Linux Compatible Webcams

[CD-RW]

This is a basic guide to choosing a webcam for Linux that I could have done with myself when looking for a suitable webcam for Linux. So I put this together as a quickstart guide to help point you in the right direction if your'e looking into getting Video Messaging working on Linux.

Here is some information I have gleaned about Linux compatible webcams. There appears to be 2 types of webcams that will work under Linux.

The first (older) type uses the Philips Web Cam driver that needs to be compiled as a kernel module from source. Please see these links for more about the pwc driver:

http://www.seismo.ethz.ch/linux/webcam.html
http://www.saillard.org/linux/pwc/

However, the current Linux 2.6.26 kernel and newer includes the Linux UVC driver natively. So you will not need to download and compile any driver module source if you purchase a UVC compatible webcam. It should be Plug-n-Play like any other USB device

Fedora 12 uses kernel-PAE-2.6.31.12-174.2.19.fc12.i686 on my system, so the UVC driver is already part of the kernel

More about the Linux UVC driver and some UVC compatible webcams:

http://linux-uvc.berlios.de/

So the easiest route to getting a webcam working under Linux is to buy a UVC compliant webcam.

Here are some more useful links regarding UVC compliant webcams.

http://www.uvccompatiblewebcams.com/
http://www.uvccompatiblewebcams.com/...ap-webcam.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_video_device_class
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._class_devices

http://www.quickcamteam.net/devices
http://www.quickcamteam.net/devices/...evice_list.pdf

It should be noted that any webcam which is logo certified for Microsoft Windows Vista is UVC compatible, as this is a Vista logo requirement set by Microsoft.
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/winlog...uirements.mspx

I've not actually tried a certified MS Windows Vista webcam yet.

Searching on amazon.com for uvc webcam returns ~ 13 matches for me.

This one caught my eye, and the reviewer has tested it works fine on Linux using skype:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...qid=1266507281

The full spec for the camera is here:

Product Features

* USB Webcam with built-in unidirectional microphone and 6 Infrared LED Lights
* High Performance all-glass lens for superior video quality
* Built-in light detector, when the natural lighting is not bright enough, 6 LED l
* LED lights adjustable with the dimmer control
* UVC-compliant video capture device. No driver installation necessary for Systems
* Face Tracking for automatically adjust focus
* Works great with Skype, MSN, YAHOO, etc.
* 1.3 Mega Pixels Digital Camera CMOS Sensor
* Up to 5.0 Mega Pixels window capture resolution supported
* Large window capture size up to 2560 x 2048
* Video format: 24-bit RGB
* Interface: USB 2.0
* 180 degree rotation available
* Frame rate: (640 x 480) 30 f/s; (1280 x 960) 30 f/s
* Manual Focus function
* Focus Range: 3 cm to Infinity
* AWB ( Automatic White Balance)

System Requirements:

The item is a UVC (USB Video Class) compliant device. It works with
any systems supporting UVC:

Linux
USB video class support for Linux is provided by the Linux UVC driver.

Mac OS X
Mac OS X version 10.4.3 and later (iChat requires version 10.4.9 and later).

PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 firmware version 1.54 and later.

Solaris
Solaris Express build 56 and later with the usbvc driver for OpenSolaris.

Windows

Windows XP Service Pack 2, Vista and Win7 ships with a UVC class
driver included. For other Windows systems, the driver is included
in the driver CD. Please make sure your PC to meet the following
conditions before you install it:

http://www.cubeternet.com/servlet/Detail?no=68

And the reviewers comments from amazon are:

I bought this to use with my desktop PC to skype with my sons. Works great and is now fun to skype with my sons. It is not expensive and all that I needed to do was plug it into the computer for it to work. I use Linux and this works well with it.

Hope this helps in your chosing a suitable Webcam for your Linux box!

I hope you find this guide usefull. Please add additional posts if you purchase a UVC compliant webcam, and you want to share your experience here!

Here is a template you could use to post your webcam details:

Make:

Model:

Vista Certified: Y/N

Specs:

Comments:

Available from:

Price:

Stars (1 - 5):

[PatMcLJr]

An Irish Blessing for you,

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Thanks,
Pat Jr.

[CD-RW]

Thanks Pat. That's just what I need

May the Good Lord be with you too

---------- Post added at 08:06 PM CST ---------- Previous post was at 07:51 PM CST ----------

Here's a neat little web cam with some excellent reviews from amazon UK, priced at 12.05 including free delivery:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-960.../dp/B002CNIQYA


More interesting information from the logitech website regarding camera specs:

Image quality: It's more than just megapixels.

At Logitech, we’re not just trying to dazzle you with more megapixels. Megapixels are only part of the picture. Image quality—especially when it comes to making a video call—depends on at least five things: the webcam lens and sensor, your computer, your Internet connection, and the video-calling program.

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/we...#section=specs

Obviously from the above link you can pan around the site and check out the other logitech web cams.

---------- Post added at 08:19 PM CST ---------- Previous post was at 08:06 PM CST ----------

I'm not trying to promote any particular brand of Webcam. I'm just posting things for others as I find them.

Searching for uvc webcam on amazon UK returns 0 results.

But I found the above logitech C200 on amazon UK by copying the model name from the logitech device sheet and googling for that. This is the uvc device sheet I used:

http://www.quickcamteam.net/devices/..._by_device.pdf

Obviously you can use this strategy to search for any other make and model of Webcam that you know is UVC compliant.

[lovenemesis]

Yes, Logitech C200 works well with Fedora 12. More details on my post:

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=232757

[CD-RW]

Yes, Logitech C200 works well with Fedora 12. More details on my post:

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=232757

Thanks for that report lovenemesis. Pleased to hear the C200 works well using Skype!

[phili]

nice guide thank you so much

[CD-RW]

Your welcome Phil. Pleased you found it useful. Hope there will be some more webcam reviews added by other forum users!

[CD-RW]

Got myself a Logitech C200 from Amazon. Very pleased with it. The built-in microphone works well, even from nearly two feet away. The only thing is the C200 bumps the soundcard devices up. This means that my original soundcard moves from hw:0,0 to hw:1,0, and the USB webcam takes over hw:0,0 . Just something to bear in mind if sound stops in your media player, after installing the USB webcam, and then rebooting the machine.

[lovenemesis]

Got myself a Logitech C200 from Amazon. Very pleased with it. The built-in microphone works well, even from nearly two feet away. The only thing is the C200 bumps the soundcard devices up. This means that my original soundcard moves from hw:0,0 to hw:1,0, and the USB webcam takes over hw:0,0 . Just something to bear in mind if sound stops in your media player, after installing the USB webcam, and then rebooting the machine.

It can be tweaked through the new audio applet. No need for a restart, really.

[jamesph]

My sister lives abroad and my mother had to talk to her a lot. That machine with fedora on it will serve better now. Thanks for the nice guidelines.

[Donald Winslow]

My laptop has a built-in Sytek UVC webcam, but it doesn't work in Fedora 12. I bought a peripheral Logitech that works, though.