Applications does not run properly with User

[New Linux User]

Hi, I have fedora 8 on my personnel laptop with only one user 'Ezy'. I am facing problems with running different applications with my user. But if I run them with su they run fine.

1. When I run VLC from desktop menu, it does not run but with su it runs fine.
2. Using Ekiga my webcam captures video with su, but with my own user 'Ezy' it does not capture the video.
3. Amsn does not capture video nor am I able to use the voice chat feature with my user.
4. Same problem with skype....does not capture video with my user but I didn't try running skype with su.

Should I give read write access to /dev/video0.....I guess chmod is the command?? (remember I am a new linux user & not familiar with most of the commands & its parameters, so please write for me the command & its parameters). Please help me get rid of this permission/rights issue once n for all....I tried to add my user to the root group from the natilus GUI but it did not help.

waiting for a response

Ezy

[sideways]

Can you run these apps from a terminal (as your user) and check the output. It might give some info explaining where the problem lies. You don't want to be changing dev permissions or giving your user root permissions unless there is no other fix..

If the output is at all interesting then please post it. Also check 'tail /var/log/messages and dmesg

[New Linux User]

Hi sideways, applications don't run properly when run with terminal window with my user. I am putting the log of trying to run ekiga & VLC.

Ekiga:
when run from terminal window with my user ekiga runs but no webcam...and an error window opens. the error is :
"Error while opening video device ZC0301[P] PC Camera"
and the error on terminal window is:

(ekiga:16098): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_move: assertion `GDK_IS_WINDOW (window)' failed

tail var/log/messages output is:

 
[root@localhost Ezy]# tail /var/log/messages 
May 21 02:16:48 localhost kernel: usb 2-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
May 21 02:16:48 localhost kernel: Linux video capture interface: v2.00
May 21 02:16:48 localhost kernel: zc0301: V4L2 driver for ZC0301[P] Image Processor and Control Chip v1:1.10
May 21 02:16:48 localhost kernel: usb 2-1: ZC0301[P] Image Processor and Control Chip detected (vid/pid 0x0AC8:0x303B)
May 21 02:16:49 localhost kernel: usb 2-1: PB-0330 image sensor detected
May 21 02:16:49 localhost kernel: usb 2-1: Initialization succeeded
May 21 02:16:49 localhost kernel: usb 2-1: V4L2 device registered as /dev/video0
May 21 02:16:49 localhost kernel: usbcore: registered new interface driver zc0301
May 21 02:16:49 localhost kernel: usbcore: registered new interface driver gspca
May 21 02:16:49 localhost kernel: /builddir/build/BUILD/gspca-kmod-1.00.20/_kmod_build_2.6.24.7-92.fc8/gspca_core.c: gspca driver 01.00.20 registered

dmesg

 Linux video capture interface: v2.00
zc0301: V4L2 driver for ZC0301[P] Image Processor and Control Chip v1:1.10
usb 2-1: ZC0301[P] Image Processor and Control Chip detected (vid/pid 0x0AC8:0x303B)
usb 2-1: PB-0330 image sensor detected
usb 2-1: Initialization succeeded
usb 2-1: V4L2 device registered as /dev/video0
usbcore: registered new interface driver zc0301
usbcore: registered new interface driver gspca
/builddir/build/BUILD/gspca-kmod-1.00.20/_kmod_build_2.6.24.7-92.fc8/gspca_core.c: gspca driver 01.00.20 registered

Ekiga runs fine with su & even the webcam works

when I try to run vlc player, with my user instead of opening VLC player vlc runs in terminal window

VLC media player (ncurses interface) [ h for help ]                                              

Source: <no current item>



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│Segmentation fault

but VLC runs fine when run with su...please help

[sideways]

For ekiga try changing the permissions on /dev/video0

chmod 777 /dev/video0

Make sure any previous instance of ekiga is not running. This solution is not ideal, but I can't get the webcam to run under a normal user in ekiga without this "fix" (Note, /dev/video0 should be symlinked from /dev/video)

For vlc, try removing your config & cache

rm -fr ~/.vlc

If that doesn't help then I would uninstall and reinstall

yum remove vlc
yum install vlc