Remote, multiple-use webcam - virtual or loop video device?

[tomdavidson]

Hi,
Im working setting up ZoneMinder at my home and want to use existing webcams as monitors, but will want them to be available for video chat applications.

I have installed mjpg-streamer on Kubuntu 10.04 and can verify its functionality with the test input plugin, but input_uvc.so it does not seem to like my kitchen webcam that uses sn9c20x - it works, but I get garbage rather than an image.

I also verified that mjpg-steamer and kopete can not simultaneously use my video device.

1) Are sn9c20x devices supported by input_uvc.so? If not, is there a work around related to my multiple use needs? If it is supported, Ill open a different thread seeking help once i give up on troubleshooting.

2) What options do I have to allow simultaneous access to a video device?

I have been looking at loop back and virtual devices such as:
* http://allonlinux.free.fr/Projets/AVLD/
* http://sourceforge.net/projects/v4l2vd/

Something along the lines of:
https://docs.google.com/drawings/pub?id ... =731&h=271

/dev/video0-------virtual device ---- kopete
|
|
- transcode -
needed for sn9c20x?
|
virtual device
|
mjpg-streamer

Seems kind of complicated, is there a KISS solution out there?
Thanks a ton!

[tomdavidson]

It finally occurred to me that having a single device is not necessarily the problem.

Rather that trying to have several virtual devices perhaps I should look at udev permissions?

I have a custom rule to set the name of the webcam so it doesnt change with other devices at the machine and I added MODE="0666" to give r/w to everyone. Still, Kopete and VLC could not open the device at the same time.

I also tried opening the device with VLC and then with kopete ran as sudo.


any insights?

[tomdavidson]

bummer 140 views and no response.

are there other users that are employing dual use webcams? how do you do it?

best,