ZoneMinder Forums

G'day all from Ozzieland.

I've just been rebuilding a ZoneMinder machine - Used the Ubuntu build DVD to install 8.10 and apt-get to install all the bits to make ZM work. So far, that's not been the issue.... I think...

I'm getting a strange error though. I can see the bttv card when I ls the device its supposed to be registered at. No problem there. I can also see the video output from the card when I use VLC, by pointing it to the device - I get a camera image and all is "good" with the hardware... I think....

However, in ZM, if I configure the cameras and monitors - pointing to /dev/video0 - I get NOTHING... Nada, zip, ziltch... Just a black box where the test image of my naked PC should be.

The logs are as follows...

fordcp@zone-minder:~$ ls -l /dev/video0
crw-rw----+ 1 root video 81, 0 2009-04-09 16:27 /dev/video0
fordcp@zone-minder:~$ tail /var/log/syslog
Apr 9 17:17:27 zone-minder zmwatch[5223]: ERR [Can't get shared memory id '7a6d0004', 4: No such file or directory]
Apr 9 17:17:27 zone-minder zmwatch[5223]: INF [Restarting capture daemon for Camera-4, shared memory not valid]
Apr 9 17:17:27 zone-minder zmdc[5175]: ERR ['zmc -d /dev/video0' exited abnormally, exit status 255]
Apr 9 17:17:27 zone-minder zmdc[8857]: INF ['zmc -d /dev/video0' started at 09/04/09 17:17:27]
Apr 9 17:17:27 zone-minder zmc_dvideo0[8857]: INF [Debug Level = 0, Debug Log = <none>]
Apr 9 17:17:27 zone-minder zmc_dvideo0[8857]: INF [New Debug Level = 5, New Debug Log = /tmp/zm_debug.log.08857]
Apr 9 17:17:27 zone-minder zmc_dvideo0[8857]: ERR [Failed to open video device /dev/video0: Permission denied]
Apr 9 17:17:27 zone-minder zmdc[5175]: INF ['zmc -d /dev/video0' starting at 09/04/09 17:17:27, pid = 8857]
Apr 9 17:17:27 zone-minder zmwatch[5223]: INF ['zmc -d /dev/video0' starting at 09/04/09 17:17:27, pid = 8857]
Apr 9 17:17:27 zone-minder zmdc[5175]: ERR ['zmc -d /dev/video0' exited abnormally, exit status 255]


fordcp@zone-minder:~$ more /tmp/zm_debug.log.09762
04/09/09 17:31:52.942742 zmc_dvideo0[9762].INF-zm_debug.c/305 [New Debug Level = 5, New Debug Log = /tmp/zm_debug.log.09762]
04/09/09 17:31:52.943329 zmc_dvideo0[9762].DB1-zm_monitor.cpp/1579 [Got 4 monitors]
04/09/09 17:31:52.943443 zmc_dvideo0[9762].ERR-zm_local_camera.cpp/80 [Failed to open video device /dev/video0: Permission denied]

also - I've tried changing the driver permissions - Still the same output.
if I run zmfix - I get the following...


root@zone-minder:/home/fordcp# zmu -d /dev/video0 -q -v
Video Capabilities
Name: BT878 video ( *** UNKNOWN/GENER
Type: 47
Can capture
Can tune
Does teletext
Overlay onto frame buffer
Can clip
Video Channels: 4
Audio Channels: 0
Maximum Width: 924
Maximum Height: 576
Minimum Width: 48
Minimum Height: 32
Window Attributes
X Offset: 0
Y Offset: 0
Width: 320
Height: 240
Picture Attributes
Palette: 10 - YUV420
Colour Depth: 8
Brightness: 30000
Hue: 30000
Colour :30000
Contrast: 30000
Whiteness: 0
Channel 0 Attributes
Name: Television
Channel: 0
Flags: 1
Channel has a tuner
Type: 1 - TV
Format: 0 - PAL
Channel 1 Attributes
Name: Composite1
Channel: 1
Flags: 0
Type: 2 - Camera
Format: 0 - PAL
Channel 2 Attributes
Name: S-Video
Channel: 2
Flags: 0
Type: 2 - Camera
Format: 0 - PAL
Channel 3 Attributes
Name: Composite3
Channel: 3
Flags: 0
Type: 2 - Camera
Format: 0 - PAL


The whole thing involves permissions or a driver SNAFU? Anyone got a lead on this or have seen it before - so as to put me straight?


