HOW TO - make virtually any webcam work with Skype in Linux

[Doruletz]

How to make virtually any webcam work with Skype in Linux Mint 9 Isadora - Gnome 32-Bit:

(1) Install Skype v2.1.081 Beta either via Terminal (sudo apt-get install skype) or via Software Manager
(2) Install Video4Linux Control Panel (v4l2ucp) either via Terminal (sudo apt-get install v4l2ucp) or via Software Manager
(3) Run "v4l2ucp" from a Terminal (sudo v4l2ucp)
(4) From the top bar, select 'preview'.
(5) Select 'configure preview'.
(6) In the 'application to use line' replace mplayer with Skype.
(7) Click 'OK" and close the sub-menu.
(8) In the preview menu, select "start preview"
(9) This will start your Skype program. Sign in with your Username and Password and you are ready to go with Video Calls (just to make sure everything works, test your video - from Skype menu go to Options and Video Devices)

Just so you won't have to start the Video4Linux Control Panel via Terminal console command line (sudo v4l2ucp) everytime you can set a Desktop shortcut to it.
Depending on what version of Linux Mint you have installed you will find the Video4Linux Control Panel in one of these two locations:

Filesystem/usr/share/applications or Filesystem/usr/share/app-install/desktop

Just right click on the Video4Linux Control Panel icon and choose Copy to/Desktop and you will get the icon on your desktop for faster and easier access.


Downsize to this workaround: You will have to run Video4Linux Control Panel every time you wanna use Skype.

This worked for me with the following webcam:
SiGma Micro Micro USB Web Camera - a cheap webcam I got for $3.50 from e-Bay - (China stuff from Hong-Kong)
I was able to get this 2 bits webcam to work on both my desktop and my laptop with the following install:

LinuxMint release 9 (Isadora)
Kernel Linux 2.6.32-21-generic
GNOME 2.30.2

Desktop: HP Pavilion Media Center m8120n, Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU @ 2.40GHz
3GB DDR2 RAM, nVidia GE Force 9500GT 1,024MB DDR2 GPU

Laptop: HP Pavilion dv8301nr Entertainment Notebook PC, AMD Turion(TM) 64 Mobile Processor ML-34 (1.8GHz, 1 MB L2 Cache, up to 1,60MHz system bus)
2GB DDR RAM, 256MB Video Memory (128MB DDR dedicated + 128MB shared) ATI RADEON® XPRESS 200M IGP


Good luck and let everybody know if this worked for you by posting here.

P.S. - When you post please include your system specs and exact type of webcam you have, just like I did above.
To get your webcam type just open a terminal and type "sudo lsusb" (with the webcam already connected to your PC or Laptop)

[linuxbee]

Hi,
this didn't work for me.
İ have the following webcam:
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 093a:2603 Pixart Imaging, Inc. PAC7312 Camera.
When I run "cheese", webcam is working niceley, but it is not working in Skype.
Previously, in order to make my webcam work in skype, I would do (in Fedora) the following trick:

Code: Select all

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

But for some reason I am getting the following error in Isadora:

Code: Select all

ERROR: ld.so: object '/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded: ignored

.

I will do some googling, and if I find the solution, I will post it.
Please let me know if you have any comments on this.


System:
webcam: Bus 002 Device 002: ID 093a:2603 Pixart Imaging, Inc. PAC7312 Camera
Mint v.: Isadora 64-bit (GNU)

[linuxbee]

Hi,
this didn't work for me.
İ have the following webcam:
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 093a:2603 Pixart Imaging, Inc. PAC7312 Camera.
When I run "cheese", webcam is working niceley, but it is not working in Skype.
Previously, in order to make my webcam work in skype, I would do (in Fedora) the following trick:

Code: Select all

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

But for some reason I am getting the following error in Isadora:

Code: Select all

ERROR: ld.so: object '/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded: ignored

.

I will do some googling, and if I find the solution, I will post it.
Please let me know if you have any comments on this.


System:
webcam: Bus 002 Device 002: ID 093a:2603 Pixart Imaging, Inc. PAC7312 Camera
Mint v.: Isadora 64-bit (GNU)

It turns out there are three v4l1 compat files:

• /usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so
  /usr/lib32/libv4l/v4l1compat.so
  /usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so

The second one worked for me.

