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Nikon considers Linux support for its Digicams

Posted by Hemos on from the excellent-camera-work dept.

Obscura writes "Recently I bought a Nikon Coolpix 950. When visiting the Nikontech Digital Camera Support Forum the admin mentioned that Nikon was considering official support for Linux and software for use with its digicams. In a post he mentioned that they are watching the number of Linux related questions and requests for support. " Hold your horses folks - I've got e-mail from the web master - it looks like the point has been made, and things taken a bit out of context- so no more posting, k?

3 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. GPhoto support is easy! by gavinhall · · Score: 3

    Posted by Mojoski:

    We should just ask them to contribute to the Nikon module for GPhoto. It's a great app and writing simple camera specific driver modules for new camera support is the way it was designed. Then they could have automatic support built into the eventual GNOME desktop.

    So mention www.GPhoto.org in your email.

  2. With a laptop, the CoolPix 950 is very usable. by regs · · Score: 3
    Jun 8 17:06:19 localhost cardmgr[212]: initializing socket 1
    Jun 8 17:06:19 localhost cardmgr[212]: socket 1: ATA/IDE Fixed Disk
    Jun 8 17:06:19 localhost cardmgr[212]: executing: 'insmod /lib/modules/2.2.5-15 /pcmcia/ide_cs.o'
    Jun 8 17:06:21 localhost kernel: hde: SunDisk SDCFB-48, ATA DISK drive
    Jun 8 17:06:21 localhost kernel: ide2 at 0x100-0x107,0x10e on irq 7
    Jun 8 17:06:21 localhost kernel: hde: SunDisk SDCFB-48, 45MB w/1kB Cache, CHS=7 34/4/32
    Jun 8 17:06:21 localhost kernel: hde: hde1
    Jun 8 17:06:21 localhost kernel: ide_cs: hde: Vcc = 3.3, Vpp = 0.0
    Jun 8 17:06:21 localhost cardmgr[212]: executing: './ide start hde'
    Jun 8 17:06:21 localhost kernel: hde: hde1
    Jun 8 17:11:21 localhost cardmgr[212]: executing: './ide check hde'
    Jun 8 17:11:21 localhost kernel: hde: hde1

    That's my laptop recognizing the 48 MB flash card that I pulled out of the camera. The camera formats it with vfat, so a simple "mount -t vfat /dev/hde1 /flash" gives me access to all the photos from the camera,

    On the other hand, if you don't have a laptop, you are screwed. The raw TIFFs that it takes are 5.5 MB... the highest quality JPEGs around 800K. The flash cards can be hooked up to a flash card reader, either USB (no dice, under linux) or Parrallel (slooooooooooowwww, if it's supported at all). Or, of course, you can hook a serial line into the camera... but I don't think that is supported under linux... not to mention how slow it is.

    So if Nikon wants to give us drivers to use the serial line, I say: no thanks... serial lines suck anyway. Help finish USB support!



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    "In Cyberspace, no one can hear you be sarcastic"
  3. Nikon and gPhoto by Phill+Hugo · · Score: 3

    I have spoken to Nikon as part of gPhoto and have
    a few leads on developing a driver for them. Please mention gPhoto if you mail then.

    I have been sent a form to fill in to get the full details of the Nikon cameras by their European technical office manager. It claims that it'll take 4-6 week for Nikon Japan to review it and release details so we at gPhoto can write the driver fully (Apparently gPhoto will already do some of the stuff needed).

    On a related note Konica are already writing a GPL driver for Linux based on some of the work included in gPhoto for the Q-MX00 series. They are currently the most Linux friendly company (at present only my gPhoto code is available, theirs will replace it in due course).

    Phill
    phill@gnu.org