ZoneMinder Forums

Hello, and thanks in advance for any and all advice.

Little context: I've been using Linux forever, and I'm comfortable with the command line, but I'm basically a high-average user, not a programmer, though I've got experience writing scripts (years ago). I know nothing about ZM. I need CCTV/security around the house, heard about ZM, and tried tailoring hardware around it. Being that I know nothing about ZM, I tried going as simple (cheap) as possible, figuring that once I get my foot in the door, I'll upgrade quickly based on the needs I see-- I chose ZM because it seems feature rich and robust, so I can only grow with it-- to be honest, ZM just seems like fun software to learn about, play with.

I acquired an older desktop (with PCIe, no PCI), ethernet card, Vivotek VS8801 (It's a video server that encodes analogue to digital, using H264, which I chose because it worked for someone else on this forum.) and 1/2 dozen bottom of the barrel analogue cameras.

Fresh install of Ubuntu 20.04, Apache2, SQL and ZM 1.36.33, all according to the YT video. After a bit of pain, Apache2 seems to work, and ZM connects. The video server connects to the desktop. And that's where my problem lies: it connects to the desktop (according to Ubuntu's network info), but there's no indication that Apache2 sees it.

I gave the video server a manual IP. When I check that IP with Firefox, I get the Apache2 default page. On advice, I changed Apache2's listening port from 80 to 8080 in the appropriate config file. In that file, I'm advised to change it another file also, but I can't change permissions to allow that change in the second. I'm throwing my hands up today with that. Figured I'd extend the tin cup for a bit of advice...

At this time, I suspect the best bet is to install a different and older version of Linux, one that isn't so picky about permissions, and an older version of ZM. However, I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks again for any.

Hold that. I may have figured it out.

If I've got one camera connected to the server, and everything except the camera is working, what image will ZM render?

If I've got one camera connected to the server, and everything except the camera is working, what image will ZM render?
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"Unable to stream", or "Not connected" on black background, I think.
(I'm on 1.36.34 proposed release, so it might be a bit different.)

Thanks, Doug.

BTW, it's usually faster and easier to try out camera urls with VLC. If VLC can display an image, then the same URL will work with ZM.
The only variable with ZM is whether it's TCP (usually) or UDP.

Thanks for that one too. Looks like my major hurdle is a network issue. I definitely had VM running on Ubuntu 20.04, and I thought maybe the video encoder was connected, but the camera non-functioning. However, before I realized it was (maybe) a network issue, I muddled a couple config files, and sunk that effort... what a trudge...