HOWTO logitech quickcam chat for skype with ubuntu gutsy and skype

[thewOndErEr57]

OK, this is a howto on installing a logitech quickcam chat for skype webcam.

On ubuntu gutsy 7.10 .

uname -a
2.6.22-14-generic

Firstly, you'll be pleased to know that this is easy and pain free,

Step 1
-----

Install gspca-source

sudo apt-get install gspca-source

Step 2
-----

Plug in your webcam.

Step 3
-----

Edit /etc/rc.local to make the camera device permissions available to all users on system startup.

sudo gedit /etc/rc.local

The line just before "exit 0", put in:

chmod 777 /dev/video0


The last two lines of /etc/rc.local should look like this:

chmod 777 /dev/video0
exit 0



Step 4 (optional)
-----

Currently to date (30/12/2007) with skype 2.0.0.27 beta, there's an issue (known to skype developers) about how webcams using the gspca driver have a very dark display. A fix for this (thanks to MrFSL !!!) is this:

sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/options

add at the end:

options gspca gamma=6

*note*, if this makes the display look distorted, try the value 5.

save this file.

simplest thing to do at this point is to reboot your PC.



Step 5
-----

Reboot your PC. et voila, your camera should now be working.

Check with the camorama:
sudo apt-get install camorama
camorama



If this works, so should Skype (version >= 2 !!)


Cheers.

[MrFSL]

For me, this model camera has drastically bad colors. Also, it is so terribly dark, that even in a bright room it is unusable.

[thewOndErEr57]

MrFSL, I agree - the colours are very dark.

If you use it with "camorama" then you can change the brightness settings, so I think that this is an issue for the skype development team, possibly offering a "brightness setting", or a more intelligent brightness control system in place.

Bear in mind that skype 2.0.0.27 is a BETA, and video for skype linux is not officially released.
MrFSL, I recommend you hang in there until they make version 2 final, and then test you webcam with skype. The brightness issue may be resolved.

[gorby]

Hello, thanks for the post, I have a usb quick cam and all of the same software u describe, the only differance i knowtices is that i had to manually install camorama with apt. However at the end of the process I still dont have anything in /dev/video0 , any ideas on what i might be missing?

I have a quickcam notebook : ID 046d:08dd Logitech, Inc

done a bit more reading about this particular cam, support is avail (but limited) with this driver http://mxhaard.free.fr/spca50x/Downl...0071224.tar.gz

Info regarding this particular camera is here http://forums.quickcamteam.net/archi...thread-22.html

Dont want to thread hijack as this is nice concise info for the cams that do work, will start a new thread in a moment.

[thewOndErEr57]

gorby,
if you're using spca driver than I suppose we're looking at a slightly different solution for you.

All I can suggest is this:

remove anything you have so far downloaded/installed with the spca driver. then...

sudo apt-get install spca5xx-source

unplug your webcam.

sudo modprobe spca5xx

Plug in your webcam.

ls /dev/vide*

sudo chmod 777 /dev/vide*

camorama -d /dev/video0

if that fails...

camorama -d /dev/video


if that fails, post output from:

dmesg



It's the best I can think of just now....

[dometz]

Thanks for this tutorial. I followed everything, running Ubuntu 7.10 with Quickcam Messenger. The video works in camorama (looks black and white), but not in Skype. When going to Skype menu 'Options/Video Devices', I get no video signal when clicking the 'test' button. Thanks for your help.

[thewOndErEr57]

dometz, I think you're past the hard part of getting your webcam working. well done.

it works with Camorama, so that's good. Have you tried the "brightness" and "Contrast" options in camorama to see if a better image is possible?

The skype thing...
Firstly, have you tried with a strong light source on your face? You may have a very dark image, as opposed to a black screen.

Otherwise, unplug your webcam then:
-------------------------
sudo modprobe gspca

plug back in.

sudo chmod 777 /dev/video0

test skype.
-----------------------------

If this doesn't work then tell skype to use an external microhpone, as opposed to the internal one in the camera.

Restart skype and try again.

However, if this does not work, then I suppose like a lot of other people I've heard from, you may have to sit and wait for skype to make this version 2 (for video), a final release. They have a lot of bugs they are working on still, and yours may be one of them.

Have hope with the fact that you at least have some use of your camera.

[dometz]

thewOndErEr57, thank you very much for your time and your advice! I followed every step, but unfortunately had not much succes. As you rightly suggested, if nothing works I will have to wait fro Skype to improve v.2. Thanks again. Dom.

[MrFSL]

These cheaper logitech cameras are VERY VERY dark. The colors are off and the overall image quality is low. I STRONGLY suggest that you don't buy one.

However, if you already own one here are some tweaks that might help you get a slightly better picture in skype.

Look at the contents of the 'parameters' directory by opening a terminal and typing the following:

ls /sys/module/gspca/parameters/

This are "module" (or driver if you will) parameters. We can check the current the values of these parameters by reading the contents of these files. For instance, if you have a parameter file called "gamma," typing the following will show its current settings:

cat /sys/module/gspca/parameters/gamma

This command says that gamma is set to "3" on my computer.

To set this parameter edit the file "/etc/modprobe.d/options"
In my case, on a new line I added:

options gspca gamma=5

The difference isn't huge, but at least it isn't too dark to use at all now.

Finally you will have to reload the module:

sudo rmmod gspca
sudo modprobe gspca

Good luck.

[thewOndErEr57]

MrFSL, excellent advise.

I tested and although documentation of the gspca driver states that this "gamma" option value is 0 to 7, I tried 7 and the display was very distorted.

So the value of 6 worked for me.

Priceless advise, thanks !!

I will put this into the HOWTO above.