam Not Working Anymore in 11.4

English Hardware
#1

Hi,

I have a webcam

:~> lsusb 
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0a12:0001 Cambridge Silicon Radio, Ltd Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode)
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 1c4f:0002 SiGma Micro 
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 0ac8:301b Z-Star Microelectronics Corp. ZC0301 Webcam

I didn’t use it for a long time. But the last time I checked it Under Ubuntu, cheese was able to read from it & gstreamer properties also tested it successfully.

But now that I need the webcam, I can’t get it work :frowning:

gstreamer properties says " Video for Linux 2 (v4l2): Could not negotiate format".

Is this webcam not supported now ?

Got a cluehere . Never used modprobe before. Please help

#2

Your webcam is a 0ac8:301b accoding to the lsusb. When ‘armed’ with that information, I typically go to this openSUSE webcam page which provides guidance. It advises one the check to see if one’s webcam is uvc compatible (which IMHO the better webcams are). Your webcam is NOT in the ‘uvc’ list.

Then I checked the Gspca/Spca5xx webcam compatibility lists and saw your webcam in the spca5xx list. So your webcam will use the gspca webcam driver.

Now if you go back to the openSUSE webcam page you will note it states the following, which I will quote:

However, some applications still don’t work very well together with the new (gspca) drivers, a workaround is to preload a libv4l-compat library:


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

before starting the respective application, i.e. for kopete you would type:


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

This compat-library can be found in the package “libv4l”, which is available from OSS-Repo or (recommended) from Packman. (see - Additional YaST Package Repositories](http://en.opensuse.org/Additional_YaST_Package_Repositories))

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


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

If you want to run a 32 bit application (i.e. skype) on a 64 bit system, you first need to install “libv4l-32bit” (only available in the Packman repository) and run the preload-command used for 32 bit.

If this works for you, you can add the LD_PRELOAD-command to the startup command of your menu entry/desktop shortcut via menu editor or with right-clicking the desktop icon => properties => application => command respectively.

#3

Its Working :slight_smile:

I just installed the libv4l-32bit package and now even Skype recognizes my cam <:). I was never able to use this cam with Skype.

But one small problem when I do this in Terminal

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

it works but when I edit the

menu entry in alacarte with the same thing Skype won’t recognize may cam . I am using Gnome 3.

Thanks :cool:

#4

Good news that its working ! :slight_smile: … I use Skype for about 15 to 30 minutes around 3 to 4 times per week in a video chat with my 85+ year old mother who lives in North America (I live in Europe). We are both running openSUSE-11.3 w/KDE-4.4.4 on our PCs (but we have different webcams).

Its great to be in touch with family via video

Sorry, I can’t help there. I don’t have gspca webcam anymore (I discarded it for a superior UVC compatible webcam). Also, I only use LXDE or KDE4 (except for my laptop with openSUSE-11.1 that has an ancient version of Gnome).

Someone who knows Gnome3 will need to chime in.

#5

I’m not familiar with Gnome (any version). Try creating a script first with your favourite editor (call it skype_launch.sh for example)

#!/bin/bash
 LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

then make it executable

chmod +x skype_launch.sh

Now use alacarte to point to the launch script instead. Does that work for you?

#6

I created the script using gedit, saved it to my home folder.

Then right clicked on it, went to properties, made it executable.

When I double click on it & click Run Skype starts & recognizes my cam.

Then I started alacarte edited the entry for Skype by pointing it to this script.

But again when I start Skype using regular method that is via the Gnome App menu it starts but doesn’t recognize my cam.:open_mouth:

#7

The only thing I can think of is that you may need to restart Gnome for the menu edit to take effect perhaps?

Anyone else got info/ideas on this?

Maybe you need to edit the menu with a different tool with Gnome 3?

#8

Yes, now that I have restarted my PC its working which means restarting Gnome is a necessity .

(ALT+F2 > r > Enter)

:good:

#9

Good work. Enjoy :slight_smile:

#10

On 05/07/2011 11:36 AM, suse kid wrote:
>
> Yes, now that I have restarted my PC its working which means restarting
> Gnome is a necessity .

or the machine wasn’t rebooted after the most recent kernel was installed…

–
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD
[openSUSE11.3 + KDE4.5.5 + Firefox3.6.17 + Thunderbird3.1.10 via NNTP]
HACK Everything → http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5b4CCe9pS8&NR=1

#11

On Sat, 07 May 2011 13:36:02 +0530, suse kid
<suse_kid@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:

>
> deano_ferrari;2336183 Wrote:
>> I’m not familiar with Gnome (any version). Try creating a script first
>> with your favourite editor (call it skype_launch.sh for example)
>>
>> >
> Code:
> --------------------
> > > #!/bin/bash
> > LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype
> --------------------
>> >
>>
>> then make it executable
>>
>> >
> Code:
> --------------------
> > > chmod +x skype_launch.sh
> --------------------
>> >
>>
>> Now use alacarte to point to the launch script instead. Does that
>> work for you?
>
> I created the script using gedit, saved it to my home folder.
>
> Then right clicked on it, went to properties, made it executable.
>
> When I double click on it & click Run Skype starts & recognizes my cam.
>
> Then I started alacarte edited the entry for Skype by pointing it to
> this script.
>
> But again when I start Skype using regular method that is via the Gnome
> App menu it starts but doesn’t recognize my cam.:open_mouth:
>

i don’t know GNOME either, so likely i’m wrong. but to me it looks as if
that GNOME menu was calling skype from it’s default location, not via your
script. are you sure that the part of the menu editor you pointed to your
script was the executable, not a comment or icon path or the like?

–
phani.