webcam

[seth]

I have a problem with the cam...
I need to use the webcam but I have some problems. If I use Ekiga the webcam starts it says I have a chipset sn9c10x webcam (trust spacecam 120) using v4l2 on channel0. But amsn doesn't get the camera and I can't understand how to mount it... I was thinking to try mercury, but even if I unmask the file emerge refuse to install it... can I install any other package? rmp didn't work via kpackage but I guess it is because gentoo is not compatible with rpm (redhat) or deb.
Any hint? I really need the cam! Thx

[cvill64]

There is a prog called deb2targz that you can use or you can install an rpm by rpm -ivh <package>.rpm on gentoo....I'm assuming you've checked gentoo-wiki.org for your webcam or gentoo forums already?

[seth]

Sure. On http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Install_a_webcam i found:

the kernel comes with drivers for Konica Webcams, Webcams based on the OV511, SE401, SN9C10x, STV680, W996[87]CF chipsets and some Philips (this seems to be the pwcx driver, too). If you have little or no experience on installing new hardware to your system, maybe a good 'first-step' is just adding all these drivers to your kernel, recompiling it, and following the rest of the process described in this page (I've found that there are some 'tricky' webcams that are not really well classified in sites devoted to it. Maybe my suggestion can help you saving 'not-necessary-investigation-time'). Once you have your webcam working, you can be more selective with the real needed drivers, of course.

Well, I am still a newbie when it comes to kernel recompiling and all, so I was wondering what I should search on the wiki to find a kernel recompiling with driver for video4linux2 chipset SN9C10x. Since the cam works on ekinga, the phone program that comes with the RC2 dvd edition, can I guess there is no need to recompile?

I'll try the rpm and something about the spca5xx driver (found browsing links from the wiki) after i've finish coding in openGl, I'll post any news on my attempts...

[seth]

the french site http://mxhaard.free.fr/spca5xx.html linked from the wiki say my webcam is supported via spca5xx driver. I tried emerging it, and everything worked fine. As sismple as:

Code: Select all

emerge spca5xx

Then I gone for the cam viewer:

Code: Select all

emerge spcaview

according to gentoo's package page http://packages.gentoo.org/search/?sstring=spca5xx.
Here it raised the following error:

Spcaview version: 1.1.5 date: 12:12:2005 (C) mxhaard@magic.fr
Initializing SDL.
SDL initialized.
bpp 3 format 15
Using video device /dev/video0.
Initializing v4l.
**************** PROBING CAMERA *********************
wrong device

Ekinga say it uses v4l2, on the wiki, searching "v4l2" it sends me back to the webcam how-to... So dead point.
I tried, but it might be just a stupid thing:

Code: Select all

# mount /dev/video0
mount: can't find /dev/v4l/video0 in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab
# mount /dev/v4l/video0
mount: can't find /dev/v4l/video0 in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab
# mount /dev/v4l2/video0
mount: can't find /dev/v4l2/video0 in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab


Should I add it to fstab? How?

I'll try later mercury messenger which uses a java stuff...

[cvill64]

yes, create an fstab for it, kde has this stupid "bug" in it which doesn't let easy automounts

cat /etc/fstab

To get a feel of what fstab should look like, then find out what your webcam needs