[invalid] Logitech QuickCam Notebook Pro: Skype Problem

[darethehair]

[Newbie here with a bug report...be gentle]

My "Logitech QuickCam Notebook Pro" (ID 046d:08b1) works fine in Fedora 10 with Skype 2.0.0.72 and kernel 2.6.27.24-170.2.68.fc10.i686. This is a 'PWC' webcam.

Mint Gloria Xfce works fine with this webcam with Skype 2.0.0.72 and kernel 2.6.28-11-generic.

Mint Helena Gnome does NOT work with this webcam in Skype 2.1.0.47 and kernel 2.6.31-14-generic -- I get the classic 'back image' when using the 'test' function. I also tried a test where I uninstalled this Skype, and used the older 2.0.0.72 instead -- but also no dice.

For now, I have swapped to a "Logitech QuickCam Fusion" (ID 046d:08c1), which *appears* to work (at least the 'test' function works). This is a 'UVC' webcam (surprisingly, it used to be that 'UVC' were the trouble-makers, and PWC was solid as a rock).

Of course, this is probably not Mint's fault, or maybe even Ubuntu's fault -- perhaps there is a problem with the kernel version?

UPDATE: On a casual reboot or two later, the "Logitech QuickCam Notebook Pro" is working, and the "Logitech QuickCam Fusion" is not. Very strange! It will be frustrating if I won't know ahead of time which webcam to pick

Otherwise, I love Mint -- and Mint Helena nicely supports my Fedora 10 MythTV 0.22 backend!

[Timmi]

Well, if it's any help directing the blame... I read somewhere that it was in the latest Debian, that changes to webcam support were implemented, on which Ubuntu builds upon.

[EdgeHawk]

Same cam, same problem.
I don't use skype so it isn't a skype thing.
The cam worked fine in Gloria. After upgrading to Helena the problems began. Camstream showed me a black picture with static horizontal blue lines. Upgrading to Helena isn't a good idea. I had more problems than only the webcam. So i reinstalled Helena from scratch. And guess what? The cam works flawless. But only for ten minutes. Then the cam fun was over. Camstream freezes and there is my black picture with static horizontal blue lines again.

[EdgeHawk]

[Newbie here with a bug report...be gentle]

The (046d:08b1) Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Notebook Pro is similar to the QuickCam Pro 3000, 4000 except for its shape. It uses the Philips SAA8116 chip. Full support as of pwc8.9.

Very bad news: It appears that the modules for kernel support of Philips webcams (including some Logitech and other webcams) have been withdrawn by the author. The pwc module is also going to disappear from the kernel itself. See the driver's Linux USB link for details. Seems the kernel purists' policy prevails and everyone else loses. (http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/showdev.php?id=1404)

Good news: New free Philips USB Webcam driver for Linux that supports VGA resolution, newer kernels and replacing the old pwcx module.
Latest release: 10.0.12-rc1
Latest snapshot: spc900nc support
This is a fork of the discontinuity pwc driver made by Nemosoft Unv. (http://www.saillard.org/linux/pwc/)

I haven't tried it yet.

[EdgeHawk]

Wait!
For me the previous method is too cumbersome. If you are a newbie like me this might me more appropriate:

I noticed that every time i boot my system the webcam works fine until i disconnect it and reconnect it again. Then the problem occurs. So before you reconnect your webcam, do this in the terminal:

Code: Select all

$ sudo rmmod pwc

It works fine in camstream. I hope it does in Skype too. Let us know pls.

[Timmi]

Same cam, same problem.
I don't use skype so it isn't a skype thing.
The cam worked fine in Gloria. After upgrading to Helena the problems began. Camstream showed me a black picture with static horizontal blue lines. Upgrading to Helena isn't a good idea. I had more problems than only the webcam. So i reinstalled Helena from scratch. And guess what? The cam works flawless. But only for ten minutes. Then the cam fun was over. Camstream freezes and there is my black picture with static horizontal blue lines again.

Well, I think we all know what that means:
the quickcam has a hardware design problem that makes it do exactly that. I can't remember if it's a buffer freeze or biffer overflow or something similar.

Anyways, if you google that, you will find out that Logitech has published that it is aware of this problem.
It states that upcoming versions of their webcam will fix this, but that there is no backwards fix.
I'm not sure if they release a patch for this to make it more usable, but it is definitely not fixable.
But what you describe is the exact problem they acknowledge.

I've been paying my ISP overage charges for exceeding my bandwidth, because I've felt frustrated and ahd been determined to find a Linux that supports MY webcam (not a logitech). Well... after paying them an extra $30 fee every month for the past 3 months (they charge up to a max of 30 and I've exceeded that, trying dozens of Linuxs), I've finally decided to order a $6.99 webcam on ebay that guaranteed to work with Linux/Ubuntu.

May I suggest that you save yourself the time and frustration and do the same. Donate your logitech to someone (perhaps who has windows in which it may work ok).

If you do, you'll be smarter than I was!

[EdgeHawk]

The solution to this problem can be found here!!

http://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/52261/

[darethehair]

The solution to this problem can be found here!!

http://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/52261/

Thanks for this! For me, at least, the problem mostly went away on its own, but I guess if this is a 'timeout' problem, then it would suggest that that there is some leeway for it working/not working for some folks...

[gorgol]

I am using Linux Mint 11 and Skype 2.2 with a Logitech Quickcam Notebook. Skype sees the camera but nothing happens when I click "test."

The camera works fine with Ekiga.

Any suggestions?