User:Fostermarkd/IBM PC Camera

From ConShell

Output in syslog from initial plugin of this pretty old USB camera...

Dec  4 09:46:40 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [11993.406603] usb 5-1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 3
Dec  4 09:46:41 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [11993.577287] usb 5-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

According to http://www.linux-usb.org/ibmcam/ we have a Model 2 KSX-X9903

Output from lsusb

Bus 005 Device 003: ID 0545:8080 Xirlink, Inc. IBM C-It WebCam

Doing the modprobe, it appears to work fine.

mdf@mdf-vostro-1500:~$ sudo modprobe ibmcam
mdf@mdf-vostro-1500:~$ sudo lsmod | grep ibm
ibmcam                 55504  0 
usbvideo               32900  1 ibmcam
usbcore               149360  6 ibmcam,usbvideo,usbhid,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd

Output from /var/log/syslog...

Dec  4 09:50:52 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [12244.557541] Linux video capture interface: v2.00
Dec  4 09:50:52 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [12244.605624] ibmcam: IBM PC Camera USB camera found (model 2, rev. 0x030a)
Dec  4 09:50:52 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [12244.605807] videodev: "ibmcam USB Camera" has no release callback. Please fix your driver for proper sysfs support, see http://lwn.net/Articles/36850/
Dec  4 09:50:52 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [12244.605816] usbvideo: ibmcam on /dev/video0: canvas=352x240 videosize=352x240
Dec  4 09:50:52 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [12244.605871] usbcore: registered new interface driver ibmcam
Dec  4 09:50:52 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [12244.849257] usbvideo: usb_submit_urb error (-1)
Dec  4 09:50:52 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [12244.851277] usbvideo: usb_submit_urb error (-1)
Dec  4 09:50:52 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [12244.875957] usbvideo: Packet Statistics: Total=64. Empty=31. Usage=51%
Dec  4 09:50:52 mdf-vostro-1500 kernel: [12244.875973] usbvideo: Transfer Statistics: Transferred=2 B Usage=0%

Well, so far so good, and Skype recognizes the camera is there, but when I test the camera in the options menu, Skype crashes with this...

Skype V4L: Failed to set picture size (320x240)
Skype V4L: Failed to set picture size (324x248)
Skype V4L: Failed to set picture size (352x288)
Skype V4L: Failed to set picture size (160x120)
Skype V4L: Failed to set picture size (176x144)
Skype V4L: Failed to set picture size (640x480)
Skype V4L: Failed to set picture size (1024x576)
Skype V4L: Failed to find suitable capture size for 320x240
Skype V4L: Could not find a suitable capture format
Starting the process...
Skype Xv: Xv ports available: 17
Skype XShm: XShm support enabled
Skype Xv: Using Xv port 66
Aborted

Next step, validate the camera works at all (outside of Skype)

 cat < /dev/video0 > foo.dat

This seems to work fine, foo.dat has binary data in it.

Trying camstream... http://www.smcc.demon.nl/camstream/

aptitude install camstream
Creating video4linux (/dev/video*) special files...
udev active, devices will be created in /dev/.static/dev/
rm: cannot remove `video0-': Read-only file system
mknod: `video0-': Read-only file system
makedev video0 c 81 0 root video 0660: failed
rm: cannot remove `video0-': Read-only file system
rm: cannot remove `radio0-': Read-only file system

Reinstalled after removing the ibmcam module and unplugging the device. The errors didn't go away but I CAN see the camera video in the viewer now (even as mdf).

Tried also camorama (complains it can't see/read /dev/video0).

Skype still crashing though, see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SkypeWebCams ?

also http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=144791

After installing xawtv

mdf@mdf-vostro-1500:~$ v4l-info 

### video4linux device info [/dev/video0] ###
general info
    VIDIOCGCAP
	name                    : "IBM USB Camera"
	type                    : 0x1 [CAPTURE]
	channels                : 1
	audios                  : 0
	maxwidth                : 352
	maxheight               : 240
	minwidth                : 8
	minheight               : 4

channels
    VIDIOCGCHAN(0)
	channel                 : 0
	name                    : "Camera"
	tuners                  : 0
	flags                   : 0x0 []
	type                    : CAMERA
	norm                    : 0

tuner
ioctl VIDIOCGTUNER: Invalid argument

audio
ioctl VIDIOCGAUDIO: Invalid argument

picture
    VIDIOCGPICT
	brightness              : 32768
	hue                     : 32768
	colour                  : 32768
	contrast                : 32768
	whiteness               : 26880
	depth                   : 24
	palette                 : RGB24

buffer
    VIDIOCGFBUF
	base                    : (nil)
	height                  : 0
	width                   : 0
	depth                   : 0
	bytesperline            : 0

window
    VIDIOCGWIN
	x                       : 0
	y                       : 0
	width                   : 176
	height                  : 144
	chromakey               : 0
	flags                   : 12

Latest info...

Works:

• gqcam (after running sudo ln -s /dev/video0 /dev/video)
• camstream

Doesn't work (yet)

• skype
• camorama

Hmm, this link looks hopeful.

2009-01-11

Investigating zoneminder facility (http://www.zoneminder.com) to do continuous archiving/streaming of video from the camera, which has been installed at our colo facility.

Installing zoneminder on ubuntu as easy as aptitude install zoneminder

Now, following the docs.

mfoster@mfoster-box1:~$ zmu -d /dev/video0 -q -v
Aborted
mfoster@mfoster-box1:~$ sudo !!
sudo zmu -d /dev/video0 -q -v
Video Capabilities
  Name: IBM USB Camera
  Type: 1
    Can capture
  Video Channels: 1
  Audio Channels: 0
  Maximum Width: 352
  Maximum Height: 240
  Minimum Width: 8
  Minimum Height: 4
Window Attributes
  X Offset: 0
  Y Offset: 0
  Width: 352
  Height: 240
Picture Attributes
  Palette: 4 - 24bit RGB
  Colour Depth: 24
  Brightness: 5431
  Hue: 22203
  Colour :40631
  Contrast: 50680
  Whiteness: 26880
Channel 0 Attributes
  Name: Camera
  Channel: 0
  Flags: 0
  Type: 2 - Camera
  Format: 0 - PAL

To be continued...