Xawtv fine but ZM without image

[pre-newbie]

Hi,
I got ZM running ok, but no monitor so far. I tested pre-settings and several alternatives without success (/dev/videox with x=0 to 10, signal =1, all the palettes, the manufacture resolution 510x492 as well as 640x480, and the combinations of them).

Both, Kdetv and Xawtv open always with problems but they are fixed as soon as I change their settings from PAL to NTSC. I do not know how to save them for the next time I open these applications.

I have two cameras managed by a bttv BT878 card, managed by an Athlon 2800 64 box with SuSE 10.0. With both in separate attempts I get the same results.

If it helps, the results of the code v4l-conf are:
v4l-conf: using X11 display :0.0
dga: version 2.0
mode: 1280x1024, depth=24, bpp=32, bpl=5120, base=0xe0000000
/dev/video0 [v4l2]: configuration done

Please any help it is going to be wery appreciated.
Thanks!
pre-newbie

[jameswilson]

i would expect this is a shared mem issue see your messages log
If you try a lower res eg 320x240 you shouldnt have a problem. The reason xaw and tvtime work is because they map the mem rather than cature and store it. You obviously need enough shared mem to store the image in zm, but as xaw and tvtime dont store it they need no shared mem

James

[pre-newbie]

Hi James,
Thanks for your help. I did try with 320x240, and all the palettes combinations. Also using /dev/video0 and video1. The result is that on the monitor dialogue, there is only a white blank square where it should be the camera display. Somehow it looks like when you surf with an internet browser over a broken link to an image file. The same "icon" apeares over the blank frame. I am using the Konqueror of KDE 3.5.2a).
I tested it with both cameras and I get the same result.
I will look for the logs.
Thanks!

[pre-newbie]

Hi James,
It seems like you are right. Here is the last part of the log file:

New, shared memory not valid]
04/20/06 11:36:20.857139 zmwatch[11837].INF ['zmc -d' started at 06/04/20 11:36:20] at /usr/local/bin/zmwatch.pl line 118
04/20/06 11:36:30.863800 zmwatch[11837].ERR [Can't get shared memory id '7a6d2001', 1: No such file or directory]
04/20/06 11:36:30.864024 zmwatch[11837].INF [Restarting capture daemon for New, shared memory not valid]
04/20/06 11:36:30.994928 zmwatch[11837].INF ['zmc -d' stopping at 06/04/20 11:36:30]

But I do not know how to solev it as I already tested it with lower resolutions and decreasing the frames per seconds to 15.
Thanks!

[jameswilson]

well first of all id limit your frame rate to 2 (to start with) and read the faq regarding shared mem. Unfortunatly I cant help much with suse as ive never used it. Could you post your monitor config like device details port etc

[pre-newbie]

Hi James, I decreased the FPS to 2, but no change.
The specifications of the box are:
Screen: Samsung SyncMaster 793v
Video board: MSI with the NVidia's FX5200 chip
Mainboard: ASUS K8N with NVidia nForce3 250
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 2800+
RAM: 1 DDR400 of 512 mb.
Hardrive: Western Digital SATA 200 GB
Linux Distro: SuSE 10.0 OSS
OpenGL: is working great.

I will read more on the FAQ. I already did add the lines to the /etc/sysctl.conf:
kernel.shmall = 134217728
kernel.shmmax = 134217728

But it did not solve the problem.

[jameswilson]

did you edit the modprobe?

[pre-newbie]

Hi James! I did not edit the modprobes. but finally I got it. You will hate me for wasting your time this way... Well, the problem was Konqueror. I checked all the plugins and they are installed but as soon as I tested entering to ZM trough Firefox, the image was there...
I did some tests. And gray and all the RGB palettes work fine. I left it on RGB24. The FPS I set it for 30. Even though on the monitor it looks like the frame is working a lot slower. But the image quality is great. The cameras are CCD based and have a resolution of 510x492. But the only resolution I got running the monitors is 320x240.
Is there anyway to improve it? maybe adding more physical memory?

I do not get events recorded but I will read more before to bother.
Thanks a lot!!!!

[jameswilson]

no worries mate you wernt wasting my time at all! i would think that you have a lack of shared mem when you increase the resolution. If you check your logs i bet you see a cannot shmget etc, if you check the faq phil has detailed how to fix this, glad your running. ps if you go above 1/2 vertical resolution you will get interlace combing on movement so its not such an achcievment anyway lol!

[pre-newbie]

Hi James. Thanks so much for your help. I am new on ZM but I have received a very nice support. Without it I would have never got this far.

I checked the zmwatch.log file, I saw all the "Shared memory not valid" errors from days ago. But since yesterday I only have two new lines per day, with watchdog "staring" and "pausing for 30 seconds". No errors. I read the FAQ about the shared memory, but I already included the lines to set it higher. I do not know what else can I do.

However, the error that I am getting is that no event is being recorded, and when I try to manage the zones I get:

Warning: chdir() [function.chdir]: Permission denied (errno 13) in /svr/www/htdocs/zm_html_view_zones.php on line 26.

I cannot create zones nor modify them either.
I remember on the zm for suse howto, there was a step on which the line related to functions on zm script should be deleted. I followed the howto, but I do not know if that may be cause of the problem I am getting.
any idea? Many thanks!!!!

[pre-newbie]

Hi! I did added the line that I deleted during the installation:
. /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions
Nothing changed... I get the same error when opening a zone dialogue:

Warning: chdir() [function.chdir]: Permission denied (errno 13) in /svr/www/htdocs/zm_html_view_zones.php on line [/color]

Because the error describes a permission problem, I started as root but getting the same result/error. It cannot change directory...
Please do anybody have an idea of what can I do?

[cordel]

Check and make sure that the permissions for the web folder are set correctly. You should not have zm run as root user, it's designed for now, to run as the web user and group.

Regards,
Corey

[pre-newbie]

Hi Corey, thanks so much for helping me.

I check the folders and there is something weird. When I configured zm, all the folders for cgi-bin and htdocs were under /srv/www/, but the error mentions a problem to change to the path /svr/www. In fact only the folder "srv" exists. I have no idea how this folder got it wrong.
I do not want to make anything that damages other applications. So, do you know if I should just rename that folder from "svr" to "srv"? or I should change something on the settings of ZM? I prefer to wait for your opinion before to proceed. Thanks!

[cordel]

You can change the path for your zm web directory in zm.conf to correct that. Depending on how you configured zm it should be in either /etc or /usr/local/etc then just restart zm.

Regards,
Corey

[pre-newbie]

Hi Corey, Phil and other friends.
I saw that the folder /svr/ was created only during ZM isntallation, so I just noted the permissions of every file and folder inside it, and then rename the folder to the /srv/ and rebooted the pc. The result is owesome. It is the first time I see ZM working and it is great. I created the zones and changed the path to a bigger storage hardrive, and other small things. ZM it is an absolutely owesome software and you guys are doing a great job supporting newbies like me.

Just one question remains; The biggest successfully monitor size for the cameras resulted to be 320x240, however the cameras are capable to achieve 510x492. Is there anyway, logically or physically, to achieve higher sizes of these monitors? e.g. Would extra physical RAM boards be helpful for this purpose?

Again thanks so much! Of course I will set a paypal account to donate to this project.