skype video issue

[Sleepy-zz-John]

Hi folks! Let me add my own recent experiences and issues to this wonderfully informative thread

I'm using a cheap USB webcam which identifies itself with lsusb as:

BUS 005 Device 002: ID 18ec:3290 Arkmicro Technologies Inc

Until a couple of days ago I was using this reasonably happily on Karmic 9.10 with Skype 2.2.0.25 which I opened with terminal command:

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

Apart from the odd times when I forgot to plug the correct USB lead in, this generally worked fairly reliably.

Yesterday, I upgraded from Karmic 9.10 to Natty 11.04. (very nice but it's a new learning curve to find where everything is there! )

OK, so first of all I tried opening Skype in Natty with my same old LD_PRELOAD....vl4l1compat.so code. Result: Skype came up OK but no webcam pic at all, only a blank test screen.

Next I installed Cheese and tried the camera there, and that worked fine.

So then I retried restarting my laptop and starting Skype with the same old LD_PRELOAD again. This time it all worked. Pic was good.

But next time I tried to test the webcam in Skype, it completely crashed and froze my whole Natty.

More tests resulted in about 50% successes and 50% complete Natty freeze-crashes.

At this point I read this thread, moved my /usr/bin/skype to /usr/bin/skype.real and created a new "skype" file using v4l2convert.so thus:

#!/bin/bash
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so skype.real

This opens Skype much more nicely than entering LD_PRELOAD... from a terminal every time, but changing to v4l2convert from v4l1compat doesn't seem to have had much effect on the incidence of freeze-crashes when I test my webcam in Skype.

This makes it look as if Natty is much more sensitive than Karmic and crashes very easily when it sees my cheap webcam. Karmic was much more robust. Is this a credible theory do you think? How could I put it to the test?

I notice that the Skype site now has a new version on offer:
"skype-debian_2.2.0.35-1_i386.deb", so maybe this might be an answer? Otherwise maybe it's a new webcam I really need?

Any thoughts or experiences, anyone?

[totololoto]

I am sorry, it still doesn't work with your tips.

Actually I cannot see the video of my correspondant. I correctly see mine (despite the libv4l error).

I am wondering why some of my contacts, on the contact screen, have a small blue picture showing a camera with a tooltip saying 'this contact is configured for video conferencing' and others don't.
The contact whose video is not visible for me has not this blue picture but I used to be able to see his video with the version of ubuntu and skype I used before.

I have not tested video with contact who have the blue picture. Could that be a reason why it doesn't work ? How to get skype understand that my contact can be configured for video (ie has a webcam which works).

Another information : when I am connected with the contact from which I cannot see his video, I can see very quickly, from time to time, something that flashes on my full screen. Like if my screen becomes black for a very short fraction of a second...

I have looked at my syslog file, but I cannot see any messages which may be obviously related with this video problem.

thanks again for your help.

[tudor117]

Sleepy-zz-John, it might be that skype and Natty don't get along or that either of them is unpolished. I am not quite sure how you can test it other than having same software (to a certain extent) and same hardware running the same thing...

Totololoto, I am completely stumped. Have you tried the video with other contacts? Can you see yourself if only you are sending video? If not, can you see yourself in the skype video test (in the options)? Also, what graphics card and driver do you have? The fact that it flashes randomly should indicate that SOMETHING is working...

[Sleepy-zz-John]

Sleepy-zz-John, it might be that skype and Natty don't get along or that either of them is unpolished. I am not quite sure how you can test it other than having same software (to a certain extent) and same hardware running the same thing...

Thanks. Yes, I'm also coming to the conclusion that Natty isn't as compatible with Skype as my Karmic was. I've now upgraded my Skype from 2.2.0.25 to 2.2.0.35-1 without any improvement. 50% of the time I'm still experiencing Natty crashes when I test my webcam in Skype's Options - Video Devices. The crashes are now consistently taking the form of fullscreen fast-running white text on a black background which nothing will interrupt apart from a forced power down. These crashes only seem to happen the 2nd time I try to test my webcam in Options - Video Devices, not the 1st. I'm thinking about submitting a bug report, but not sure if I can be specific enough for the exact cause to be identified yet.

[j.h.klein]

Additional solution (not related to cairo or QT?).

For 32-bit Karmic Koala, I found this thread & solution. I have included the preload for the /usr/lib and the /usr/lib32. For me the former works and I assume the latter works for 64 bit (as skype runs in 32 bit).

Thread: http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=411441

ig-88 posted the lib32 solution (Part 1) and Part 2 was posted by the_wOndErEr57 and gradinaruvasile (yes, I had to see my solution twice before I realized that lib32 and lib were not the same...<grin>).

Solution:

Part 1 posted was:

i use a "046d:08d9 Logitech, Inc. QuickCam IM/Connect" on ubuntu 9.04 amd64. the webcam just shows garbage while testing and simply shows nothing in calls.

a workaround is to move /usr/bin/skype to /usr/bin/skype.real
install lib32v4l-0 via apt-get and create a new /usr/bin/skype with the following content:
CODE
#!/bin/bash
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype.real
#################

Part 2 Posted was:

QUOTE (gradinaruvasile @ Fri Aug 28 2009, 17:15)
Go to the original post
I have a
0ac8:305b Z-Star Microelectronics Corp. ZC0305 WebCam

on Ubuntu 9.04 and it is working only with the ld_preload thingie mentioned before.
BUT the path is incorrect (maybe a distro thing?) the correct command is this one:

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

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

In summary,
1. sudo mv the /usr/bin/skype binary to /usr/bin/skype.real
2. sudo gedit /usr/bin/skype
(or your favorite text editor instead of gedit)
3. copy & past into the editor the following

#!/bin/bash
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype.real

4. enter "sudo chmod 755 /usr/bin/skype" without quotes to make the script file executable
5. start skype via the menu and test the video

#!/bin/bash
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype.real

for Ubuntu 12.10 64 bits

Thanks so much!

[overdrank]

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