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Linux WebCam Software?
Who_Sez asks: "I'm interested in setting up a Linux based webcam, however the solutions I've been seeing are either very convoluted in execution, or the referring sites appear to be out of date. Can anyone recommend a webcam package that runs on Linux? I don't really care what distro is required but I'm familiar with Fedora, Yellow Dog, and Ubuntu. I guess I would be considered a 'mid-level user' with regard to experience. Is there a web cam software package that is a fairly complete solution that is also pretty easy to configure (preferably with a GUI)? Also, some suggestions for compatible webcam hardware would be welcome. I'd like to be able to do this on the cheap, and would love to be able to brag about setting up a Linux web cam. Any help here would be appreciated. Thanks!"
Are you looking for something that will just pop up a semi-frequently updated shot, or are you looking for streaming media? They are pretty different requirements. Also, you didn't mention what kind of camera you'll be running. It's been my experience that the USB cameras out there require a bit of work to get running under Linux. (And some won't even reward you with pictures after considerable effort).
There should be some USB equipment that works. If you look around you should be able to find some. Anything that is compatible with Video 4 Linux (what is the current version? 2?). Look at the kernel drivers in that category and look for hardware that way.
My second suggestion (and possibly better) would be FireWire (if you have it). It's a video source. You should have no problem since FireWire video is well defined. I would be surprised if this didn't work. So besides the FireWire web cams (like the iSight) which may be expensive, if you have a camcorder with FireWire on it, you can use that (or should be able to, I think, may depend on the camcorder).
Last, there is always the video capture card route. A nice camcorder for 10 years ago will probably give you a much better picture than most low or middle range web cams (larger optics, lens, etc).
Now I haven't tried any of these (I don't use Linux regularly, or web cams).
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
I use motion http://www.lavrsen.dk/twiki/bin/view/Motion/WebHom e, an application which detects motion within your camera's field of vision and then either takes still images or moving video captures of the scene. Great for paranoid security or annoying your roomate.
knowledge is power... power corrupts.... school is corrupting me.
Get yourself a network-attached webcam (I use a D-link), use wget to go to the camera and get the current jpeg, store it in a directory, use ImageMagick's display program to show the pics.
This is fast, easy to automate with tcl or bash script, and would probably work just fine on a i486 box.
You want a pre-packaged GUI program? Sheesh dude, if you don't see what you like out there in userland, make it yourself and present it as a gift to the world.
Programmin' ain't, like, rocket science, ya know?
Cheers.
Everything in the Universe sucks: It's the law!
webcams on linux were just mentioned on the linux link tech show podcast, so you may want to check that out. i think they were using an isight.
I'm interested in setting up a Linux based webcam
Step 1: Buy an Axis.
Step 2: There is no step 2.
The Axis is what you asked for. It is pre-packaged, embedded-linux-based, open (you can edit the scripts on the device if you want) and very easy to set-up and configure (sometimes as easy as plug in camera, access camera from browser).
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"You are not remembered for doing what is expected of you." - Atul Chitnis
The 210/211 are as nice as they come, except you can't set up the motion detection unless you use Internet Exploder. It flatly refuses to work with Firefox.
An amazing sucky for such a nice camera which runs Linux internally. I tried to get answers from Axis about why and what workaround existed, such as tell me the format of the motion detection files and how to upload them, I would edit manually if I could, but their response was vague and did not answer the question.
The old 2100 has an ftp option, so I had my own motion detection software which simply downloaded pictures and did its own analysis. There is no ftp option with the 210/211.
Infuriate left and right
Camsource: http://camsource.sourceforge.net/ has met my needs in the past. It's rather flexible and should work with any Video4Linux cam. (I had a USB webcam) It supports making the cam images available in a variety of formats and can do archiving, motion detection, ftp uploading, multipart streaming and probably more.
Only one of about 20 decent choices out there :-) and almost all have some form of web services embedded in their OS. For a decent list of manufactures check out this list of supported hardware over at Milestone. FYI we sell it and the hardware but the list covers many of the top players. Also there is IndigoVision, VCS/Bosch and Smart Sight for those trips in to analog to digital to analog transmition.
Si vis pacem, para bellum! For evil to succeed good men need only do nothing!
Ekiga, formerly known as gnomemeeting, is a full SIP Phone as well as a videoconferencing application. It works with usb webcams as well as firewire attached digital camcorders.
I've had good luck using this https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Webcam utility to install the latest drivers for many consumer webcams.
IM clients that do video Chat include aMSN and kopete.
webcams under linux break into roughly two camps: firewire (aka DCAM or IIDC) cameras and anything that can be handled by V4L or V4L2. which software you use depends very much on what camera you have (sucks, but that's how it is).
if you have an iidc camera (a la apple's isight, an orange micro ibot, etc.) then you really should be using coriander which can be compiled with support for ftp upload of the images. you can also use coriander to set things up for using ffmpeg (see below).
otherwise, i'd suggest looking into using ffserver and ffmpeg. when compiled correctly, it can handle both dv, iddc/dcam, and v4l cameras. i've had rather good results with them, and they're a lot cheaper (i.e. free) than an axis box.
if neither of these works for you, i wish you the best of luck -- you're probably going to need it.
I have a Logitech USB webcam, and in Ubuntu it just works (it worked fine in Gentoo too but I had to do a lot of searching to find the kernel driver for it). Software wise there's a program called Camorama which will automatically take a picture at user-defined intervals and will either save it to your hard drive or upload it to a server. It also gives you the option of having "cool" camera effects as well. And the whole thing could be done by a novice (no command line, easy to understand dialogs).
Since your UID is smaller than mine, I can only conclude that you're trolling. -s20451 (410424)
If the usb video class takes off like usb mass storage (Logitec is using it for one). Have a look at work of Laurent Pinchart http://linux-uvc.berlios.de/.
Which is why I have 60 second rsyncs with a server in my parents house as well as the server in my own house. The server room is locked when I am away so someone would have to sever the (underground) communications lines coming into my house before breaking in, then they would need to break down the door/lock to the server room, then destroy/take the 9 hard drives in the correct machine. If I was more paranoid than I am I could rig it up to use my neighbour's wireless Internet connection as a backup connection for the rsync. Servers are UPSed but the cameras are not, so cutting the (underground) power would get the same results (unless I stuck batteries on the cameras too). Should be enough to catch a common criminal in the act and give me enough time through the alerts system to call the police or my neighbours.
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