HOWTO: HP laptop webcam

[potterzot]

This is using Edgy Etch, don't know how it works with previous versions. If you have a new HP laptop of the dv2000 series or similar, you probably realized that your webcam doesn't work. The spca5xx driver documented elsewhere seems like it would support it, but at the time of writing, only the UVL driver supports this webcam. First, check out this webpage:

To get the UVC driver, go to:

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

you probably have to install svn:

sudo aptitude install subversion

then check out the source of the UVC driver and compile and install:

svn checkout svn://svn.berlios.de/linux-uvc/linux-uvc/trunk
cd trunk
sudo make
sudo make install

Thats it! Ekiga detects my webcam after this with no problem. Don't know if this fixes the mic, haven't tested it. At this point it probably doesn't.

My webcam is a Sonix Microdia webcam, with address 0c45 62c0. You can find this information by doing:

sudo lsusb -v

and checking through the listings. You should see a usb 2.0 webcam listing there somewhere.

[Rul]

Hi,

I did what you said but when I write

sudo make

the terminal answer:

Building USB Video Class driver...
/bin/sh: line 0: cd: /lib/modules/2.6.15-27-386/build: No such file or directorymake: *** [uvcvideo] Error 1

I check it out and effectively there si no build file

What can I do?

by the way, the mic is already working...

[eitan]

forgot to mention my specs in the previous post: i'm running an hp dv2000 laptop (core duo).

[Bastanteroma]

When I try to make I get the following message:

/horriss@horriss:~/trunk$ sudo make
Building USB Video Class driver...
cd: 1: can't cd to /lib/modules/2.6.17-10-386/build
make: *** [uvcvideo] Error 2

Do I need to install something to compile things?

[anaconda]

Thank you for the instructions! worked perfectly!

And for you "Bastanteroma"
You need to have kernel headers installed before running the sudo make and sudo make install..

To install kernel headers for your kernel version type:
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`

EDIT: and ofcourse you also need the compiler...
sudo apt-get install build-essential

PS. I would guess that the webcam stops working each time after installing new kernel.. we just need to install kernel headers for each kernel, and run the sudo make && sudo make install agin..

[dimkal]

webcam now works great on dv2000z (AMDx64), but mic isn't working ... any ideas?

[uggeli]

Originally Posted by anaconda PS. I would guess that the webcam stops working each time after installing new kernel.. we just need to install kernel headers for each kernel, and run the sudo make && sudo make install agin..

You were right about that. Now when I got 2.6.17-11-generic kernel webcam stopped working. I tried to install driver again, but nothing happens. Ekiga still claims it doesn't recognize any device. Well there wasn't much use of that cam anyway (maybe it will when gaim will have video support), but sure it would be nice to get it working again.

[eitan]

thanks for posting this howto.
i checked out and installed linux-uvc from svn (trunk) as you suggested. lsusb does indeed show a sonix webcam. however, the ekiga wizard still behaves the same way, claiming it did not detect anything. most annoying.

also, no change to the status of getting my mic to work.

disappointed..

[ZERO_SHIFT]

I have hp dv2000 followed instr. but Webcam did not work??

[nuvolavinz]

hi there,
ive tried really anything you explained so well,
but still the webcam and the mic are not working.
is there any other thing or driver i should install?
thank you
vinz

ot: cant update covers on ipod using amarok, but thats a long long story...