
Motion Capture and Video Conferencing Fun #64
Chapter 8, Desktop Programs
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HACK
Most webcams are USB-powered, so you need to ensure that your USB sys-
tem is configured correctly
[Hack #93]. When you plug in a camera, it should
load the Video 4 Linux module. Check that it does with this command:
foo@Bar:~$ lsmod
In the output you should see videodev listed. If it is not listed, you should
insert it with
insmod:
foo@bar:~$ insmod videodev
Once Video 4 Linux is loaded, it creates one or more video entries in /dev.
Check this with:
foo@bar:~$ ls -al /dev/video*
When you run this command, you should see at least one entry appear. If this
is not the case, your camera is not working with Linux. You should double-
check your previous work to make sure you did everything necessary.
Using GnomeMeeting
When you first run GnomeMeeting, you are taken through a configuration
druid that helps you set up and configure the program. Included in this
setup routine are some features for ensuring your webcam is working prop-
erly. At the end of this process, you can click the webcam icon and see the
video from your camera in the window.
If you see a corrupted picture when viewing video in GnomeMeeting, the
webcam driver might have some bugs that might require an update to a
newer driver version; this has been a problem with the OV511 chip-based
range of devices. You should check your camera with a range of software
such ...