Linux UVC

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Linux UVC

Install

From sources

The Linux-UVC project has not released snapshots yet, so it is necessary to download directly from the code repository. This requires a command line tool called subversion and executing a single command line using this tool.

The required steps are:

Install subversion.
Download the Linux UVC sources with subversion.

HowTo install Subversion: Debian

This Wiki will not explain in detail how to install subversion for any distro. Instead you get an example how to install using Debian (or Ubuntu) package management. Nearly all distros have something similar to install packages. Please refer to their documentation if there are any issues, since it is not part of a driver project to explain how package management of each distro works.

Open a console and execute:

 apt-get install subversion

or open the tool synaptic and select subversion in the GUI.

Get the source code

Open a console and execute the following command:

 svn checkout svn://svn.berlios.de/linux-uvc/linux-uvc/trunk linux-uvc

Compile

binary packages

It is best to compile the Linux-UVC modules from sources, until the project releases named versions. If your distro already has Linux-UVC modules, just try to make use of your camera. You are lucky if it works out of the box, but expect it to fail. This issue will surely vanish as time passes by.

Known Problems

Some Logitech cameras suffer from a hardware/firmware bug which causes them to stop responding after a while. The exact nature and cause of the bug is still unclear. Supposedly Logitech knows about it and will fix their future webcams. There are patches floating around which attempt to work around the bug, tho they tend not be kept uptodate with the main source:

"The reset patch". Last known appearance: [1]
Another patch that tries to be less blunt: [2]

Starting at version 2.6.22, the Linux kernel includes a USB audio bug fix which triggers a (possibly identical to the above) bug in first and second generation Logitech webcams. Fortunately this one seems to have a workaround, although not a pretty one.

The webcam audio interface must be initialised before the video interface. Linux will by default initialise the video interface first, so you need to remove the uvcvideo.ko module from the /lib/modules subdirectory where it gets loaded automatically, and load it manually after plugging the webcam.

A more convenient workaround on openSUSE (and maybe other distros too)

Just add the following line to your /etc/modprobe.conf.local :

 install uvcvideo /sbin/modprobe snd_usb_audio; /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install uvcvideo

If you have to reset you cam for any reason, do:
1. unplug your cam
2. modprobe -r uvcvideo
3. modprobe -r snd_usb_audio
4. replug your cam
- (not sure if step 1 and 4 are really necessary, or if 2 and 3 would be sufficient)

Applications

luvcview

To test UVC luvcview is recommended. Take a look at the readme file for all options. This package can helps others to write software basing on his released source-code.

Download the latest luvcview-*.tar.gz
Install SDL development packages for your distro (e.g. Debian needs libsdl1.2-dev and a million automatically installable prerequisites)
Unpack the sources run make

If the image is bad try clicking the 'reset to default' button on luvcview.

2007-08-24: lucview-20070512 always runs into a fatal for me: "Unable to set format" with errorcode 16 when another application accesses the cam (ekiga) and with errorcode 22 otherwise. This is on amd64, snv version of linux-uvc, kernel 2.6.22-gentoo-r5 with a logitech 'for notebooks pro'. (Are there better places to report errors?)

aMSN

Recently aMSN built from SVN code started to work with Linux-UVC. This should end up in aMSN 0.97 release.

aMSN Version Linux-UVC revision# status reported

aMSN 0.97RC1 (22/05/2007) 117 Doesn't work. Crashes due to a bug that has already been resolved in aMSN SVN. Alexey Chernyak, 2007-07-27

aMSN SVN 26/07/2007 snapshot 117 Works well with Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision (046d:08c9) on Gentoo with amsn-svn-1.0-r1 ebuild from Zugaina overlay. You can select resolution to be either 160x120 or 320x240 and adjust Brightness, Contrast and Color controls. aMSN's Audio and Video Settings wizard does a very good job at resetting the cam in case it stops working. During videoconferencing the webcam does not start until the connection with the other person is established. Alexey Chernyak, 2007-07-27

Ekiga (formerly Gnomemeeting)

Ekiga-2.0.4 started to work with Linux-UVC (rev 79), previous versions are known not to work.