Let me summarize the problem and the solution:
Problem: skype detects the webcam but webcam is not working (when the test button is clicked).
Solution: do ld_preload and run skype from the command line:

Code: Select all

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

[Doruletz]

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

on Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:45 pm linuxbee wrote:

It turns out there are three v4l1 compat files:

• /usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so
  /usr/lib32/libv4l/v4l1compat.so
  /usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so

The second one worked for me.

Let me summarize the problem and the solution:
Problem: skype detects the webcam but webcam is not working (when the test button is clicked).
Solution: do ld_preload and run skype from the command line:

Code: Select all

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Hi linuxbee.
I tried your method, with the code

by linuxbee:

Code: Select all

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

...but unfortunately it did not work for me.
Instead the method I first described above is working.
Go figure....


*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

[grndplane]

" By Doruletz


(1) Install Skype v2.1.081 Beta either via Terminal (sudo apt-get install skype) or via Software Manager
(2) Install Video4Linux Control Panel (v4l2ucp) either via Terminal (sudo apt-get install v4l2ucp) or via Software Manager
(3) Run "v4l2ucp" from a Terminal (sudo v4l2ucp)
(4) From the top bar, select 'preview'.
(5) Select 'configure preview'.
(6) In the 'application to use line' replace mplayer with Skype.
(7) Click 'OK" and close the sub-menu.
(8) In the preview menu, select "start preview"
(9) This will start your Skype program. Sign in with your Username and Password and you are ready to go with Video Calls (just to make sure everything works, test your video - from Skype menu go to Options and Video Devices)"

Add step 10 to this list
(10) Create Skype Icon and in the command box put "env LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so skype" without the quotes.

This worked for me on both a netbook and a desktop.

-Mike

[Doruletz]

" By Doruletz


(1) Install Skype v2.1.081 Beta either via Terminal (sudo apt-get install skype) or via Software Manager
(2) Install Video4Linux Control Panel (v4l2ucp) either via Terminal (sudo apt-get install v4l2ucp) or via Software Manager
(3) Run "v4l2ucp" from a Terminal (sudo v4l2ucp)
(4) From the top bar, select 'preview'.
(5) Select 'configure preview'.
(6) In the 'application to use line' replace mplayer with Skype.
(7) Click 'OK" and close the sub-menu.
(8) In the preview menu, select "start preview"
(9) This will start your Skype program. Sign in with your Username and Password and you are ready to go with Video Calls (just to make sure everything works, test your video - from Skype menu go to Options and Video Devices)"

Add step 10 to this list
(10) Create Skype Icon and in the command box put "env LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so skype" without the quotes.

This worked for me on both a netbook and a desktop.

-Mike

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
grndplane - Mike, thanks for your input and adding the step 10.
Can you please explain what it is that this step 10 actually does??

Just a guess... Does it eliminate the need to run v4l2 (Video for Linux Control Panel) every time or what??
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

[grndplane]

You will just click the Skype icon without the need to start the Video4Linux Control Panel first. I followed all you're steps, and they worked excellent (Thank you). Then I googled starting a linux library and got the "env" command and put 2 and 2 together. Hope this helps.

-Mike

[ukbrian]

Thanks guys it worked first time on a HP Pavilion dv2000 laptop running LMDE
ukbrian

[TriggerHappy]

You are a genius!

Worked first time with a Logitech Webcam.

Thanks for taking the time to write up this how-to to help us noobs!

Cheers
Pete

[Doruletz]

Thanks guys it worked first time on a HP Pavilion dv2000 laptop running LMDE
ukbrian

ukbrian, can you please tell us what kind of webcam you got working using this method?

Just in case you don't know, to find out what webcam you have (or for that matter any other hardware connected via usb) just open a terminal and type

Code: Select all

lsusb

this will list all your usb ports and all the stuff connected to them, your webcam should be in there, just copy the exact name of your webcam and post it here, please.

Thanks.

[Doruletz]

You are a genius!

Worked first time with a Logitech Webcam.

