Can't get USB Webcam working

[theenglishman]

I've run the live cd 1.20 and all went ok until I added my first monitor. I upgraded to the 1.21.2 RPM and the same happened. So I re-formatted, re-installed and got the same. The 'video' shows up as a 'broken link' in firefox. I don't know how to do screen grabs yet...

[user user]$ sudo -u root zmu -d /dev/video0 -q -v
Video Capabilities
Name: Creative PD1001
Type: 1
Can capture
Video Channels: 1
Audio Channels: 0
Maximum Width: 400
Maximum Height: 300
Minimum Width: 2
Minimum Height: 2
Window Attributes
X Offset: 0
Y Offset: 0
Width: 200
Height: 150
Picture Attributes
Palette: 1 - Linear greyscale
Colour Depth: 24
Brightness: 32768
Hue: 65535
Colour :65535
Contrast: 65535
Whiteness: 32768
Channel 0 Attributes
Name: Camera
Channel: 0
Flags: 0
Type: 2 - Camera
Format: 0 - PAL

Dunno if this is relevant from the zm logs:-

Watchdog starting at 05/08/03 10:23:01
Watchdog pausing for 30 seconds
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971969': No such file or directory
Can't get shared memory id '2053971970': No such file or directory
Watchdog starting at 05/08/03 19:23:22
Watchdog pausing for 30 seconds


And here's /var/log/messages:-


Aug 3 19:18:07 zm drakclock[7207]: launched command: service ntpd start
Aug 3 19:18:08 zm zma_m2[7273]: INF [Debug Level = 0, Debug Log = <none>]
Aug 3 19:18:08 zm zma_m2[7273]: ERR [Shared memory not initialised by capture d
aemon]
Aug 3 19:18:08 zm zmc_d0[7274]: INF [Debug Level = 0, Debug Log = <none>]
Aug 3 19:18:08 zm kernel: drivers/usb/media/epcam.c: epcam_open()
Aug 3 19:18:08 zm kernel: drivers/usb/media/epcam.c: epcam_open() done
Aug 3 19:18:08 zm zmc_d0[7274]: ERR [Failed to set picture attributes: Invalid
argument]
Aug 3 19:18:09 zm ntpdate[7279]: step time server 193.25.198.254 offset -0.0000
80 sec
Aug 3 19:18:10 zm ntpd[7295]: ntpd 4.2.0@1.1161-r Thu Sep 30 15:06:18 CEST 2004
(1)
Aug 3 19:18:10 zm ntpd[7295]: precision = 2.000 usec
Aug 3 19:18:10 zm ntpd[7295]: no IPv6 interfaces found
Aug 3 19:18:10 zm ntpd[7295]: kernel time sync status 0040
Aug 3 19:18:10 zm ntpd: ntpd startup succeeded
Aug 3 19:18:10 zm drakclock[7207]: launched command: /sbin/hwclock --systohc
Aug 3 19:18:11 zm drakclock[7207]: launched command: dcop kicker Panel restart
Aug 3 19:18:11 zm ntpd[7295]: frequency initialized 7.648 PPM from /etc/ntp/dri
ft
Aug 3 19:18:11 zm su(pam_unix)[7201]: session closed for user root
Aug 3 19:18:35 zm localedrake[7330]: ### Program is starting ###
Aug 3 19:19:32 zm drakconf.real[7369]: ### Program is starting ###
Aug 3 19:19:50 zm su(pam_unix)[7384]: session opened for user root by (uid=501)
Aug 3 19:19:50 zm su(pam_unix)[7384]: session closed for user root
Aug 3 19:19:50 zm su(pam_unix)[7392]: session opened for user root by (uid=501)
Aug 3 19:19:51 zm drakconf.real[7398]: ### Program is starting ###
Aug 3 19:20:01 zm drakconnect[7414]: ### Program is starting ###
Aug 3 19:20:14 zm drakconf.real[7398]: modified file /etc/mcc.conf
Aug 3 19:20:14 zm su(pam_unix)[7392]: session closed for user root
Aug 3 19:21:25 zm ntpd[7295]: synchronized to LOCAL(0), stratum=10
Aug 3 19:21:25 zm ntpd[7295]: kernel time sync disabled 0041
Aug 3 19:22:29 zm ntpd[7295]: synchronized to 193.25.198.254, stratum=2
Aug 3 19:24:15 zm zmu[7726]: FAT [Can't open /etc/zm.conf: Permission denied]
Aug 3 19:24:32 zm sudo: user : TTY=pts/13 ; PWD=/home/user ; USER=root ; CO MMAND=/usr/bin/zmu -d /dev/video0 -q -v
Aug 3 19:24:32 zm kernel: drivers/usb/media/epcam.c: epcam_open()
Aug 3 19:24:32 zm kernel: drivers/usb/media/epcam.c: epcam_open() done
Aug 3 19:25:40 zm zmu[7799]: ERR [Shared memory not initialised by capture daem on]
Aug 3 19:26:10 zm zmu[7819]: ERR [Shared memory not initialised by capture daem on]
Aug 3 19:27:27 zm sudo: user : TTY=pts/13 ; PWD=/home/user ; USER=root ; CO MMAND=/bin/cat /var/log/zm/zmaudit.log /var/log/zm/zmdc.log /var/log/zm/zmfilter .log /var/log/zm/zmpkg.log /var/log/zm/zmupdate.log /var/log/zm/zmwatch.log
Aug 3 19:27:52 zm ntpd[7295]: kernel time sync enabled 0001
Aug 3 19:31:53 zm sudo: user : TTY=pts/13 ; PWD=/home/user ; USER=root ; CO MMAND=/usr/bin/zmu -d /dev/video0 -q -v
Aug 3 19:31:53 zm kernel: drivers/usb/media/epcam.c: epcam_open()
Aug 3 19:31:53 zm kernel: drivers/usb/media/epcam.c: epcam_open() done
Aug 3 19:33:27 zm sudo: user : TTY=pts/13 ; PWD=/home/user ; USER=root ; CO MMAND=/bin/cat /var/log/zm/zmaudit.log /var/log/zm/zmdc.log /var/log/zm/zmfilter .log /var/log/zm/zmpkg.log /var/log/zm/zmupdate.log /var/log/zm/zmwatch.log
Aug 3 19:36:37 zm sudo: user : TTY=pts/13 ; PWD=/home/user ; USER=root ; CO MMAND=/bin/cat /var/log//messages