A HowTo explains HowTo install Ekiga to Ubuntu

Ekiga Version Linux-UVC revision# status reported

2.0.3 121 fails to work. Works OK with Ubuntu-7.04, when using the V4L2 plugin. Alexis & Michel, linux23dragon, 2007-09-10

2.0.4 79 OK! You can adjust the Brightness, Color, Whiteness and Contrast controls. I Was able to use the microphone too. The Video control settings might change from one session to the next at this time. Linux23dragon, 2007-02-03

2.0.9 latest? 2.0.9 is out now. Video Controls are slow. I am able to use the microphone too. Brian, 2007-07-17

Kopete

Kopete Version Linux-UVC revision# status reported

Kopete 0.12.5
(Using KDE 3.5.7) 117 Doesn't work. Displays a green picture. Crashes during configuration. Alexey Chernyak, 2007-07-27

Kopete 0.12.6
(Using openSUSE 10.3 / KDE 3.5.7) 127 Seems to work. At least in the video settings dialog.
Kopete doesn't remember the saturation setting correctly, it's set to '0' every time I restart Kopete.
Using Logitech QuickCam Sphere MP (2006 model, 046d:08cc) yojoe, 2007-09-27

Skype

Skype Version Linux-UVC revision# status reported

Skype v1.4.0.74
for Linux (Beta) any Skype is completely missing webcam functionality under Linux. Alexey Chernyak, 2007-07-27

Skype v2.0.0.13
for Linux (Beta) any Skype beta supports v4l1 and crashes often. Maciej Bliziński, 2007-11-14

XawTv

XawTv Version	Linux-UVC revision#	status	reported
xawtv4 (xawtv-20061123-095905)	latest available @ 2007-08-18	works well with Logitech Quickcam Pro 5000 (046d:08ce). Errormessage on startup of xawtv, but no further complications. Possibly weak picture can be "reset" with luvcview and "reset to defaults" button.	Peter Ries, 2007-08-20

v4l-info

(from the XawTV package)
Works, but doesn't report the supported resolutions correctly (with Logitech QuickCam Fusion).

v4lctl

(from v4l-tools 3.95-98 package / openSUSE 10.3 RC1)
Show available options with:

 # v4lctl -c /dev/video0 list

Works to set color, brightness, tilt/pan/reset, ...
(Using Logitech QuickCam Sphere MP (2006 model, 046d:08cc))

FFmpeg

(version SVN-r9778 / openSUSE 10.3 RC1)
For example, grab with 320x240, 5 frames per second and save as MPEG4:

 # ffmpeg -f video4linux2 -s 320x240 -r 5 -i /dev/video0 -f m4v out.m4v

Works good, until the uvcvideo driver sents an incomplete frame (ususally happens just after a few seconds)
(Using Logitech QuickCam Sphere MP (2006 model, 046d:08cc))

mplayer

Works with Logitech QuickCam Fusion.
(Tested with SVN from end of July 2007)

mencoder

Might work (encountered segfaults).
(Tested with SVN from end of July 2007)

motion

Works with Logitech QuickCam Fusion.
(Tested with version 3.2.8 which was the first to support V4L2.)

camorama

(Any hints?)

gqcam

(Any hints?)

UVC streamer

This application bases on luvcview, but it does not simply display the stream on the screen. Instead it servers them via TCP on port 8080. You can view the stream with a M-JPEG viewer like Firefox, Videolan Client (very ressource friendly) or even with a Pocket PC running TCPMP by using an address like http://<IP>:8080. The webpage is naaa.de.

A subpage in this wiki explains HowTo install UVC Streamer.

UVC Streamer Version Linux-UVC revision# status reported

uvc_streamer_2007_07_09_22.20.32 111 works good with Logitech Quickcam 5000 (2006 model, 046d:08ce) with Ubuntu 6.06 LTS and OpenWRT Kamikaze + UVC Patch (Ticket #1997) Tom, 2007-07-09

uvc_streamer_2007_07_11_12.27.31 111 works good with Logitech Fusion (2007 model, 046d:08c1) with SUSE 10.1) Brian, 2007-07-17

uvc_streamer_2007_08_04_12.44.45 121 Works good with Creative Live! Cam Optia (041e:4057) on SPARC32 with linux 2.6.21 (uvc not compiled as a module) Jan, 2007-08-21

Hints

Dan Sandberg

2006-08-15: Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks

I couldn't find anything about which kernel version was needed. I tried to compile on 2.6.12 ( default on Ubuntu Breezy ) but was missing the symbol "v4l2_ioctl_names". This is only used for debugging, so I just replaced it with a hard-coded string and the driver worked fine with luvcview.

The image was initially washed out but this was fixed by hitting the 'reset to default' button on luvcview.

The 'normal' V4L applications such as xawtv, camorama, and gqcam all don't work at all.

