[SOLVED] Skype Test Video Button (or lack thereof)

[NumLock]

I've installed skype from the skype site on my 64 bit Cinnamon but there is no test button on the video option. My webcam works and can be used on 'vlc' or 'gst-launch v4l2src' - I've also done this; http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/219 which works on Lucid.

But there is no test button (should be in the middle of the black square) and I cannot activate my webcam for other users to see me (apart from that skype works fine);

[kherring7383]

I know this may not be much help since I don't know how old your webcam is, but I too had a similar issue with a Logitech Webcam that was a couple years old that wouldn't work with Skype. I tried every thing including all the troubleshooting tips in the forums, testing it with VLC, Cheese and gvncviewer but I still couldn't get it to work in Skype. So as a last attempt to resolve the issue, I went out and bought a new HP HD3110 Webcam ($30) and once connected, Skype identified it by model and I was able to configure the webcam with skype and have been using it ever since. As for the old webcam, I didn't throw it away I simply gave to my wife for her XP system which works just fine in the Windows version of Skype.

[NumLock]

I'm guessing it is something to do with skype rather than my webcam because if I disconnect the webcam there is still no button.

[NumLock]

Okay, I've solved it. First I renamed the skype binary in /usr/bin to skypecam, then I made the following script via gedit;

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#!/bin/sh
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skypecam

I saved it as 'skype' and placed it in /usr/bin. I'd done this earlier but the path I originally had was incorrect - it took a little searching because there are 2 v4l1compat.so files, the correct one being in the 32 bit folder. Do the following in terminal to find it;

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locate v4l1compat.so

Also it is important to note that the latest version of skype does not have a test button in the black window, instead it should show a view immediately on clicking the Video Devices button - if the view is a black square then the camera isn't working.