I'm running on a Toshiba laptop, the webcam works in Windows, the usb works as the usb mouse works ok and I'm clueless about what to do next

Any help appreciated.

Neil

[rdmelin]

Hi Neil,
Thank you for providing good info for debugging Other users please note how to ask for assistance

The output from zmu indicates that the driver has loaded and the cam is recognized.

Maximum Width: 400
Maximum Height: 300
Minimum Width: 2
Minimum Height: 2

Try setting the Width and Height in the monitor form to 400 x 300.
Try also both setting the palette to RGB24. (Looks like it may be set at the default grayscale, which may or may not work.)
Im not sure whether the format (0=PAL,1=NTSC etc) makes any difference with a usb cam so try switching if the above does't get you going.

Aug 3 19:18:08 zm zmc_d0[7274]: ERR [Failed to set picture attributes: Invalid
argument]

This is the usual error when the monitor is set to a size that the device doesn't support.

You can also uncheck ZM_STRICT_VIDEO_CONFIG if it's checked. It's in the Config tab of the Options window in ZM

Let us know how it goes.

Best regards,

Ross

[theenglishman]

I can't take any credit for the logs - I just put in what others had in other posts. Guess I got lucky

http://www.aiyamicro.com/pc-parts-perip ... ebcams.htm

shows that the resolution is 320x240 or thereabouts, so I'll try that tomorrow. (Don't know why it says 400x300 in the config )

Thanks for the swift response!

Neil