Kudos to the developers -- this is a great start!

2006-08-18: UPDATE

It looks like the Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks supports MJPEG output only. Ekiga seems to support this through pwlib/ptlib. I guess all the other viewers ( xawtv, camorama, gqcam ) have not been modified to support it.

  (2007-08-20)
  Is this really the case? on my Laptop, with ehci-hcd (+uhci-hcd) loaded,
  i get yuv, with uhci-hcd only, i can only use mjpg format with luvcview.
  In both cases, switching the format using luvcview -f ... results in
  v4l error selecting format: 22. 85.216.89.2Florian

Noob question

Hi there. I've downloaded the subversion repository, run make and make install. How do I get Linux to "see" and use this new driver? I'm running Ubuntu 7.10 at present. /dev/video0 does not exist yet. I've been reading through the driver instructions but I don't know how to create /dev/video0 and link it to the driver. Thanks for any help. BTW, lsusb does not at present see the camera, but it is seen in the device manager. Ubuntu 7.10 seems to come with the uvcvideo driver preinstalled:

locate uvcvideo

/lib/modules/2.6.22-10-generic/ubuntu/media/usbvideo/uvcvideo.ko

/lib/modules/2.6.22-11-generic/ubuntu/media/usbvideo/uvcvideo.ko

/lib/modules/2.6.22-11-generic/kernel/ubuntu/media/usbvideo/uvcvideo.ko

...

The last one is the newly compiled driver.64.180.116.43 rybu

aMSN Version	Linux-UVC revision#	status	reported
aMSN 0.97RC1 (22/05/2007)	117	Doesn't work. Crashes due to a bug that has already been resolved in aMSN SVN.	Alexey Chernyak, 2007-07-27
aMSN SVN 26/07/2007 snapshot	117	Works well with Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision (046d:08c9) on Gentoo with amsn-svn-1.0-r1 ebuild from Zugaina overlay. You can select resolution to be either 160x120 or 320x240 and adjust Brightness, Contrast and Color controls. aMSN's Audio and Video Settings wizard does a very good job at resetting the cam in case it stops working. During videoconferencing the webcam does not start until the connection with the other person is established.	Alexey Chernyak, 2007-07-27

Ekiga Version	Linux-UVC revision#	status	reported
2.0.3	121	fails to work. Works OK with Ubuntu-7.04, when using the V4L2 plugin.	Alexis & Michel, linux23dragon, 2007-09-10
2.0.4	79	OK! You can adjust the Brightness, Color, Whiteness and Contrast controls. I Was able to use the microphone too. The Video control settings might change from one session to the next at this time.	Linux23dragon, 2007-02-03
2.0.9	latest?	2.0.9 is out now. Video Controls are slow. I am able to use the microphone too.	Brian, 2007-07-17

Kopete Version	Linux-UVC revision#	status	reported
Kopete 0.12.5 (Using KDE 3.5.7)	117	Doesn't work. Displays a green picture. Crashes during configuration.	Alexey Chernyak, 2007-07-27
Kopete 0.12.6 (Using openSUSE 10.3 / KDE 3.5.7)	127	Seems to work. At least in the video settings dialog. Kopete doesn't remember the saturation setting correctly, it's set to '0' every time I restart Kopete. Using Logitech QuickCam Sphere MP (2006 model, 046d:08cc)	yojoe, 2007-09-27

Skype Version	Linux-UVC revision#	status	reported
Skype v1.4.0.74 for Linux (Beta)	any	Skype is completely missing webcam functionality under Linux.	Alexey Chernyak, 2007-07-27
Skype v2.0.0.13 for Linux (Beta)	any	Skype beta supports v4l1 and crashes often.	Maciej Bliziński, 2007-11-14

UVC Streamer Version	Linux-UVC revision#	status	reported
uvc_streamer_2007_07_09_22.20.32	111	works good with Logitech Quickcam 5000 (2006 model, 046d:08ce) with Ubuntu 6.06 LTS and OpenWRT Kamikaze + UVC Patch (Ticket #1997)	Tom, 2007-07-09
uvc_streamer_2007_07_11_12.27.31	111	works good with Logitech Fusion (2007 model, 046d:08c1) with SUSE 10.1)	Brian, 2007-07-17
uvc_streamer_2007_08_04_12.44.45	121	Works good with Creative Live! Cam Optia (041e:4057) on SPARC32 with linux 2.6.21 (uvc not compiled as a module)	Jan, 2007-08-21