Thanks for taking the time to write up this how-to to help us noobs!

Cheers
Pete

Thanks for the comeback TriggerHappy. Glad I could help. Enjoy.

[ukbrian]

ukbrian, can you please tell us what kind of webcam you got working using this method?

sorry it was a

Code: Select all

Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0c45:62c0 Microdia Sonix USB 2.0 Camera

ukbrian

[Banshee265]

Hello, i've tried to get my webcam working on Skype to no avail. The webcam works using cheese though.

I've followed the above instructions but when I start video4linux I get the following errror

"Unable to open file dev/video0
cannot send after transport endpoint shutdown"

I really need to get this working as I'm going overseas with work for awhile so the need to use to see the wife and kids.

Any ideas?

Gaz

[grndplane]

"by Gaz_Nicholson on October 15th, 2010, 3:59 pm

"Unable to open file dev/video0"

Gaz try changing the settings to dev/video1
I am going to guess that like me you probably have a second video device such as a TV card. Sometimes the software becomes confused as to which device it should be using.

-Mike

[telltom]

" Run "v4l2ucp" from a Terminal (sudo v4l2ucp)
From the top bar, select 'preview"

I would like to get my webcam to work in skype but the program v4l2ucp top bar doesn't have an option "preview". Is there something else i'm missing?

[Banshee265]

"by Gaz_Nicholson on October 15th, 2010, 3:59 pm

"Unable to open file dev/video0"

Gaz try changing the settings to dev/video1
I am going to guess that like me you probably have a second video device such as a TV card. Sometimes the software becomes confused as to which device it should be using.

-Mike

Thanks for the reply, but a simple reboot seemed to do the trick. Basic fault recitifcation that I failed miserably at! lol

[Sleven]

Doruletz, I wish all the tutorials were as easy and straight forward as you have made this one.

Everything worked beautiful, my web cam is now up and running on skype and is working with Firefox as well, just had to put Firefox in the 'application to use line'
Works with Google Chat and Chat Ruelette once I start Firefox using v4l2ucp. The shortcut you provided for the Control Panel on the desktop works great. Thank you so much

The only thing that did not work was:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so firefox
but I don't mind at all have to start by using your original instructions, kudos!

LinuxMint release 9 (Isadora)
Kernel Linux 2.6.32-21-generic
GNOME 2.30.2

Desktop: HP Compaq dc5700 MT, 2x Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz
3.6 GB, Intel Corporation 82Q963/Q965 Integrated Graphics Controller
Bus 006 Device 003: ID 093a:2460 Pixart Imaging, Inc. Q-TEC WEBCAM 100

[Sleven]

Doruletz, just a small follow up on my experience with your tutorial

I was so pleased at how well everything worked yesterday getting my old, very cheap Gearhead cam to work in Mint, that today I went and bought a new HD webcam (Logitech c270H) to replace the cam I've been using. I unplugged the old cam, plugged up in the new one and booted up. Tried to start v4l2ucp and got the following error message.

Unable to open: /dev/video0 no such file or directory

I thought, "oh crap, what do I do now". I looked for a solution for a while but couldn't find an answer. I wanted to see how the new cam worked so I booted up Windows and installed all the software. Played with it for a while and decided that the improved video quality was worth the effort to find a program that would work in Mint.

Rebooted Mint and opened Firefox which reloaded all the pages that I had open. By chance the last page I was on was the google setting page used to verify my video feed, and "ba da bing" I had a live feed. v4l2ucp now opens with no error message and I suppose the command line, "LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so firefox", I used last night now works with the new webcam. Thanks again for a great tutorial.

[MIGUEL2918]

hi there I couldny make my camera work under skype. i try all methods described but not..

my details are:
camera microsoft corp lifecam vx-6000 (sn9c20x-0v9650)
linux mint 10

[Roken]

It turns out there are three v4l1 compat files:

/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so
/usr/lib32/libv4l/v4l1compat.so
/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so

The second one worked for me. [/code]

Thank you - over the past week I must have tried every soloution for my MS VX-3000 and Skype posted on the net, including LD_PRELOAD, but you are the first person to suggest different versions of the compat file. 2nd one worked and I finally have video

Steve