If you can - Thanks a Bazillion in advance.

04/09/09 17:31:52.943443 zmc_dvideo0[9762].ERR-zm_local_camera.cpp/80 [Failed to open video device /dev/video0: Permission denied]

Yep driver issue it is. Set the sticky bit on zmfix chmod 4755 zmfix, then restart the services. allot of distro, though you might want to try adding it to the video group if possible and avoid the sticky bit if possible. Most everyone frowns on using the sticky bit but what do ya do

Hi there!

Same fault here.

11/12/09 15:11:30.055780 zmc_dvideo0[3437].INF-zm_debug.c/305 [New Debug Level = 5, New Debug Log = /tmp/zm_debug.log.03437]
11/12/09 15:11:30.056066 zmc_dvideo0[3437].DB1-zm_monitor.cpp/1579 [Got 4 monitors]
11/12/09 15:11:30.056137 zmc_dvideo0[3437].ERR-zm_local_camera.cpp/80 [Failed to open video device /dev/video0: Permission denied]

Done what was suggested. Don't know what you mean by "stick bit" though.

dmesg.0 shows:

[ 9.150786] Linux video capture interface: v2.00
[ 9.211881] bttv: driver version 0.9.17 loaded
[ 9.211886] bttv: using 16 buffers with 2080k (520 pages) each for capture
[ 9.212124] bttv: Bt8xx card found (0).
[ 9.212147] bttv 0000:05:01.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 22 (level, low) -> IRQ 22
[ 9.212159] bttv0: Bt878 (rev 17) at 0000:05:01.0, irq: 22, latency: 32, mmio: 0x40001000
[ 9.212239] bttv0: detected: Provideo PV143A [card=105], PCI subsystem ID is aa00:1430
[ 9.212243] bttv0: using: GrandTec Multi Capture Card (Bt878) [card=77,insmod option]
[ 9.212283] bttv0: gpio: en=00000000, out=00000000 in=00ffffff [init]
[ 9.212361] bttv0: tuner absent
[ 9.212479] bttv0: registered device video0
[ 9.218140] bttv0: registered device vbi0
[ 9.218167] bttv0: PLL: 28636363 => 35468950 .. ok
[ 9.323909] HDA Intel 0000:00:1b.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16

Got exactly the same.

xawtv gives brilliant pictures, but there you go!

This is coming up to my third week with Linux, so be gentle.

Oh dear, you're not going to like this,

I went to System/Authorisations and changed all the implicit authorisations to yes... Everything.

Well, sudo chmod 777 etc. wasn't doing anything.

Sorry, but it was the only way I could get the cameras up and running.

Works a treat now..

and then again..

After a restart, I had to do the chmod 777 blah, and then the zmfix -a

Don't suppose you know how a way to make this automatic, or to stop having to do it every time I restart?

Hello

All you have to do is put user who running zm process to group owner of the device file.

If zm is running by www-data and group owner of /dev/video0 is video

use
and zoneminder will always has permissions to use video* device files

Thanks for that!

Brilliant!

Happy Christmas.

Thanks for that information, ZM now working on my 4 port card. Problem now is I can only see channel 0 on video0 and the same on my second card channel 0 on video1.

I have changed the tuner setting in the bttv.conf file to 4,4 but same problem.

Any ideas would be great...

Thanks in advance

I'm having the same problem /dev/video0 works but other channels just display blue cubes. Same with my second card /dev/video1 works other channels just same blue cube.

I have gone through almost every forum and post but no luck if anyone is willing to help please contact / pm me. I'm on week 2 and struggling like mad.